British game meat has been pinpointed as one of the world’s top 50 consumer growth markets thanks to the success of venison as an alternative to mainstream red meats.
The Fifty report by Mintel Market Research references the 9% sales growth seen in the UK game sector in the year 2013/14 and suggests it is still growing.
Mintel states in the report: “Soaring venison sales have put game meat in the spotlight. While the size of the game meat market is dwarfed by that of poultry (with sales of £97 million in 2014, versus £1.7 billion for poultry) the game meat market has enjoyed strong growth in 2014, increasing around 9% from 2013. This rise in sales has largely been thanks to the popularity enjoyed by venison. The fact that many more UK consumers have expressed an interest in trying game than have eaten this type of meat before highlights the significant growth potential in this sector. Leveraging the health credentials of game such as venison will help to position it as a better-for-you alternative to red meat, thus boosting sales further.”
Jack Knott of the Countryside Alliance’s Game to Eat initiative, dedicated to strengthening and securing the game market, said: “Although this report results from venison sales it will inevitably have a positive knock-on effect for other game meats.
“Wild game is high in protein, low in saturated fatty acids and contains higher levels of iron than any other red meat, getting this across to the public is vital to our success, and it is great to see this work paying off. This summer the Game to Eat initiative will be organising the first ever Game Processors Survey. This in-depth questionnaire will help us further study the market and help fill any potential gaps.”
