“The popularity of game shows no sign of abating with sales set to rise by a further 47% to hit over £84 million by 2011”

Background

BASC has been promoting game as a healthy, sustainable and highly nutritious food source since the WAGBI recipe books were first produced, probably since around the mid 1960’s.

What is the Game’s On campaign?

The Game’s On campaign has been created to encourage the appreciation and increased consumption by the public of wild game as a local, healthy and nutritious food source.

Game’s On was launched in 2005 with this first class web portal and since then through the distribution of over 500,000 high quality recipe leaflets via a network of game fairs, game tasting events and through game dealers and their customers.

The Game’s On campaign has recruited a number of high profile chefs to support the campaign which include Mike Robinson, Clarissa Dickson Wright, Valentine Warner and Rob Owen Brown. This has resulted in high profile media coverage in The Times and on Radio 2 and BBC’s Country File.

The increasingly popular Game’s On recipe leaflet is sponsored by Glenfarclas whisky and a new leaflet is produced every year. The current leaflet can be found at the here:

  Games On Tasty Game Recipes 2009

What are the Game’s On objectives?

The Game’s On campaign has 3 main objectives -

• To continue playing a significant role in encouraging the consumption of game meat and to demonstrate how BASC is making an important and positive contribution.
• To encourage the general public, our members and all those who shoot, to play an active role in assisting in the promotion and the consumption of game meat through their own activities and networks.
• Work to change attitudes toward the consumption of game meat through a range of initiatives, which will include game tastings targeted at non - shooting audiences.

What is National Taste of Game Fortnight?

This is a unique initiative which in 2010 runs from the 6th to the 20th of November. It has been designed by BASC to highlight the benefits of game meat as a local, wild and nutritious food source, whilst at the same time providing a focal point for encouraging the general public, BASC members and their friends to enjoy eating game.

BASC will be working closely with the national and regional press, TV and local radio during National Taste of Game Fortnight to promote local businesses that promote and sell game meat.

Through the BASC Game’s On campaign, National Taste of Game Fortnight provides a coordinated and sustainable approach to game marketing which is designed to increase the consumption of game meat.

Every activity that runs during National Taste of Game Fortnight is publicised through a dedicated section of the Game’s On website and through BASC’s in - house magazine Shooting and Conservation, which is sent to all of our 130000 members 6 times a year.

Sales of game

Since the launch of the Game’s On initiative, the sales of game doubled between 2004 and 2006. Sales for game meat such as venison, pheasant and grouse soared 46% during that time to reach £57 million by the end of 2006. The increase in sales of everyday red meat and poultry grew by only 5% in comparison.

The popularity of game shows no sign of abating with sales set to rise by a further 47% to hit over £84 million by 2011. [Data source Mintel – Game and Exotic meat – UK – February 2007]

The growth in the popularity of game meat has been further enhanced with the change in the game laws in 2006 that allows game meat to be sold year round as long as it has been legally shot. This may well encourage more retailers to sell more game, more often throughout the year.

Game meat as a tasty alternative to poultry

Most game and exotic meats are low in fat (especially saturated fats) and high in minerals – these attributes fit well with consumers’ search for new meats that will contribute to their health.

As game meat is both healthy and tasty, it appeals to ‘foodies’ as a welcome alternative to poultry meat. The growing number of gourmet consumers will experiment with game (and exotic meat) on at least an occasional basis.

However, there are small but growing proportions of consumers who eat game on a regular basis. Mintel’s consumer research highlights that the principal difference between regular and occasional users is that regular users are more likely to recognise the health attributes of these meats.

Consumer consumption

Growth in the market for game meat will increasingly rely on moving consumers’ perceptions of these meats from being suitable only for special-occasion use to meats consumed on a regular, if infrequent, basis.

Nevertheless, encouraging trial and increasing household penetration must remain the key priority for suppliers. Around half of consumers are not yet in the market for game meat and three quarters never eat exotic meat.

The two key reasons for non-consumption are ethical objections to shooting or vegetarianism. They also have concerns over the hygiene standards of these meats or avoid them because they expect not to like the strong taste associated with this type of meat.