"Sussex venison belongs on your table" says Ed Johnstone from The Sussex Peasant
For many people, venison still feels like restaurant food – something rich, expensive and slightly intimidating. Yet wild venison is one of the most local meats available in Sussex, and it deserves a much more regular place in our kitchens.
It’s naturally lean, high in protein and full of flavour. It’s also a useful source of iron and B vitamins, making it a nourishing red meat choice. It can also be surprisingly versatile. Venison mince works in familiar dishes such as cottage pie, chilli, meatballs or burgers. Diced shoulder is excellent cooked slowly in a stew, while steaks and loin need little more than a hot pan, simple seasoning and careful timing.
There is also a wider reason to eat it. Sussex has large populations of wild deer and – without natural predators – their numbers must be managed responsibly. Too many deer browsing in one area can prevent young trees and woodland plants from regenerating. This affects not only the trees themselves, but the insects, birds and other wildlife that depend upon a varied woodland floor.
Responsible deer management is therefore part of looking after our countryside. Once an animal has been culled, it makes sense for that nutritious meat to enter the food chain and be valued, rather than overlooked. Choosing traceable wild venison creates a market for something that already needs to be managed.
The mistake people often make when cooking venison is treating every cut in the same way. Because it contains little fat, tender cuts can become dry if overcooked. Bring steaks to room temperature, season them, sear quickly in a very hot pan and allow them to rest. They are generally best served pink. Hard-working cuts, however, benefit from the opposite approach: cook them slowly with stock, onions and root vegetables until tender.
If you are new to venison, mince is probably the easiest starting point. Replace beef mince in a Bolognese or cottage pie, adding a little oil or bacon if the recipe needs richness. The flavour is distinctive without being overpowering.
Most importantly, ask where it came from. Buying from a trusted local butcher, game dealer or supplier gives you a clearer line back to the landscape and the people managing it.
Venison connects good food with good stewardship.
It is nourishing, useful and rooted in the woods around us – not an exotic luxury, but a Sussex ingredient hiding in plain sight.
To find a weekly Sussex Peasant farmers market close to you in Brighton, Hove, Ditchling, Lewes, Newick, Danehill or Cuckfield visit www.thesussexpeasant.co.uk
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