BASC: Shooting chefs aim high to promote local game
A group of Cornwall chefs swapped their kitchens for the countryside for the day as part of a campaign to encourage more people to eat game meat.
Sixteen chefs from across the county got together to take part in a clay pigeon shooting challenge at Colquite House, Washaway, near Bodmin.
It was organised by staff from Country Sports South West (CSSW) and Cornwall Food & Drink to mark the launch of a new campaign to encourage more people to eat locally-sourced wild game meat. The campaign supports Taste of Game, a national promotion run by the UK’s largest shooting organisation; the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).
Game meat is an increasingly important part of the Cornwall chef’s repertoire. The clay shoot brought the chefs together to highlight the link between shooting and wild game meat.
The regional game food campaign is being run by Country Sports South West. Development staff will create and develop new opportunities for game food suppliers and shoots and organise game cookery demonstrations aimed at visitors. In addition, CSSW will help to promote regional game recipes, chefs, restaurants, gastro pubs, game suppliers and shoots via a consumer website and marketing programme.
Country Sports South West is a £1.6 million tourism project aimed at promoting the South West region as a premier tourism destination for country sports. The project is being delivered by BASC.
Annette Cole, from Country Sports South West, said: “The aim of the chefs’ clay shooting challenge was to highlight the link between shooting and eating game. We talked about the importance of sourcing game locally and the potential that country sports have to bring much-needed tourism funds into rural areas all year-round.”
“Shooting is worth £270 million annually to the South West economy. We are working to make the shooting and eating of game even more of a draw to the area.”
Cornwall Food & Drink brings together the county’s food and drink providers.
Director Ruth Huxley said: “Game meat is a sustainable and good value food, which both consumers and chefs seem to want to know more about. Home cooks are particularly interested in learning how to prepare and make the most of these meats and the series of demonstrations by professional chefs that we have run at our events in association with Country Sports South West have proved popular .”
The winner of the contest was Ben Palmer, head chef of The Plough at Duloe, who recently competed on MasterChef: The Professionals. Other chefs who took part included TV chef Paul Ainsworth, who runs restaurants Number 6 and Rojano's in Padstow, Michelin-starred Chris Eden of the Driftwood restaurant in Portscatho and Jack Stein, son of Rick Stein and development chef at Stein's restaurants.
The chefs were also treated to a lunch of pheasant and venison provided by local game food suppliers, along with other local produce from some of Cornwall Food & Drink’s members.
The chefs who attended were:
Nigel Tabb, head chef of Tabb’s Restaurant, Truro
Ben Palmer, head chef of The Plough, Duloe
Andy Chown, senior sous chef of Fifteen Cornwall
Olly Jackson, head chef of New Yard Restaurant, Trelowarren, Helston
Chris Eden, head chef of Driftwood Hotel, Portscatho
Paul Ainsworth, runs Number 6 Restaurant, Padstow and Rojano's in Padstow
John Walton, head chef of Number 6 Restaurant, Padstow
Paul Ripley, head chef of Rick Stein’s Seafood Bar, Falmouth
Neil Haydock, head chef of Watergate Bay Hotel
Adrian Oliver, head chef of Margot’s Bistro, Padstow
Graham Cuthbertson, head chef of Asquiths Restaurant, Lostwithiel
Shane Hodges, sous chef of Rose In Vale, St Agnes
Ken Symons, head chef of Oliver’s Eatery, Falmouth
Dale McIntosh, head chef of Bustophers Bar Bistro, Truro
Simon Stallard, head chef of Hidden Hut, Nr Portscatho, Truro
Jack Stein, development chef of Stein's Restaurants, Cornwall
ENDS
Notes to editors: For more information contact Liz Parsons, country sports marketing officer, on 07585 967452 / 01823 480 938 or email liz.parsons@basc.org.uk
A photograph is available to download from http://basc.thirdlight.com/libraryhome.tlx
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Country Sports South West
Country Sports South West is one of six regional projects in the Sustainable Rural Tourism programme and is part-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2007-2013: Europe investing in rural areas. In England, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2007-2013 is delivered by DEFRA. It is an important part of the Common Agricultural Policy and helps create genuinely sustainable farming, forestry and food sectors, whilst bringing wider benefits for the economy, the environment and rural communities. It is the European Union's major investment route for protecting and enhancing the environment while securing a range of public benefits for society. DEFRA is the managing authority.
www.countrysportssouthwest.co.uk
Cornwall Food and Drink
Cornwall Food & Drink brings together the county’s food and drink providers to create and manage events and initiatives that no business would be able to tackle independently. Its key aim is to identify and develop market opportunities for Cornwall’s food and drink sector whenever and wherever it can.
www.cornwallfoodanddrink.co.uk
Westcountry Rivers Trust
The Westcountry Rivers Trust is an environmental charity (Charity no. 1135007, Company no. 06545646) established in 1995 to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of the rivers, streams, watercourses and water impoundments in the Westcountry and to advance the education of the public in the management of water.
A cornerstone of our philosophy is working in partnership with external individuals and organisations to share expertise and facilitate better information transfer. By collaborating with a whole range of stakeholders – ranging from individual businesses through to academic institutions, NGOs and government departments – the Trust aims to circumvent sectoral interests and encourages joint solutions to the complex environmental problems our society currently faces.
The Trust operates the Ecosystem Approach, which was designed by the IUCN. This approach allows us to implement environmental change at the appropriate level and means that rather than forcing our will on individuals and communities, we empower them to take ownership, and thus responsibility for the work, thus creating sustainable change.
www.wrt.org.uk
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