Why does venison remain a niche product despite its impeccable ethical and environmental credentials? The Stalking Show 2025 brought together a diverse panel of experts to tackle this persistent market paradox and explore solutions to bring wild venison into mainstream consumption.

From the opening moments, it becomes clear that the venison market faces multifaceted challenges. Game dealers like Tristan Kirk explain how logistical complexities and processing costs create pricing pressures that ripple through the supply chain. Unlike cattle operations where transport and processing achieve economies of scale, venison collection involves numerous small pickups from chillers across the country, dramatically increasing operational costs per kilogram.

Quality standards emerge as the critical factor for mainstream market acceptance. David Hooten presents the British Quality Wild Venison scheme, designed to address buyer concerns about traceability and handling between the field and processing. Simon Gibson, representing major hospitality buyers, confirms these concerns are legitimate – chefs worry about what happens before the carcass reaches approved handlers, creating hesitation about featuring venison on mainstream menus.

Education plays a pivotal role in expanding venison's market reach. José Suto shares his groundbreaking work at Westminster Kingsway College, where he's integrated comprehensive venison education throughout the culinary curriculum, even establishing the UK's only deer larder in a catering college. His approach positions venison as the "fourth meat" alongside beef, chicken, and lamb, with graduates taking this knowledge into professional kitchens nationwide.

The Open Food Network offers a promising distribution solution, creating a free registration service that maps venison sellers and connects them directly with buyers. This platform particularly benefits smaller producers and helps solve distribution challenges for smaller deer species that don't fit well in traditional game dealer supply chains.

Perhaps most compelling is venison's environmental advantage. When major hospitality venues like Celtic Manor discover that beef consumption represents their largest carbon footprint contributor – exceeding even energy usage – substituting venison becomes an attractive sustainability strategy.

Whether you're a stalker, chef, retailer, or simply a curious consumer, this discussion illuminates the path forward for this underappreciated, sustainable protein. Join us in exploring how coordinated improvements in quality, distribution, and awareness could finally help venison realize its mainstream potential.

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