August 17, 2015

Plans are moving forward for the development of the first ‘mega’ deer farm in Britain, but top venison supplier, Christian Nissen, who supplies the majority of the country’s top restaurants and supermarkets, says that investment should to be made now in the sector, as it is expected to see soaring global demand.

A 1,000-acre property in Scotland has been selected for the location of the first large scale deer farm that is set to be five times the size of any venison operation currently existing in the country. The farm is set to have 1,000 hinds and 40 stags, and will raise up to 1,000 calves for slaughter, producing 80 tons of meat per year.

Despite these plans, Mr. Nissen is calling for an investment of at least £10 million to support the expansion of the deer meat industry. Currently Mr. Nissen is importing 600 tons of venison from New Zealand per year, but sees a future where self-sufficiency is possible, asking “Why are we importing venison when we have the most fantastic pastures here in Scotland to produce top-quality venison?”

The potential for growth in the sector is significant, with market research firm, Mintel, noting British game as one of the top 50 growth markets in the consumer space. Even the 80 tons of venison per year to be provided by the ‘mega’ farm is only a fraction of the 1,200 tons per year needed to meet the demand in Britain alone.

Venison has increasingly gained popularity with chefs and consumers as a healthy alternative to traditional red meats, but at the same time, the number of deer farms in Scotland has decreased from 16,000 in 1990 to 6,000 in 1996, and only 81 in 2013, representing an opportunity for early investors.