This month, we invited Dylan Williams, who founded The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and is now non-executive director writes to share with us the exciting and positive news about the British Game Alliance:
“The RBSS was instrumental in establishing the British Game Alliance in 2017 and they have supported the organisation since its inception.
When the BGA was established, many estates were having to pay for their birds to be collected by processors. This year we have been led to believe that no shoot will have pay for birds to be collected - with the processors now paying to receive game. This a huge step forward and in no small part as a result of BGA efforts.
This, on its own is good news, but I am delighted to share yet more exciting and positive news: namely we can now see game meat products sold “in store” in Sainsbury’s supermarkets across the country bearing the British Game Alliance logo.
The British Game Alliance logo verifies that the game meat has been produced on estates that are subject to independently assured high welfare and environmental standards. This stamp of assurance gives consumers confidence in the traceability, sustainability and quality of the game they eat.
This incredibly important development raises awareness of game meat and the BGA. It will also lead to an increase in demand for game. It is a great step forward and reflects the hard work of the small team of 5 individuals have worked tirelessly to achieve this and similar successes.
As Liam Stokes, Chief Exec of the BGA explains, “The sector has introduced and embraced independent assurance for game shoots, and the public can now see the results of those efforts and find assured game on their supermarket shelves. Game shoots now have access to credible assurance that the public can recognise, alongside the familiar logos they expect to see on their farmed food. The more the public see assured game as an ethical, assured product they can put in their trolleys, the more secure game shooting will be.”
The game products, which are produced by BGA stockist Holme Farmed Venison who are based in North Yorkshire, include Pheasant Breast Fillets and Diced Game Casserole Mix – Venison, Pheasant and Partridge diced in-season. Please do buy some and encourage your friends to do so! Nigel Sampson, Director of Holme Farmed Venison, said “We are delighted to be part of this huge milestone and achievement for the BGA. The BGA are not only promoting the great benefits of game, they are ensuring that the highest animal welfare and game handling standards are practiced by their independently audited estates, all the way through from egg to plate.”
We all know how important it is to see a strong demand for game meat. So how else can you help?
To start with, enquire as to whether your shoot is a BGA member, and wherever possible join the many hundreds of guns in contributing 50p a bird of the anticipated bag to the efforts of the BGA from their shoot days.
It just remains for me to thank all those who have, in any way supported the BGA and encourage everybody to do so in future."
Dylan Williams