Scottish Venison Day, held each year on 4 September, will take on added significance in 2025 with the official launch of the trade organisation’s new website, www.scottish-venison.com.
Richard Cooke, chair of Scottish Venison, said: “The time had come for a thorough review and a new look for Scottish Venison. In addition, we have upgraded and modernised our identity and, behind the scenes, we have merged our representative organisation with the SQWV Quality Mark to form one new company, Scottish Venison Ltd.
“The new website is far more consumer facing with recipes created by our chef ambassador Tim Maddams, hints, tips and the opportunity for the public to subscribe for updates and exclusive recipes – and it will be the focus of a fresh digital campaign on social media from September to expand the reach, awareness and understanding of our fabulous Scottish product.
“At the other end of the production process we have a target to harvest an additional 50,000 deer yearly going forward – we want to be sure that these go into the food chain legally and safely.”
Jim Fairlie, Scottish Government agriculture minister, added: “Venison is a standout example of Scotland’s natural larder: a premium, sustainable red meat that’s low in fat, high in protein, and increasingly in demand both at home and abroad. With the new look website launching on Scottish Venison Day, I hope people use the month-long celebration of Scottish Food & Drink September to look at suppliers in their local area and try out the recipes online.
“The new website and related initiatives will help showcase the sector’s strengths, connect producers with new markets, and raise awareness of venison’s benefits among consumers. The energy and collaboration I’ve seen across the sector gives me great confidence in its future. With the right tools and shared ambition, we can unlock even greater potential for growth, innovation and pride in Scotland’s world-class food and drink industry.”