Venison casserole ‘tasty’ fare

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 2

Venison casserole ‘tasty’ fare

Shoppers at Merivale Mall yesterday had a chance to sample export-quality venison and voted it delicious. "Tasty.” "most impressive,” and "I like it" were among the comments passed as staff of Canterbury Venison (N.Z.). Ltd. served helpings of neck-chop casserole and venison patties. They also gave shoppers copies of venison recipes.

The company, which has a factory at Seafield, near Ashburton, offered shoppers free samples of the meat to promote sales, which began at the Supervalue supermarket at the mall yesterday. This is the first time the company has provided fresh venison for the local market. The company opened its Seafield plant in December and exports about 10 tonnes of venison a week. The venison supplied to the local market consisted of the cheaper cuts of export-qual-ity animals, said the venison marketing manager of Canterbury Venison, Mr Graham Guthrie.

Venison on sale yesterday included neck and casserole chops, venison schnitzel, mince, and venison steaks. Sales had been brisk, said the butchery manager at the Merivale supermarket, Mr Richard Charles.

Many people had tasted the venison at the stall in the mall and had then gone to the supermarket to buy venison, he said. Sales had been “well up” on normal amounts.

The price of venison compared well with other meats, said Mr Charles. Prices ranged from $1.99 a kilogram for neck chops to $7.99 a kilogram for steak.

It was the first time the supermarket had sold fresh farm venison, he said. Frozen venison had been sold, but it was not as popular as fresh meat.

The Merivale supermarket is the first of the chain to be supplied with fresh venison by the company.