Andrew's tour of Scotland The deer of Auchtermuchty

Date Published:

24/07/2008

Map user, papamomo, described Fletchers as: "The best venison in Britain…well worth a visit." So visit I did

As I pull up to Fletcher's deer farm I'm greeted by the sight of a white stag sitting proudly on a hill looking every bit the monarch of the glen. It's a beautiful sight. I'm here at Reedie Hill farm in Auchtermuchty to meet owners John and Nichola Fletcher.

John is a trained vet and an expert in deer and their behaviour. The couple moved to the farm's current location in the 1970s, began converting the two room farm house and started their own mail order business. "We used to send the venison by red star delivery, wrapped in muslin and hay in a box, with a piece of ginger to deter the flies," remembers John.

Nowadays it's all vacuum-packed of course. The Fletcher's also did events back then too. "We were doing our local free range venniburgers at the Highland show in 1983," says Nichola.

We move on to talk about the differences between wild and farmed venison. "Wild deer is a by product of sport or population control," says Nichola. "I'm convinced that the wild flavour is in part due to the skin. The fur is left on as it comes down the mountain - this affects the taste of the flesh," she adds.

What's more, it can be hugely seasonal, and the quality of the meat can vary. Shooters want to bag a big stag but these are often tough, older animals. And you certainly wouldn't want to eat a rutting stag, so I’m told.

A view to a kill

John has battled hard for the right to slaughter the animals in the field. This is the quickest, most humane form of dispatch possible, a luxury often not afforded to other animals we eat. I'm introduced to slaughter and stockman, David Stewart, and we go and look at the beasts. The Fletchers farm red deer on their 80 acre farm. David is clearly a man who cares deeply for his animals.

At Fletchers they slaughter three animals a week, (though they weren't doing any during my visit). Dave rides up on the quad bike, puts down a bit of barley to occupy them, then selects his quarry with care, aiming for a clean head shot and instant kill. The other deer don't bolt or flee when this happens, having no frame of reference for what's happened - as animals don't drop down dead in the wild like that. Dave then moves over to the animal and slits its throat to begin draining the blood. That may also sound gruesome, but if you eat meat you owe it to yourself to understand how the animal has got to your plate.

The carcass is then handed over to master butcher, Graeme Braids. Graeme skins and cleans out the animal before it's hung for a minimum of 14 days. It's then broken down into the relevant joints and cuts ready for market or mail order. There's very little waste too, with even the tails and balls going to China for traditional Chinese medicine. Watch David and Graeme at work here.

And with that it was time for lunch, watch Nichola cook one of her venison dishes. Then get the full recipe here.

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