Nominations opened in November for this prestigious nationwide award that recognise the value of business and enterprises in rural areas. There are several categories including "Best Village shop/ Post Office" "Best Pub" and of course "Best Butcher" Each category explains the importance of these amenities in rural communities, how each business is often far more that the just a shop, or a pub. But how that business is inextricably linked with the people it serves! More so than there urban counterparts.
We have been named as one of 4 butchers to reach the final for the whole of Wales. For just a small village butchers, and personally very humble beginnings for me, as someone with just passion for Game Meat. That in itself is a huge accolade. However, the voting is now open to the pubic as well as a panel of judges, so you never know, with your help we might actually bring the title home.
Below is a link to the voting page, many thanks if you do decide to give us a vote.
https://www.research.net/r/CAWalesBiz
The awards ceremony is to be held on 24th January in Cardiff.
]]>By this hour in 3 weeks time, the Pheasant season will have ended. Hopefully most 'keepers have had a productive year, thankfully we have been able to carry on as normal this year with less restrictions imposed. I hope that most estates/shoots have regained the confidence to carry on providing the jobs and opportunities that rural areas need to thrive.
As for us here in the shop, it has been long, but enjoyable ride up until Christmas. some of this winters highlights include, attending Shrewsbury Farmers Market and meeting up with some loyal customers from the early days, thanks to you all. Mark the head butcher representing us in his native tongue of Welsh on an online winter fair for Merchaid Y Wawr. I have been asked to write several articles on Gamemeat, one appearing in Taste Blas magazine and another on a great website for any foodie Game - Challenging Assumptions - Food UX. Christmas was great, 3 markets were attended in the run up and the Christmas week was just like watching a film in fast forward - absolutely manic.
To top it off, I learnt late on in 2021 that we have been nominated for 2 awards this year. One is BASC's Ladies Star of Shooting - Field to Fork Star "those creative and resourceful game cooks and caterers"
The other is EatGame Awards - Best small retailer
Both awards are recognised highly within the shooting community, so to be nominated for either is brilliant and my thanks go out to who ever nominated us in the 1st place. If we progress any further, I shall keep you updated.
In the meantime, many thanks for helping us make 2021 an enjoyable and successful year. Now bring on 2022!!!!!
]]>Unfortunately, this year due to the inclement weather in spring when the birds were nesting, as well as other factors including increase of heather beetle outbreaks. The counts just conducted have shown poor brood numbers, and therefore many moors have cancelled days as there isn't sufficient surplus stock to warrant shooting. Grouse moor management is very complex, and management is exactly what it is. If there isn't enough birds at this time of year, to take of the surplus, then moors simply do not shoot.
As for us down here in mid Wales, our season on Fallow Deer males opened on August 1st. So very shortly we will be able to offer you the finest wild Welsh Venison once again.
On 1st September Partridge and Wildfowl come into season, shortly followed by Pheasants on October 1st.
Hopefully this season will be more productive than last, It looks like the dreaded virus is under some sort of control and slowly we are returning to some sort of normality. All being well we have a full and prosperous season.
Good luck to anybody out on the moors over the next few weeks and months.
]]>With all that has gone on, I have only just managed to get the shop front painted, now under the name of "Izzy's Butchers"
The shooting season is not far ahead. I have work underway at the shop to turn this into the new base of Pennant Valley Game. Even though the emphasis in the shop is on Quality traditional meat, I am still as passionate as always about Game and even more excited by the prospect of having my own venue to sell from.
]]>Last week I took over our local Butchers Shop, situated in the pleasant quaint village of Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant, "Keegans Butchers" is a well established high class purveyor of quality meats and poultry.
The Beef, Lamb and Pork is all Welsh and sourced as local as possible. All sausages are made in house, with traditional recipes being handed down over the decades by the previous butchers.
The black pudding, faggots, cooked meats and chickens, are also made at the shop. The premises itself has been a butchers shop since at least 1935, owned by the same family now as the original butcher, I will be the 4th proprietor since 1935.
The emphasis has always been on supplying high quality cuts of traditional meats, this is something I will strive to uphold. I will still continue with my passion for making Game meat affordable and available to everyone. It will feature heavily in my window when in season!
In time I will be expanding this website, so that all the traditional meats can be bought online and delivered via courier all over the UK.
For now, it would be lovely to welcome you all into the shop, the address is Market Street, Llanrheaedr, Oswestry, SY10 0HH
Look forward to seeing you!!!
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Please note due to myself taking a few days off deer stalking, orders receives This week will be processes next week, commencing Monday 13th
]]>We had a nice break over the festive period, but now are returning to offer you our Pheasant Wares again.
The first offer to kick start the New Year is an old returning favorite,
3 packs of sausage for £12 instead of £15.
Discount automatically applied
]]>Pheasant and Cranberry Chipolatas. They make an ideal twist to your Christmas dinner. Even better when wrapped in Bacon to make our Pheasants in Fleeces!!!
Prices are
500 gram Chipolatas = £4.00
500 gram of Pheasants in Fleeces = £4.50
Discount will be automatically applied
Please note: Pheasant and Cranberry Sausages are only available in Chipolata size this week.
Thanks
]]>Long cold winter nights are perfect for our special offer this week. A crown of Pheasant wrapped around haggis, pre-seasoned with a sea salt and pepper galze. Garnished with an apricot.
Impressive to look at, even more impressive to taste.
This week £6.50 a brace, instead of £8.00
Discount is automatic at checkout
]]>The whole week is also celebrated as Great British Game Week, we will have some great offers on this week, as well as some new products which will be making their first appearance at Builth.
