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Food Rebels

Food Rebels

The Wild Meat We Should All Be Eating

Jul 29, 2026 · 34 min · 13 segments

For decades, wild Scottish venison has been one of Britain's most overlooked foods, with much of it exported overseas while UK shoppers continue to reach for beef and chicken. In this episode of Food…

For decades, wild Scottish venison has been one of Britain's most overlooked foods, with much of it exported overseas while UK shoppers continue to reach for beef and chicken. In this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp meets Ruaridh and Kirsty Waugh, the founders of Noble & Wild, who are on a mission to change that. They explain why wild venison is one of the country's most sustainable and nutritious proteins, why controlling Scotland's deer population is essential for restoring forests and biodiversity, and why this naturally lean meat deserves a place on our dinner tables, not just for special occasions, but every week. Along the way, they bust some of the biggest myths surrounding venison, share simple ways to cook it, discuss why Britain exports so much of this incredible produce, and reveal their plans to make venison more accessible for everyone. If you've ever wondered whether there's a better alternative to beef, or why one of Britain's finest foods remains a hidden secret, this episode is for you.

For decades, wild Scottish venison has been one of Britain's most overlooked foods, with much of it exported overseas while UK shoppers continue to reach for beef and chicken. In this episode of Food…

Speakers: Rory WaughGuestAJ SharpHostKirsty WaughGuest

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Top entities: Venison×6 United Kingdom×21 Instagram×3 Europe×4 London×6

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈5k followers

Wild vs Farmed & Deer Management1:46 – 3:01

Rory WaughGuest

1:46

So you do have farm venison.

Rory WaughGuest

1:47

That's not what we do.

Rory WaughGuest

1:48

So 100% of the product we use is wild.

Rory WaughGuest

1:53

So to give you a very brief overview, there's about a million deer in Scotland roaming around the hills and the mountains.

Rory WaughGuest

2:00

And I guess if you go back a long time ago, the deer would have been looked after.

Rory WaughGuest

2:07

you know, perfectly well by nature and, you know, kept under control.

Rory WaughGuest

2:11

They would have done a bit of predation on trees and whatnot.

Rory WaughGuest

2:14

And, you know, bears, wolves, lynx would have naturally kept the deer population under control.

Rory WaughGuest

2:18

And Britain being Britain, trying to make this little island we're on as safe as possible, got rid of all these predators.

Rory WaughGuest

2:23

So...

Rory WaughGuest

2:24

We need to manage these animals.

Rory WaughGuest

2:27

Just either way or the population is going to explode.

Rory WaughGuest

2:30

They'll get unhealthy.

Rory WaughGuest

2:31

They'll get sick, as you can quite understand.

Rory WaughGuest

2:35

And we're also in the middle of this climate crisis.

Rory WaughGuest

2:38

There's record temperatures across in Europe right now.

Rory WaughGuest

2:41

I was just speaking to a customer in Holland this morning, saying it's 40 degrees over there, which is just crazy.

Rory WaughGuest

2:46

And a big part of that solution is increasing tree cover.

Rory WaughGuest

2:51

We have about 11% tree cover in Britain.

Rory WaughGuest

2:55

In Europe, it's about 40%.

Rory WaughGuest

2:57

In order to grow more trees, we need to control deer.

VenisonProductFood
98%6 mentions
United KingdomCountryCountry in Europe
93%21 mentions
InstagramSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
88%3 mentions
EuropeContinentContinent
83%4 mentions
LondonCityCapital of England
79%6 mentions
ScotlandCountryUK constituent country
74%19 mentions
LinkedInSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
69%3 mentions
British peopleEntityPeople
64%1 mention
Rogan joshEntityCurry
60%3 mentions
FacebookSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
55%2 mentions
Chili con carneEntityDish
50%1 mention
HighlandEntityCouncil area
45%2 mentions
UniversityEntitySchool category
40%1 mention
EuropeansEntityEthnic group
36%1 mention
EnglandCountryUK constituent country
31%1 mention
George ForemanPersonAmerican professional boxer and businessman
26%1 mention
Jamie OliverPersonCelebrity chef and restaurateur
21%1 mention
InvernessCityCity in Scotland
17%1 mention
Scottish HighlandsTourist AttractionRegion in the United Kingdom
12%1 mention
M25 motorwayEntityRoad in England
7%2 mentions
Loch Ness MonsterEntityMythical creature
2%1 mention

SourcingFood > Meat > Venison
MeatFood
Protein SourcesHealth > Nutrition
Deer PopulationEnvironment > Wildlife Management
Food IndustryBusiness
VenisonFood > Meat
Culinary EducationEducation
Cooking TechniquesEducation > Culinary Education
NutritionHealth
Wildlife ManagementEnvironment
Dietary BenefitsHealth > Nutrition > Protein Sources
Environment
Health
Education
Business
Food
Wild GameFood > Meat > Venison > Sourcing
SustainabilityEnvironment > Wildlife Management > Deer Population
Climate ChangeEnvironment > Wildlife Management > Deer Population > Sustainability
Venison MarketBusiness > Food Industry
Consumer TrendsBusiness > Food Industry > Venison Market
Product DevelopmentBusiness > Food Industry > Venison Market > Consumer Trends
Lean MeatHealth > Nutrition > Protein Sources > Dietary Benefits
Venison RecipesEducation > Culinary Education > Cooking Techniques
Food AccessibilityEducation > Culinary Education > Cooking Techniques > Venison Recipes

Wild vs Farmed & Deer Management1:46 – 3:01

Rory WaughGuest

1:46

So you do have farm venison.

Rory WaughGuest

1:47

That's not what we do.

Rory WaughGuest

1:48

So 100% of the product we use is wild.

Rory WaughGuest

1:53

So to give you a very brief overview, there's about a million deer in Scotland roaming around the hills and the mountains.

Rory WaughGuest

2:00

And I guess if you go back a long time ago, the deer would have been looked after.

Rory WaughGuest

2:07

you know, perfectly well by nature and, you know, kept under control.

Rory WaughGuest

2:11

They would have done a bit of predation on trees and whatnot.

Rory WaughGuest

2:14

And, you know, bears, wolves, lynx would have naturally kept the deer population under control.

Rory WaughGuest

2:18

And Britain being Britain, trying to make this little island we're on as safe as possible, got rid of all these predators.

Rory WaughGuest

2:23

So...

Rory WaughGuest

2:24

We need to manage these animals.

Rory WaughGuest

2:27

Just either way or the population is going to explode.

Rory WaughGuest

2:30

They'll get unhealthy.

Rory WaughGuest

2:31

They'll get sick, as you can quite understand.

Rory WaughGuest

2:35

And we're also in the middle of this climate crisis.

Rory WaughGuest

2:38

There's record temperatures across in Europe right now.

Rory WaughGuest

2:41

I was just speaking to a customer in Holland this morning, saying it's 40 degrees over there, which is just crazy.

Rory WaughGuest

2:46

And a big part of that solution is increasing tree cover.

Rory WaughGuest

2:51

We have about 11% tree cover in Britain.

Rory WaughGuest

2:55

In Europe, it's about 40%.

Rory WaughGuest

2:57

In order to grow more trees, we need to control deer.

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