WHAT better way to celebrate the success of venison from Ludlow and south Shropshire than with a big meal?

Slow Food Ludlow Marches members and guests, and Friends of the Pheasant at Neenton enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at the Pheasant last week to celebrate the admission of Mortimer Forest Venison to Slow Food England’s Ark of Taste.

Centrepiece of the special three course menu devised and prepared by Chef Mark Harris was Seared Mortimer Forest Venison Haunch with Mini Venison Cottage Pie topped with Celeriac Mash, Creamed Cavolo Nero, Wild Mushroom and Redcurrant Jus.

The diners also sampled the two other local products for which Slow Food Ludlow Marches has secured a place in the Ark of Taste.

Guests were greeted on arrival with a glass of Herefordshire Perry and the meal was rounded off with a dessert of Shropshire Prune Damson Bavarois with Spiced Damson Jam, Almond Crumble and Chantilly Cream.

Slow Food UK’s ‘Ark of Taste’ recognises distinct products with a specific heritage aspect.

It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. It was founded in 1989 in Italy.

The Ark of Taste is a collection of British foods which are in danger of being lost, such as unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables, rare breeds of animals, artisan cheeses and traditional recipes. Slow Food UK hopes to promote these products, and the traditions and knowledge that surround them.

Mortimer Forest is maintained by the Forestry Commission. Wildlife managers for the Forestry Commission cull the deer for ecological reasons, as there are no natural predators. Mortimer Forest Deer have been wild in the forest since Saxon times.