Eat Wild, the development board for all wild meat in the UK, has launched a competition which aims to bring a new generation of chefs to the forefront of the game cookery scene. To take part, entrants must be enrolled at a catering college and be available to attend the final on the 7th of November at Ground Up Cookery School in Devon, during the annual Great British Game Week.

Competitors will be asked to submit two wild meat dishes; one bar snack and one street food style meal, with a photograph and brief description of each dish and the working methods used to create them. Seasonality and sourcing will be a focal point of the competition, and competitors will need to show as much skill as possible considering menu content, portion sizes, presentation and materials used.

Mark Reynolds, judge and chairman the Craft Guild of Chefs, commented:  “We are delighted to support this new competition in conjunction with Eat Wild, which aims to highlight the thriving game cookery scene in the UK. Cooking with wild meat such as venison, grouse, or pheasant offers a fantastic culinary experience due to their lean qualities and rich flavour profiles.

“It’s especially important that young chefs at catering college are able to explore and experience all types of UK produce, including traditional meat without first considering fast food as an option.”

A panel of judges will be on hand to offer guidance where necessary and will include the renowned James Martin, Mark Reynolds, Leon Challis-Davies and Ian Page as well as a guest judge to be announced at a later date.

Paper submissions for initial entry will be accepted via [email protected] until 1st October 2024, and a maximum of eight chefs will be entered into the in-person final at Ground Up Cookery School on 7th November.

Louisa Clutterbuck, chief executive of Eat Wild, said: “We are pleased to have created a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage in cooking with wild meat in new and exciting ways.

“As such a versatile, delicious, sustainable and healthy food source, it’s right that the next generation learn an appreciation for its provenance and use their knowledge and skills to present it to others in an accessible way. It’s something we’ve been doing for years, and we can’t wait to share this with the young chefs. We look forward to seeing the results of this competition and supporting all the contestants along the way.”

Finalists will be awarded with; a three-year membership to the Guild, lunch and a tour of a game processing plant, a chef jacket, a Savernake Santoku Knife and an Eat Wild apron. The winner will also be awarded with a shooting lesson on clays and a day in the kitchen with Mark Kempson at KitchenW8 followed by dinner for four people.  

Ian Page, ambassador for the Chef’s Guild, added: “I’m really pleased that as the ambassador for the Craft Guild of Chefs I have been able to link in with Eat Wild for this amazing student competition. I think it is so important for young chefs to understand the sustainability and great use of wild meats, which will ultimately help maintain the countryside, business and healthy option of great foods.”

Full competition guidelines can be found here: https://www.eatwild.co/privacy-policy/eat-wild-craft-guild-of-chefs-competition-terms-conditions/.