Have you tried game meat? Or know what the definition of game meat is?
Well according to Wild and Game, ‘game’ usually describes meat from animals and birds such as grouse, pheasant, partridge and hare. The meat is low in fat, high in protein and tastes great! Game has for many years been a seasonal meat.
My experience of game meat has been limited, I’ve tried veal meat a few times when eating out with my parents, which is delicious. So, when the lovely folk behind west country game meat brand Wild and Game got in touch to see if I’d like to sample some of their product range, I was only too happy to oblige.
I caught up with the founders to find out more ahead of The Game Fair where you’ll find Wild and Game exhibiting at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire 26-28 July.
Introducing Wild and Game
Wild and Game was set up by Steven Frampton & Michael Cannon back in 2017. They were aware of how much game was being produced, but also how under used it is in the UK. And rather than seeing this versatile meat go to Europe, decided to set up a not-for-profit business to help increase the availability of game meat & make sure it was on British menus all year round. To help with accessibility into UK homes, the products arrive frozen, making it even easier to enjoy them at any time of the year & not just in game season which runs from autumn to early spring depending on the type of game.
At the beginning Steven & Michael offered customers plenty of familiar favourites but worked with game as a key ingredient. The starting point was thinking about which meals they & people in the UK enjoy eating. Favourites such as pork pie, beef & ale pie, hearty sausages, chicken tikka masala & pates were all key sources of inspiration. When you look at the product list you’ll see game versions of all of these household favourites & many other much loved dishes. More products are now being added to the range including fillets & whole birds for customers to try.
The Wild and Game product range varies throughout the year depending on what game is available, so always worth checking the website to see what’s in stock. Venison, wood pigeon, grouse, pheasant & wild boar make frequent appearances. And the team are constantly trialling new flavours of pies, pasties & ready meals. A recent addition was the pork & caramelised onion pie which I tried back in the spring & was delicious – it even won a gold award in the British Pie Awards 2019 for being super tasty. The team are busy developing other pie flavours & have some burgers which have just been added to the website – perfect for BBQ season.
Currently partridge is not used in Wild and Game products, however, they’ve identified a new supplier & will be adding partridge to the product range very soon.
Wild and Game Taste Test!
Pork, Pheasant & Caramelised Onion Small Pie – £1.65
This pork pie packs a punch for its size & the caramelised onion seals the taste. I can see why it won a gold medal at the British Pie Awards 2019.
Country Game & Cheesy Mash Pasty – £2.99
A lunch time favourite with a twist – tender pieces of pheasant with turkey, bacon & cheesy mash. This pasty will certainly keep you filled up until dinner.
Pheasant, Pistachio & Port Pâté – £3.50
The packaging recommended trying the pate on toast, & what a great idea. The 3 flavours combined made for a great combo, with the nutty taste of the pistachio coming through. Great for a lunch time or afternoon snack.
Pheasant Korma – £7.50
If you like chicken korma, then the pheasant korma is worth a try with some rice. I love a korma & this made for a pleasant change.
Grouse & Wild Board Sausages – £3.98
6 sausages for £3.98 is very reasonable. I teamed mine with sweet potato fries & baked beans – probably not everyone’s choice, but it made for such a comforting meal. The sausages cooked really well, with hardly any fat/juice coming out & had more taste than your standard supermarket bangers.
Find out more about Wild and Game
If you fancy trying out some of Wild and Game’s products all year round, have a browse of the range on their website – www.wildandgame.co.uk they really are delicious & such a great idea that they can be delivered frozen & enjoyed whenever you like.
And if you’re heading to the Game Fair at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire this July (26-28), make sure you pay the Wild and Game team a visit. They’ll be on stand F707 & will be handing out samples of some of their newest creations, including the award winning pork pie.
Wild and Game co-founder Stephen Frampton is truly passionate about making it easy for everyone to enjoy game, and part of their mission is to demonstrate that it’s a great meat to enjoy all year round. So, make sure you head early to grab yourself a sample!
Note: I was gifted the samples from Wild and Game, and opinions on the samples are all my own.
