Sales of game and speciality meats have soared this year, according to one local specialist supplier, as consumers switch to more healthy and tasty alternatives to the traditional Sunday roast.

Tim Wooldridge, who runs Tim’s for Fish in Wrexham’s busy Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, says more and more of his customers are trying game like pheasant, rabbit and venison. Tim, a traditional fishmonger and game dealer from Llangollen, said: “Sales of game are up. I’m selling more pheasant and rabbit and people are rediscovering it as an alternative to chicken. I sell a brace of pheasants for £7.95 so they’re good value too and people like the idea of trying them after seeing them on programmes like River Cottage and they are much more accessible now. The contestants in Masterchef were even cooking rabbit in the final and Michel Roux junior demonstrated a recipe for it.
“We are finding that people are increasingly asking for game and, of course, the advantage is that we prepare it so that it’s ready to be cooked. It’s really tasty and they’re local and our customers do like to buy local produce whenever possible and if you’re in doubt then we can provide handy recipes for them.”

Tim deals directly with local shoots for his game, among them farmer Alan Sanders of Rhos-y-Madoc, who runs a small family shoot near Ruabon and provides him with pheasant and partridge. He said, “You can’t beat good quality, fresh game birds for a healthy dish. People definitely seem to want locally produced game and we supply Tim’s with perhaps a 15 brace at a time. Every single bird we have is sent to a local supplier.

“Our shoot is not a commercial enterprise but a small personal well-managed shoot used solely by family and a few guests. We have been operating since 1962 and our birds are fed on the very best wheat we can find. I think that comes across in our birds which taste absolutely delicious. It doesn’t surprise me that the game side of Tim’s is doing as well as his fish side. People know what good food is these days and are prepared to buy it from trusted sources.”

Tim also stocks a range of specialist game products from Ellesmere-based Cureton’s, who make their potted rabbit, pheasant and chicken liver pate with pheasant and calvados in their kitchen at home. He said: “People still want good, wholesome, healthy and, above all else, locally produced fine food. It’s important to me that everything we sell, wherever possible, is local. I have seen a big rise in the amount of game I am selling, whether it’s pheasant, rabbit, hare, partridge, wood pigeon or quail. At the end of the day, it’s real wild-caught food with absolutely no additives and very little fat content. I think customers are aware of the health benefits that come from traditionally produced, local, food.

“Everything we sell is, wherever possible, sourced locally. For example our eggs come from Llangollen, our honey from hives at Marford and our rapeseed oil comes from around Ruthin and is produced and bottled by a Conwy firm. I think the rise in popularity of TV chefs has had a bearing on what people eat these days and there is little doubt more people are enjoying game as a result. And discerning customers are looking for locally produced food and I want to work with local suppliers to ensure we offer what they want.”

Henry Cureton, who runs Cureton Fine Foods from his home farm kitchen, says the three potted game dishes he supplies to Tim’s are old family recipes. “I am not surprised they have proved a big hit as they really are old fashioned, albeit tweaked a little, recipes handed down through generations. Everything we put into our pates is natural and locally produced. We are currently working on several new recipes which hopefully will help us start new lines in the near future.”

For fish and game recipes visit www.timsforfish.co.uk