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The British Association for Shooting and Conservation are delighted that the BASC Taste of Game campaign is supported by many of Britain’s top chefs including Mike Robinson, Jose Souto, Clarissa Dickson-Wright, Rob Owen Brown and Valentine Warner.

Jose Souto

Chef Lecturer in Culinary Arts Westminster Kingsway College, London

Game is becoming more and more main stream in our diets, its benefits as a healthy, natural food is becoming more apparent. Game is a truly seasonal food, in that it is only available fresh for a short time. In these days when the “foodie” consumer scrutinizes every facet of where their food originates and how it was reared, game makes great sense, it’s wild, nutrious and as natural as you can get it.

That’s why I whole heartedly support the fantastic work BASC is doing through the BASC Taste of Game campaign and Taste of Game Season, to promote the eating of this fantastic natural product from our Great British countryside.

Mike Robinson

TV Chef, publican and restaurateur

I am very pleased to support BASC Taste of Game initiative and equally importantly, BASC Taste of Game Season. As a chef, pub and restaurant owner, I am very keen to promote the eating of game. It is a much underrated and underused food source and the more we can publicise the benefits of eating game, as well as its contribution to maintaining a healthier balance to wildlife, the better. BASC Taste of Game runs from 12 August to 20 February. This is a unique initiative designed by BASC to highlight the benefits of game meat as a local, wild and nutritious food source and I for one will be encouraging customers at both my pubs to get stuck into game.

Mike is actively involved with BASC Taste of Game Season, undertaking game cookery demos at various events throughout the season.

Rob Owen Brown

Executive Chef at the Mark Addy, Manchester

Rob’s passion for game has developed over the years, from using an air rifle as a young man over local farms, to working in the kitchens of shooting estates in Scotland. Rob now shoots as often as possible across the north west of England and is a very keen supporter of both the BASC Taste of Game campaign and BASC Taste of Game season.

Rob has a forthright belief that this country produces some of the best game and shooting possible, from some of the most beautifully managed countryside in the world.

From his pub, The Mark Addy in Manchester, with the tenacity of a well bred terrier, Rob continues to produce the most wonderful and varied game menus and in his own words wants to “stuff as much game down people’s throats as possible”.

Clarissa Dickson-Wright

Chef, author and broadcaster

I love the huge diversity of game available to the cook, varying from the almost beef like quality of red deer through to the sweetness of Muntjac. It was on a BASC game fair stand that I learnt that Muntjac have very long tongues and very good eating they are too!

Game birds also provide us with great scope as cooks, with woodcock and snipe being a true treat, and pheasant which is healthy, tasty, great value for money and a real alternative to chicken. 

If shooting is to make sense and be acceptable to the uninformed, we must eat what we shoot - I am totally committed to the shooting and hunting of game and will do all I can to persuade people to eat it and try the wide range of recipe available in the recipes section.

Derek Patterson

Chef and restaurateur

Derek is a passionate countryman, Chef and supporter of the BASC Taste of Game campaign. He recognises that BASC is at the forefront of representing sporting shooting, encouraging best-practice in shooting and conservation, and championing a great way of life. Anyone who shoots, even occasionally, should be a member of BASC, and should be fully supported in their efforts to make game centre-stage in the public mind as the highest quality wild food.
 
Derek knows that game is a natural, local nutrious and low cost food source and that it is outstanding value for money. As more chefs choose it as a key ingredient, Derek suspects that price may increase very slightly. However, the seasonal nature of game, combined with the fact that its sale is only a small part of the economics of shooting, make it very different from other farmed food production.

Niall McKenna

Prior to opening James Street South Restaurant in 2003 Niall McKenna worked with some of the leading chefs in London where he worked at lived for over 12 years. Niall started his career at the Strand Restaurant in Belfast before progressing to the Dunadry Inn in Antrim at the age of 16. He joined Paul Rankin's kitchen when Roscoff opened its doors first time round and had the pleasure of working alongside Paul and Jeannie Rankin and Robbie Miller. Niall worked at Roscoff when it was awarded its first Michelin star back in the early 1990's. Niall moved away to London where he worked under Nico Landesis at Nico at 90, Gary Rhodes at the Greenhouse, Marco Pierre White at the Canteen. Niall worked again with Gary Rhodes when he opened City Rhodes which cemented his experience of London's fine dining restaurants. In the late 1990's Niall took his first Head Chef job at the Nottinghill Brassiere before relocating back to his home town of Belfast and setting his sights on his own restaurant in Belfast City centre.

Valentine Warner

Throughout the year as the hunting seasons change, the smell of delicious game in all its forms regularly fills my kitchen. Whether it be a breakfast snipe on toast,  rabbit pie, pheasant with celery, or fried venison liver and onions, each meat possesses it own wonderful distinctive taste, some strong and deep but others subtle and delicate if you prefer.

It really tastes of a healthy life well lived, of the berries that burst from the hedges, of rich grasses and abundant pickings from the fields and woods.  As I walk home gun in hand respect for these creatures is shown with a quiet thank you and loving preparation for the table.

I am delighted to support BASC Taste of Game campaign and everyone involved in promoting game. 

Anthony Evans

Anthony Evans, a strong supporter of BASC’s Taste of Game, is a qualified chef who presents his own cookery programme on Welsh TV, aimed at the younger generation.  A keen hunter from a young age, Anthony is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the sport.  He is also an avid fisherman and has travelled extensively, seeking fishing opportunities around the world.