We are also now taking orders for Christmas, whether you would like to collect at one of the Christmas Markets, or have it delivered to your door.
]]>Oven ready pheasants only £3 each, instead of £4
]]>Oven ready pheasants only £3 each, instead of £4
Discount automatically applied, ends Sunday at 10 PM
]]>That's why this week our offer is 20% off all burgers and sausages in our product range, usual rules apply, discount is automatically applied.
]]>That's why this week our offer is 20% off all burgers and sausages in our product range, usual rules apply, discount is automatically applied.
]]>Includes Plain, Peri - peri and Rosemary and redcurrant
Automatic discount at checkout
]]>Including plain breasts, marinated breasts, Kievs and breasts in sauce.
Discount automatically applied at checkout
]]>Add promo code"Week 1" at checkout
]]>Add promo code"Week 1" at checkout
]]>The first offer will be revealed on the 7th October, keep an eye on the blog feeds as well as our social media feed for details of these offers and which products will be featured.
]]>The last few weeks have been spent training young dogs to ready them for their 1st season of work. Continuing to look after the young pheasants, which by now are all in the woods and covers, feasting on the plentiful abundance of wild fruit on offer this year, as well as the wheat we feed them.
Game meat has figured a lot in the past few weeks, with the main task of harvesting a nice young Fallow deer for a joint 60th and 21st birthday party. The deer provided enough Burgers, Sausages, Steaks and Kebabs to feed the whole party. Of course, cooked over the hot coals on a BBQ, on an unusually sunny afternoon here in Pennant Valley.
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The grouse season got underway yesterday, on the "Glorious Twelfth" Hopefully the estates and individuals involved will have a prosperous season. Not enough recognition is given to the wildlife and habitat that managed moors support, its such a shame that people cannot see past their own emotive feelings and prejudices for the greater good of this endemic species the Red Grouse and all the other species that benefit.
The fallow deer season is also underway, with the season for males open on August 1st. Fallow is the venison I sell mainly at farmers markets, I harvest my Fallow from an estate on the North Welsh coast. At this time they are tremendous eating, having thrived on the crops and silage fields throughout the summer.
In the last blog I mentioned a visit to the Royal Welsh, I attended on the Countryside Alliance stand promoting game meat. I butchered the game and Chef Stewart Williams cooked up a treat. We converted quite a few non game eaters through out the 4 day event, and inspired some others with different ideas.
So 7 weeks today, I wont be writing a blog, instead I will be plucking Pheasants ready for the guns to take home on the 2nd. Can't wait!!!
]]>The young birds are vulnerable at this stage, particularly to the Fox, who inhabits these Valleys in relatively large numbers. To combat this foe, we very active during the night, his active hunting hours. Being out and about at night, you realise the amount of nocturnal wildlife we have on the estate which you wouldn't about otherwise. We have an abundance of Hedgehogs and Hares have made a comeback in recent years. Tawny owls are spotted every where, more unusually Long Eared Owls, as well as Barn Owls can be seen at times.
I have an exciting month ahead, firstly a trip deer stalking is in order, followed by an invitation to attend the Royal Welsh Show. I have been asked to attend on the Countryside Alliance, where I will be showing some easy Game butchery skills. A chef will also be on hand to cook up some delights! So if your attending or are in the area, pop by and say Hello!!
]]>On the estate, the keepers have been busy with Infrastructure maintenance, improvements, dog training, as well as their important roles concerning vermin control. We are lucky to have a diverse range of habitats on the estate ranging from the Valley bottom with meandering river, home to Grayling, Trout, Dippers and Otters. Up to the Moorland edge, where the Snipe are "Drumming" and the Nightjar can be heard at Dusk. All of the habitats and the wildlife that resides within them require management of which vermin control is a key element. It is also provides great job satisfaction to see scarcer species thrive on an estate which I am part of.
]]>The 7 months before next season will rapidly disappear and before you know it I will have fresh Wild Welsh Meat in stock again. In the mean time, follow me on social media to gain a little insight into my life (which usually revolves around Pheasants or Game of some sort)
Thank you to everybody who helped this year, my helpers, Llechweddygarth Shoot and Staff, Event Organisers, Long suffering Family and Friends. And of course you the customer, who without your support Pennant Valley Game would be nothing.
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To help you make the most of this we have various different offers available throughout the the month, from freezer filling ideas, to new introductory offers.
Keep up to date through the website and social media.
]]>Check out the two selection boxes in our products page now!!!
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Last chance to order online, in time for Christmas delivery is Monday 17th Dec. Orders received by this date will be shipped on Thursday 20th, for Friday 21st delivery. This is the last date which orders can be delivered.
The last market of the year is at Oswestry on Friday 21st, so if you are local you can pre-order and collect from there.
Alternatively, all our meat if freshly produced and will freeze down, so if you are nearer to Shrewsbury, the great Chronicle Christmas Market is held on the square on Saturday 15th Dec.
]]>It is the second year we have been up for a nomination in this prestigious award scheme. You still have time to vote to take us further into the competition, who knows how far we could go!
Vote online via: Countryside Alliance
]]>Flying Scotsman only £6.00 a brace
Instead of £8.00
Enter code "Game Week 5"
All of this weeks offer will end midnight tonight, please enter each individual discount code for each offer applicable at time of ordering.
]]>Boned and Rolled Pheasant Breast with Cranberry seasoning - £6.50 a Brace
Usual price £9.00
Enter discount code "Game Week 4"
Offer ends Midnight Friday
]]>Moroccan Pheasant Sausage - £3.50 instead of £5.00
Use discount code "Game Week 3"
Offer ends Midnight Friday
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