Farmers & Farm Shops | Fletchers of Auchtermuchty
Equally passionate about food quality and about animal welfare, Nichola Fletcher and her husband John have been in the deer farming business for more than 30 years. Having also seen some of the less satisfactory animal handing practiced at some farms – John is a vet - they were determined to do things differently and produce top quality meat from unstressed naturally reared stock.
In effect, they became pioneers of the modern deer park. As Fletchers of Auchtermuchty they also opted to remain a family run business which offered its customers a personal service. Their deer are free-range, spending their time in the fields of Reediehill Farm, up in the hills by the forest-edge, just to the north of the little Fife town of Auchtermuchty.
http://www.seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk/
The venison produced is simply the finest because of the level of care. Unlike their wild cousins facing the vagaries of weather and feed on high pasture, the Reediehill deer have local hay, potatoes and carrots as supplementary feeding in the winter – though they are not given growth promoters or other unnecessary drugs. The Fletchers’ deer end their lives in the field on the farm under conditions approved by the Quality Assured Farmed Venison Scheme. Nichola points out that their methods answer much of the criticisms of any anti-meat lobby in terms of welfare.
Beyond the stages of butchering and hanging, comes the all-important presentation of the meat for customers. The Fletchers offer a wide variety of cuts, on and off the bone – in fact, they are as flexible as possible – and, as well as the farm shop, they have thriving mail-order operation side to the business (and a fascinating website!) With such a well established business, they are also great supporters of Farmers’ Markets – that other platform for the committed and enterprising food business.
Nichola’s talents have also built her an assured reputation as an author – her recent work ‘Charlemagne’s Tablecloth’, which is a history of feasting, now available in paperback in the UK, has also just been published in the USA. It won a Gourmet Voice Media Award in Cannes in 2004. She is currently writing another major work – ‘a kind of ultimate venison book’ in her own words – which draws on her decades of experience working with the deer. Meanwhile, you can also catch her work in the Financial Times Weekend food and drink pages, among other places. Alternatively, her demonstrations and lectures also guarantee exuberance and enthusiasm, especially her tutored game tastings – a whole evening’s worth of gamey gastronomic adventure!
No space to tell you about her work with tv food programmes – or how their deer turn up in tv advertisements and films – but check out the website or take the little road up the hill when next you pass through Auchtermuchty.
Visit Fletcher's of Auchtermuchty at a local Farmers' market!
Another good way to buy Fletchers' Seriously Good Venison is to visit us at a Farmers' Market.
You can find us at the following markets:
Edinburgh : Every Saturday morning, 9am – 1.30 , Castle Terrace
Perth: First Saturday of every month, 9am – 2pm Opposite City Hall
St Andrews: First Saturday of every month 9am –1pm Car Park
Dunfermline: Second Saturday of every month, 9am – 1pm Gates to Pittencrieff Park
Cupar: Third Saturday of every month, 9am – 1pm, Bonnygate Car Park
Kirkcaldy: Last Saturday of every month, 9am – 1pm, In front of the Town Hall (N.B. The last Saturday is not always the fourth Saturday!)