Chefs, hoteliers and a smattering of foodie guests enjoyed a fun day out at Lady’s Wood shooting school in Chipping Sodbury on Tuesday (12) July to celebrate everything game.
The event, organised by The Great Game Guide, put together butchery, cooking, responsible sourcing, shooting and gun dog demonstrations with the aim being to promote the connection between the countryside, dining and shooting.
Chris Hanks, Director at The Association of Professional Shooting Instructors has run Lady’s Wood Shooting School for the past nine and a half years, he said
“We were delighted to host this event celebrating countryside pursuits and educating chefs about the benefits of game. I went to university with Sam Walker from the British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and it was great to invite him to speak about the necessity of managing deer populations, while my brother, Game Butcher of the Year, Tim Hanks showcased expert venison butchery. It was great to see how much the guests enjoyed the clay pigeon shooting and we look forward to welcoming them back soon.”
Publisher of The Great Game Guide, and event organiser, Catherine Farinha, explained:
“We want to raise the profile of game on restaurant, pub and hotel menus. There are a lot of high-end properties in the Cotswolds and there are also nearby shoots and other forms of game most notably deer and wild boar.”
“Game is an excellent meat whether animal or bird and is sustainable and rich in protein whilst not being “farmed”. Boar and deer numbers need to be carefully controlled meaning that there is an abundance of extra meat on our doorsteps and we want chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers to understand how the two industries can work together.”
The day saw Tim Hanks of award-winning Hanks’ Meat & Game break down a whole roe deer into its primal cuts and the resulting loin was turned into a delicious Venison Wellington by chef Ashleigh Farrand from The Kingham Plough in Chipping Norton.
“The venison Wellington was the best I have ever tasted”, said Farinha. “It really was a triumph and highlighting the benefits of game to everyone is what we do”
However, it wasn’t all about the food. There was also clay pigeon shooting. Karen Avery, Director of Sales & Marketing at Thornbury Castle, revealed it was her first go at shooting:
“I’ve never done this before,” she said. “I don’t know how but I managed a score of 8/10 on every clay station! The day was brilliantly organised and I’ve learnt a lot. I’ve also learnt how much there is to learn for our guests and our staff.”
40 guests from across the Cotswolds including were invited with the result being that more game on menus should start filtering through in the coming months.
For more information on Lady’s Wood shooting school and ‘have a go’ taster days for clay pigeon shooting visit: https://ladyswood.co.uk/shooting-school/clay-shooting-lessons/