Episode 22 – Exciting times ahead for the deer industry
Those in New Zealand’s deer industry have an exciting future ahead of them, as they come out the other side of the pandemic era. Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) held its conference earlier this month, and say there is a lot to look forward to, including disseminating into more overseas markets and moving into the retail space.
We hear from a key specialist in the industry, Ron Schroeder, ahead of his retirement, about his hope for the future of deer, and how we got here. And we speak to DINZ executive chef, Graham Brown, who shares his love for venison and its versatility, and gives us some tips for cooking venison at home.
Guests include:
- Graham Brown, Executive Chef, DINZ
- Ron Schroeder, deer specialist of 50 years, PGG Wrightson
- Rhys Griffiths, Market Manager, DINZ
Hosts:
- Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide
- Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media
Deer Industry NZ Executive Chef Graham Brown has just spent time in China and Korea upskilling the market on how to utilise lesser known cuts of venison in their cooking. Back home on local soil, there’s an emphasis on making sure cuts provided to restaurants are as user-friendly as possible, to take pressure off restaurants with less staff.
He’s been with DINZ for the past 30 years, and loves working with venison due to its versatility. He shares his top tips on how to perfect cooking venison at home in your kitchen.
Deer industry stalwart Ron Schroeder has recently announced his retirement, after 49 years as a deer specialist at PGG Wrightsons. Ron got on the deer ladder back in the 70s, and has watched it grow and develop in the following decades. He shares his insights and wisdom with Sarah Perriam-Lampp, from his time at Lincoln to now. He’s excited about where the deer industry is at, and has enjoyed mentoring the next generation.
DINZ Market Manager Rhys Griffiths says in the post-covid climate they’re focusing on diversifying their options overseas, and not relying on the food service market. Prior to the pandemic, the USA market had been growing. Now they’re evenly distributed across Europe, USA, and the Asia markets.
DINZ held their conference earlier this month and Griffiths says it went really well, and there’s a lot to look forward to in the future. The sector is starting to recover and move forward now, in the aftermath of the pandemic.
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