Image courtesy ESS Defence
 
New dishes including a venison double smash burger, venison burrito and venison sausage Lyonnaise, as well as venison-based versions of customer favourites including Bolognese, lasagne, chilli con carne, madras and cottage pie, have all been introduced in ESS’ latest Defence menu refresh.

 
The new Defence Catering Strategy, launched in 2024, introduced greater flexibility to transform the food in military messes and make it a point of difference. This provided an excellent opportunity to include this increasingly popular meat onto menus while harnessing a valuable resource available directly from MoD land.
 
Customer and client tasting sessions across the ESS estate generated overwhelmingly positive feedback, and sales data following the launch shows that venison dishes are among the company’s bestselling dishes.
 
Venison’s low fat content and nutrient density make it a great choice for those who want to include some red meat in their diet. A 100g serving of wild venison typically contains around 2–3 g of fat and 158 kcal, while an equivalent portion of minced beef can carry 8–15 g of fat and over 250 kcal, depending on the cut. Venison also provides more protein per gram than beef and is rich in iron, B vitamins and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
 
Introducing venison will deliver significant reductions in the carbon emissions associated with ESS’ menus. The venison double smash burger has 59% lower emissions than the beef equivalent, with the venison burrito giving a 54% reduction and the venison Bolognese a 50% reduction.
 
In addition to delivering positive nutritional and environmental benefits, venison offers great value for money for service personnel as it is now comparable or favourable in price to other meats.
 
The initiative was made possible through successful collaborative working between all stakeholders. This has enabled responsibly managed deer populations from a range of landholdings, including selected areas of the MoD estate, to contribute directly to feeding MoD personnel, creating a circular sustainability model. 
 
Iain Burke-Hamilton, CEO at The Lean & Wild Co. commented: “ESS is a real game changer when it comes to getting more wild venison onto plates, not just because of their passion for doing the best for people and planet but also thanks to the number of military establishments they cater for. Their potential to drive sustainable change is huge and we are absolutely delighted to see them championing wild venison. This project provides our service personnel with great nutrition whilst reducing carbon footprint and improving the UK’s biodiversity – we are proud to be part of it.”
 
Leanne King, Head of Nutrition and Wellbeing for ESS, commented: “We’re always looking for new ways to make our dishes healthier, while maintaining their appeal for a wide range of customers. Wild venison tastes great, is lower in fat than other red meats and offers a variety of other nutritional benefits. It’s been great to work with our chefs on this project.” 
 
Rees Bramwell, Sustainability Director for Compass One, commented: “From a sustainability perspective, wild venison provides an exciting opportunity to switch from other red meats. The team are now diverting a valuable food resource into the supply chain and serving dishes with a significantly lower carbon footprint than the beef equivalent, as demonstrated in detailed analysis undertaken in partnership with Foodsteps.” 
 
Scott Freeman, Culinary Director for ESS, added: “Not only is wild venison healthier and more sustainable than alternatives such as beef, but our chefs have worked hard with our supplier to make sure that our recipes are delicious too. This is a brilliant example of collaboration across the value chain between ESS, The Lean & Wild Co. and our clients, demonstrating our commitment to innovation with the customer in mind. The project has created a sense of excitement across our kitchens, with our chefs looking forward to cooking these recipes and our customers providing excellent feedback during tasting sessions.”