Eat venison day

The board of the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) tucked into a delicious plate of venison stew for lunch today (Friday 4 September) in recognition of the first ever ‘National Eat Scottish Venison Day’.

Using locally sourced venison, the hearty stew will have more than sustained members for the duration of their September board meeting at the Boat of Garten Community Hall.

CNPA board member Eric Baird said: “Deer management and indeed venison is an important part of the land use, history and culture of the Cairngorms National Park and I think that this new initiative – National Eat Venison Day – will help promote the value of deer as one of our natural resources and help increase awareness of venison as a local and healthy food.”

National Eat Venison Day aims to raise awareness of venison and encourage consumers to eat it. The Scottish venison industry is worth around £70.4 million per year and accounts for 966 direct jobs and a further 1,554 full-time equivalent jobs –  many of these in rural areas.

The Scottish Venison Working Group is made up of representatives of the Association of Deer Management Groups, the British Deer Farmers’s Association, Deer Commission for Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association and Scottish Quality Wild Venison.