Newsletter: January 2024

As some of you are aware already we have had a huge win for the countryside community this week - Tops Nursery has been receiving some amazing press coverage over the last week and it has not stopped. The Spectator, The Telegraph, Meat Management, Public Sector Catering, The Times, Daily Mail, BBC Radio Solent and many more publications have been writing, talking about and pushing the hard work we are achieving here at Eat Wild. 

I have the privilege to write this month's newsletter, which I will keep short and sweet but punchy. Many of you know me. I am Leon Challis-Davies our Culinary Director and I have been a part of BGA (now Eat Wild) since 2019. As a chef, and having been part of the catering industry for over 25 years, I can confirm that traceability, assurance and high welfare are being pursued by nearly every hospitality sector now. We must future-proof our industry and community with a united front.

Since being asked by our CEO Louisa to come back to a four-day-a-month role in June last year, Louisa, a very small committed ambassador team and I have not stopped. 

The success of the Tops Nursery deal is starting to gain traction. We have had multiple calls and emails from other education sector businesses and beyond, all looking into how they can add wild meat to their menus. We will use Tops as a case study moving forward and will continue to grow what we have already achieved. Tops Nursery’s Catering Manager Pete Ttofis has already developed his next stage, which is feathered game. "Hurray" we say but not just yet. Our plans are on hold until Eat Wild secure a completely lead-free assured food chain, so with this in mind, I use this time to urge you all to make the switch, sign up to Aim to Sustain Assurance and get in touch. WE CAN NOT move this to the next stage if we cannot find lead-free birds. We set out in 2018 to bring value back to game. I believe we are making these steps and Tops is a perfect example. 

My next segment is another plug. I urge you all to back our #backbritishgame incentive. We must invest the funds into continuing the hard committed work our small team does. Louisa will continue to work tirelessly to fight the cause and our drive for wild meat sales is to push far beyond what we have seen before. We need your help, please donate today. 

We have a lot of deals in progress but they are very sensitive and while frustrating that you want to see more now, these deals take time and the right course of action to come to fruition. Louisa and I are looking forward to announcing more to you in due course. 

For now just take this time to reflect on the fact that 3,000 children a month are eating wild meat meals, harvested by our wonderful British countryside community. 

Thank you.