Eat Game Awards 2019 open for nominations

Launched in 2018 by a team including Boisdale owner Ranald Macdonald and high profile chef restaurateur Mark Hix, the Eat Game Awards are designed to celebrate the people and businesses championing British game and throw the spotlight on an often undervalued indigenous and seasonal product.

“The aim of the EGA is to get as many people as possible interested in and eating this wonderful wild food from within our shores,” says a spokesperson.

Chefs love the versatility of game and they’re gearing up for the seasons – grouse on 12 August, partridge and mallard at the beginning of September and pheasant and woodcock in October."

The venison, wood pigeon, wild boar and rabbit seasons are longer. We're also hearing from the north of the border that long-absent wild goose from Orkney is now back on sale.”

Awards up for grabs include Best Restaurant Regularly Serving Game, Best Pub Regularly Serving Game, Best Chef Regularly Serving Game, Best Game Butcher and Game Hero.

Nominations are submitted via the Eat Game Awards website​​​, with businesses and individuals able to self-nominate. The 10 strongest nominees will go forward to onine voting.

Nominations close on 1 November and the online voting period will run from 15 November to 10 January. All nominated individuals and businesses are encouraged to ask for votes from general public.

Last year’s winners included Bistro 46 in Newcastle (Best Restaurant Regularly Serving Game) and The Sutton Gamekeeper (Best Pub Regularly Serving Game).

“Eating game is one of life’s no-brainers given that it is so abundant in this country," says Elystan Street chef patron Phil Howard. "It is seasonal, and purely from an eating point of view works so incredibly well with the earthy flavours of autumn and winter vegetables. It’s local, lived happily and it’s lean, nutritious and cheap – and it tends to come in the hand or a box – not plastic.”