Game meat market smashes the £100 million mark

The game meat market hit a new record in 2015 by breaking the £100 million sales barrier for the first time…

The game meat market hit a new record in 2015 by breaking the £100 million sales barrier for the first time, up from £98 million in 2014.

In a report coordinated by Mintel, an increase in the sale of game meats was shown across the board with venison named as the star contributor, generating an increase in sales from 13% to 17% over the last 12 months. The report also showed that one in four Brits has eaten game in the last six months, and that 41% of those who hadn’t would try game meat in the future.

An exciting statistic was found in the 51% of game and poultry users who confirmed that they would be interested in pre-prepared game meat (e.g. marinated or seasoned tray meals) if they became available, showing the market potential for convenient game meat. The overall sales forecast for 2020 was predicted at £143 million in the report.

The game meat market has experienced growth of over a third in the last five years, which has strengthened the shooting industry considerably. The increasing popularity of game has been attributed to the growing ‘foodie’ culture, in which people care more about their meat; to the promotion of game on TV by celebrity chefs; and to the hard work of the Game to Eat initiative.