Having had the pleasure of eating Rutting Reds‘ venison loin on two occasions, prepared by the talented Adam Gray, I thought it was time I paid them a visit. Giles and Polly Wilson currently have a herd of 85 Red Deer which they plan, in time, to increase to around 150. They adopt an approach of minimal intervention, with no handling and allowing nature to take its course which makes the herd virtually wild. The deer enjoy feeding on pasture grass most of the year and are given haylage (cut grass, partially dried which is wrapped in plastic & left to ferment) and rolled nuts in the Winter.
Rutting Reds currently supply all the venison they can produce to a handful of quality restaurants like, the Meredith Group’s small chain of London gastro pubs, along with supplying venison for locals, friends & family. This is a serious endeavour, as Giles and Polly do absolutely everything from looking after the deer to slaughtering and butchering the animals. Giles does the main butchery, skills which he picked up from a butcher friend and through a brief course with The British Deer Society. Polly then takes over to finally mince the remaining venison and turn it into delicious sausages & burgers. All of this is done on site so as the animals endure the absolute minimum stress. Giles is currently experimenting with curing the deer skins too!
Controlling consistent quality and flavour is the key benefit gained through farming deer in contrast to wild herds. This is achieved by knowing the age of your stock and being able to kill the deer in a more controlled way. Typically, any deer which is due to be dispatched will be shot by a single bullet using a silenced rifle. The deer are normally shot when they are busy grazing and away from the main herd to avoid distressing the other deer. Giles chooses stags which are between 15 to 24 months in age ensuring that the meat will be tender and of a milder flavour. The carcasses are then hung from between 5-10 days again, to enhance flavour but to keep it milder in flavour. Hinds are productive for around 10-12 years and when their time is up their meat is used to make sausages.
Giles and Polly also make salami, chorizo and parma ham with the pigs they keep too!
Venison is a very healthy meat which is low in cholesterol, high in iron and doesn’t shrink to the extent of other meats when cooked. Isn’t it time we started eating more venison as a Nation?
The herd is onto it’s third dominant stag who currently rules the roost and will be the father of most of this summer’s new off spring. There are another three stags climbing the ranks who will have to fight it out come the this year’s rutting season from September-October. During the rut there’s nothing the stag likes better than to role in his own wee, thus rendering him with an irresistible cologne which the hinds can’t resist!
When I visited during March, the deer weren’t looking quite their best as their coats were molting in time for Spring and the stags were beginning to shed their antlers (see picture above where there are just buds left where the antlers were previously attached). The deer had also all been wallowing in the fresh, muddy water pools which they’ve dug up. None the less, their presence was still majestic!
Both Giles & Polly are an inspiration in confronting each task in their stride, ensuring their herd of Red Deer are happy and stress free. I can definitely recommend the mild flavour and tenderness of their venison which does melt in the mouth!
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