The Most Underrated Section of the Butcher’s Counter

Venison and game sit in a category of their own and that’s exactly where they belong. There’s a richness and depth to game meat that you simply can’t replicate with anything else, and when it’s cooked well it’s nothing short of extraordinary. Most people walk straight past it at the butcher without a second glance, which is genuinely their loss and quietly your advantage when you discover just how good it is and how few people are cooking it at home.

I discovered a genuine love for venison while living in Scotland, where it’s far less of a novelty than it is in Australia and treated with the straightforward respect it deserves. A slow-braised haunch. A seared loin with something punchy alongside. A rich, deeply flavoured ragu that makes everything else feel ordinary by comparison. Game cooking rewards confidence and a willingness to treat an unfamiliar ingredient as exactly what it is: something exceptional that simply needs to be cooked well and left to do its thing. This collection is for the curious, the adventurous, and anyone who already knows exactly what they’re missing.