James Petrie says he wants to make people aware of farmed venison and help them understand the difference with our unique product. One of the things you hear is that they can’t find venison or have issues with consistency. James says, “We can fix that.”
Who is coming to visit the show?
It is mainly restaurants and hospitality that are coming to the show. Although, there is a real mixture. And you have to be open-minded. You can ask if they use venison and introduce them to products like ribs. It is about changing people’s perceptions of venison.
So is it good to be here, Angela? And is it a good investment? Yes, it’s great to be here, and I will let you know next week!
Chef Graham Brown Talks Cuts
Chef Brown starts by noting that the venison is a nice flavour. He then trims the venison, cutting the meat into one-third, two-thirds proportions. He showed the minimum waste and then discussed how well-suited the cut is for serving portions.
Summing Up The Show
James says he's thankful they are into the third and last day. He has personally spoken to at least 500 people.
The overwhelming response is that people are surprised about what venison is and what can be done with it. The ribs are the standout, with everyone just loving them. We are aiming not just for the end-user. We also aim to get Service Foods and Bidfood aware of what venison can do. Restaurants are going to them saying they want venison stocked. There are also a lot of people who want to deal one-on-one with us. People also need specialised cuts, which we can do & which the big companies are not focused on.
Being able to showcase the rumps has been amazing. People have loved trying it. James says he prefers the cut to a loin, as it has more flavour and juice. The texture is gorgeous. We can prepare it so simply in a pan here and have it sit in the bain marie, and it is still wonderful to cut.
The other thing is that in a restaurant, it is affordable. It has a better price point, and is a wonderful product. James has confidence when taking a bag of rump out. Without even being a chef, it will still be "dam good!"
Where have the people come from?
A previous contact was just signed up here after contact of over a year. They signed up as soon as they tried the rump.
We can be persistent because we have confidence in what we are selling. We know that this farm-raised product is very special.
Having Chef Graham Brown has taught him so much. It is confidence-boosting to hear him say how good the venison is, and how easy preparation is. It does not need to be hard.
Find Out More:
Merchant Of Venison: www.merchantofvenison.co.nz/
Fine Food New Zealand Show: www.finefoodnz.co.nz