The Eat Game Awards 2019: Cast Your Vote
Nominations are now open: here's the lowdown
This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more
Passionate about wild food? Spread the word by casting your votes in The 2019 Eat Game Awards, designed to celebrate the cooks, creators and purveyors championing British game.
Farmison & Co Venison Sausage Roll by Gosia Baker
The demand for game – which includes venison, boar, pheasant and rabbit – has risen in popularity in recent years, with a 38 per cent growth in game consumption from 2011 to 2016. This is partly due to growing interest surrounding sustainability in food. Harvested from the wild, game is the most natural form of meat, and as animals are often locally sourced the carbon footprint of the game industry is relatively small. Wild game meat is also leaner than farmed meats – and many fans believe it’s more flavoursome too.
Awards up for grabs include best game butcher, best restaurant regularly serving game, best small retailer selling game, and best game farmer’s market stall. Some of the biggest names in the game word have been named as finalists, including Oliver Gladwin of the Gladwin Brothers trio, Sally Abe of The Harwood Arms, renowned Scottish chef Tom Kitchin, and Lisa Goodwin-Allen of Northcote Manor. Top restaurant nominations, meanwhile, include Gleneagles in Scotland, The Woodsman in Stratford-upon-Avon, The Game Bird in London.
Farmison & Co Pot Roasted Grouse by Gosia Baker
The Eat Game Awards were established last year by three game advocates: James Horne, Chairman of Purdey and founder of GunsOnPegs, Annette Woolcock, Head of Taste of Game and Ranald Macdonald, founder of award-winning Scottish restaurant group, Boisdale. As well as creating a space to celebrate innovators in the wild meat world, the awards offer those less familiar with game the chance to get to know it better.
Rachel Green’s Celebration Game Pork Pie by Michael Powell Taste of Game
Last year’s winners included Bistro 46 in Newcastle, pub The Sutton Gamekeeper, and North Yorkshire market stall The Clucking Pig.
‘To consume what we shoot is vital for the future of game shooting in the UK,’ said James Horne, the food entrepreneur behind The Eat Game Awards. Whilst there has been 38 per cent growth in the consumption of game from 2011 to 2016 with some real innovation coming from many food related businesses, this increase is from a small base. Purdey actively wish to support the even wider consumption of game as the recent Mintel report states 72 per cent of consumers never eat game. We hope the Awards can provide the necessary incentive to encourage many more to participate.’
Nominations are open now until 10 January 2020. To vote for your favourite chef, restaurant, pub, farmer’s market, street food stall, game meat product, retailer, butcher or hero, visit eatgameawards.co.uk
