Red meat consumption in the UK has been steadily declining over the last decade. Figures from Kantar Worldpanel show that the volume of beef bought by British households has dropped from 293,000 tonnes in 2005 to 275,000 tonnes in 2015, a decrease of 6 per cent. On the other hand, white meats such as poultry have been experiencing massive growth over the same period at almost 13 per cent.

This decline in red meat volume represents a change in consumer buying habits as shoppers look for leaner sources of protein and move away from red meat towards ‘healthier’ white meats. However, there is one red meat that is bucking the trend. In the last few years some of the leading supermarkets have reported substantial growth in sales of venison; Sainsbury’s alone reported year-on-year growth of 115 per cent in 2015 and expects this level of growth to continue.

So why are consumers buying venison instead of beef? Well, in short, venison contains more protein and iron, is packed with vitamins and has a lower fat content than beef. It has also become much more fashionable than its mainstream rival thanks to publicity from a number of TV chefs.

Venison also fits the bill with consumers in other ways. With increasing reports of anti-microbial resistance, reportedly due to high antibiotic use within farmed livestock, there is distinct pressure on the farming community to produce meat without the use of antibiotics. Because the UK population of farmed deer has only been ‘commercialised’ for a short period of time (in comparison with sheep and cattle) they have a naturally higher tolerance for diseases and require lower levels of veterinary care and antibiotics. This is also good news for farmers as deer offer a very low input system.

These rising levels in demand for venison have created a key opportunity for producers. Two thirds of the venison consumed in the UK is sourced domestically, but the majority of this is from culling wild red deer in Scotland. UK supply is therefore reliant on the wild population, which does not offer a particularly secure supply chain and supermarkets are now working closely with farmers who can help provide a consistent year-round source.

The species normally chosen for commercial deer farming in the UK are either fallow or red deer. Primarily because both happily live in herds and offer a good final carcass size. Also, it is not difficult to source suitable breeding animals. However, before embarking upon a deer-farming enterprise it is vital to carefully review the farm and its facilities, particularly because fallow deer have the ability to jump over standard stock fencing.

In fact, fencing is probably the biggest single outlay for anyone looking to create a deer farm. Deer fencing needs to be 190cm-200cm high and on average costs £10 per metre. However, once this initial investment has been made there are some lucrative returns to be had. The hypothetical returns for a deer farm of 100 red breeding hinds stocked at 10 hinds per hectare are a gross margin of £133 per head or £1,349 per hectare. This compares favourably with sheep (£55-£65 per head) and wheat (£700 per hectare).

The above returns can quickly be boosted when the meat is sold through premium outlets such as farm shops or through ‘boxed meat’ type schemes. It is also important to remember that there are various grant funding schemes available for farm diversification ideas like these and deer farms are still eligible for the mainstream agriculture grants such as Basic Payment Scheme and Countryside Stewardship.

Further information

Contact Savills Food and Farming