When I met Claire Collinson and Alex Davies of The Wild Butcher at the first anniversary party of The Crown at Ampney Brook, I didn’t realise that it would be the start of my love affair with – wait for it – pheasant sausages!

I have never been an avid fan of sausages – beef or pork or any derivations of these. I find them too fatty, bready and stodgy. Even the expensive 90% meat versions do nothing to thrill my tastebuds.

Neither have I been a lover of pheasant – ever since we were given a brace for Christmas one year, and I spent all afternoon plucking them and de-entrailing them! Once cooked, I couldn’t bring myself to eat any of the dark flesh that smelled so gamey that I thought it must be past its sell-by date!

However, pheasant sausages from The Wild Butcher are a completely different kettle of fish!

I didn’t expect to like them. I didn’t expect to enjoy the lean meaty taste and I didn’t expect for these delightful delicacies to leave me wanting more!

Claire kindly stopped by at my house to drop off a goody-box of samples from The Wild Butcher range and, as I sifted through the sealed frozen packets of Garlic & Herb Venison Burgers; Venison Cubes; Venison Mince; Muntjac Sausages; Cajun Pheasant Sausages, Sweet Chilli Pheasant Sausages and Pheasant Sausages, my stomach steered me towards choosing the latter two to try first!

Deciding to go for safety, we gently pan-fried the sausages and served them with mashed potatoes and chantenay carrots – good old bangers and mash! But this was no ordinary bangers and mash. Oh my! The rich flavour of the lean pheasant sausages was delicious and certainly not dry. Neither did it have the usual strong flavour of game that I find off-putting. It was meaty and succulent made all the better by knowing that pheasant is a healthy option having more protein, less fat and less cholesterol than even chicken or turkey.

The Sweet Chilli Pheasant Sausages that we tried alongside the ordinary, but not-so-ordinary, Pheasant Sausages had a hint of sweet chilli without being over-powering. Certainly, the sweet chilli along with the other blended spices added just that extra spice to make these sausages quite extraordinary!

I now cannot wait to try the rest of the samples in the goody-box of deliciousness that Claire kindly dropped off and I would encourage all my friends and acquaintances to try some or even all of the wonderful produce from The Wild Butcher. As you can see from the image of the diced venison below, this healthy meat is not expensive – and that is definitely something to consider in today’s economic climate.

The Wild Butcher is a small family business based in Rendcomb, Cirencester that produces wild game products using mainly venison and pheasant, all responsibly sourced from the local Gloucestershire countryside.

Alex has been a gamekeeper for almost 20 years and Claire has always had a passion for cooking and using good quality ingredients.

They have always butchered deer for themselves, producing roasting joints, cubes and mince but, a few years ago, decided to try making sausages. They practiced and practiced and got family and friends to try their sausages until their recipe was perfected.

At the start of 2022, Claire and Alex decided to start The Wild Butcher and are now supplying not only their loyal family and friends, but also local hospitality venues in the local area.

Also selling to individuals, Claire and Alex would love you to try their sausages, burgers, mince, joints etc., so please take a look at their website www.thewildbutcher.co.uk or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thewildbutcherUK/. For more information, please contact Claire on 07976 466652, claire@thewildbutcher.co.uk.

Try something different for Christmas this year. I am sure you will not be disappointed. I wasn’t and I can be quite a difficult customer to please!