Mountain River Community

A lot of activity has been happening in the world of social media and we thought we’d share just a few little snapshots of how venison lovers have been sharing their passion for our product. Venison Season 365 All the way from Uppsala, Sweden, they’ve been showing much love for New Zealand homegrown venison. Stationen Svenssons Krogar, a restaurant in the historic Uppsala city centre, has been using our venison cuts for three years now and they’re still going strong. It travels a long way to get there but when it does, it still seems to be going strong year after year! Take a look at the post - https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPYi-FnGT1/ Herb & Mustard Crust Venison Rack Terra Mare Prime has been importing high quality meat from this part of the world to North America for a while now and showed off this little Trans-Tasman combo they’re trying out in Los Angeles. A Herb and Mustard Crust New Zealand venison rack with Australian sea salt on top. One to certainly grab the attention of the discerning L.A. food crowd. If you’re interested, take a look at the Racks and Medallions for sale on their online store. The Herb & Mustard Crust Venison Rack recipe is also up there for you to try! https://terramareprime.com/shop/details/mountainrivervenison The product received a 5-star review in July: “We have broiled two racks on separate occasions. Each time, I pulled the meat out of the broiler at 120 degrees internal temperature. Rest for 10 minutes. Outstanding at this medium rare finish. Love it!! One 2 1/2 lb. rack is plenty of meat for four people.” Here’s the original post - https://www.instagram.com/p/CBTuzlUDneX/ Grass Fed Wapiti Weaners Make sure you follow Glen @nzbison and take a look at the original post here - https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrTqbQFg-b/ Last but not least, and a bit closer to home, we’ve had some fantastic shots taken of where it all begins on the South Island. This is in Alford Forest and is a great representation of the environment our deer live their lives out in before any venison makes it on to any plate. Any person would be lucky to live somewhere as beautiful as this so you can only imagine how the deer feel about it! So that’s a little taste of what’s been happening on Mountain River Venison’s Instagram adventures around the world. Clearly they’re loving the product we’re shipping from these fair shores and we looking forward to more new and exciting recipes the world’s chefs add to our world leading venison.

Henning Kvick is crazy about meat. Take one look at his Instagram account and it’s an endless array of different cuts, recipes, and anecdotes about his experiences with the food he loves. And now, he’s decided to expand upon this passion with a new book entitled ‘Meat Cravings: Less Is More’. In this book, Henning dedicates a section to his experience with Mountain River Venison. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with Henning’s work at all. He is a loyal supporter of Mountain River by representing our product to the foodservice trade in Sweden. He last visited New Zealand in 2018 and, in his book, tells the story behind how venison came to this country, along with a recipe for Venison Steak Tartare to accompany it. Currently, Henning’s with the company he’s been at for the last two and a half decades; Menigo. With them, he sells food and vegetables all across Sweden, working with chefs to ascertain what ingredients would work best for their recipes. It’s a labour of love for him. And even when he’s unwinding with the family, he’s still manning the outdoor grill! The new book comes off the back of a spark in interest for NZ venison among chefs in Sweden. After gradually introducing it to a few restaurants, the word is spreading. This is mostly due to the way venison is traditionally served in Sweden. Usually, it’s solely a winter dish that goes out of season when the weather warms up. With NZ venison, Henning has successfully encouraged chefs to serve it 365 days a year with the seasonal vegetables changing to keep flavours dynamic and fluid. And, although he says that COVID has hampered this mission somewhat, Henning is optimistic. The next frontier is the private market via supermarkets and butcher shops. This, he says, could spark a new interest in this novel product for Swedish shoppers. And who knows, maybe the new book might add a little kick to that growing interest! Take a look at the publishers website for a further summary on the book: http://www.norstedts.se/bocker/189302-meat-cravings Follow Henning on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kvicken71/

China has been growing in its demand for New Zealand venison and, even though there have been obstacles due to the current COVID crisis, it seems that the industry is finding new ways to overcome those challenges and deliver exciting new dining experiences through the Shanghai restaurant scene. The newest restaurant adding their touch on New Zealand Venison is Mr. Willis ( http://mrwillis.com.cn/willis/ ) Mr. Willis is a small Italian restaurant in the centre of Shanghai that specialises in a more gourmet style of dining. And recently, their new venison dish has generated a lot of excitement. The dish is a peppered venison fillet with charred beetroot, purslane, and savoury pomegranate that has been added to their repertoire. So far, the dish has been promoted on social media and seems to be very popular with Shanghai’s diners as they once again re-acquaint themselves with the restaurants the city has to offer. Another successful chapter of venison featuring in Shanghai’s dining scene.