Celebrating the game changers

Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross

- Neil and Serena Cross

IT IS heartening to see Great British Game Week thriving after a decade of inspiring countless converts to the pleasures of game on the table.

The great thing about this initiative is that it completely debunks the stereotypes that existed for so long and combined to prevent game meat from breaking into mainstream meal planning. Rather than chewing our way through a somewhat dry pot-roast pheasant, while lubricating its passage with large quantities of 'fighting claret', we now see game as an ingredient in the full panoply of provender, from canapés to carpaccio.

The stuffy old myth of game being a snooty and mysterious product only eaten by certain sectors of society was probably a direct hangover from the ancient and draconian game laws. These protected not just the living birds and beasts from poaching but also effectively made it impossible to legally consume game meat unless you owned the land over which it roamed. Thankfully, those days are long gone and now game is ludicrously inexpensive and accessible for all. There's no doubt that crispy Korean partridge or pigeon and black pudding bites both sound infinitely more toothsome than most of the game dishes we knew as children. Back then, game was certainly not viewed as a snacking item and what treats we missed as a result.