Venison mince donated to London food charity after cull

The Felix Project helps feed more than 266,000 Londoners every week and will now have venison on the menu

Wild venison, which would normally be eaten at some of London's finest restaurants, will be donated to a food charity in the capital.

Robinson Wild Foods is donating venison to the Felix Project, which offers provides for disadvantaged families.

The closure of restaurants because of the Covid pandemic has led to an overpopulation of deer.

As a result, a cull was "necessary" to protect the countryside, the Felix Project said.

Deer manager Mike Robinson was supplying restaurants across the country until government restrictions introduced because of Covid-19 forced them to close their doors.

"This venison is triple first-class healthy meat with no cholesterol, no saturated fats and high in protein," he said.

"As the deer population was increasing, they were running out of food, so we knew we had to cull to keep the numbers down. And we don't want this delicious healthy food to go to waste.

"In these unprecedented times, we are delighted to be able to help feed some of the poorest people in London via the Felix Project."

Deer are culled to stop devastation of woodlands and birdlife.

The deer population has risen throughout lockdown, largely as a result of restaurant closures

Up to 1,000kg (2,200lb) of venison mince will be supplied to charities across England, including the Felix Project, which is based in Park Royal, west London.

The Felix Project, which says it delivered "the equivalent of 21.1 million meals" in 2020, plans to make a venison lasagne and a venison cottage pie to be distributed to food centres across the city.

Chief executive Mark Curtin said the quantity of venison donations had soared since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

"In fact, this epitomises what we are trying to do; prevent food waste and supply nutritious food to those who need it most. We are delighted that families across the capital who are struggling to get by will be able to savour these delicious, tasty meals."

The Felix Project plans to make a venison lasagne and a venison cottage pie to be distributed to food centres across the city

The wild venison mince, which it is receiving, costs £11 per kilogram.

The charity has also received other out of the ordinary food donations in the past.

Mr Curtin added: "We receive all sorts. We've had octopus and pheasant, luxury Easter eggs from Fortnum & Mason, fancy cheeses, bread from Harrods.

"We've even had luxury meals cooked by the Ivy Restaurant and the Hilton Hotel."