What's Your Game?
 Leading figures from the game and food industry are on the search for the most inspired use of game meat in Britain's restaurants. Initiated by fine food specialist Braehead Foods, the What's Your Game? Cookery Competition was launched earlier this year in collaboration with EatScotland, the Scottish Countryside Alliance, the Scottish Small Game Group and award-winning venison supplier Highland Game, to encourage and develop the creative use of game meat on restaurant menus. The Glorious Twelfth marks the start of the judging and the competition runs until 15 December 2006.
In concurrence with the rising demand for game, The What's Your Game? competition gives restaurants the opportunity to experiment with different meats and to introduce their clients to the broad range of game available. Craig Stevenson, Managing Director of Braehead Foods, says:
“We hope that, as well as nurturing chefs’ knowledge of game and creativity in the kitchen, the competition will encourage customers to eat different kinds of game whether it’s wood pigeon, rabbit, quail or venison. Game is a lean, healthy meat - and free range. It’s just making people aware of the choice that’s out there.”
The competition will also be judging the knowledge of the front of house staff. In the same way that a sommelier offers expert advice to the customer about wine, the serving staff and maitre d’ should be able to talk knowledgably about the game on the menu and its provenance. This will in turn inspire diners to explore and appreciate the many different kinds of game found in Scotland.
The finalists will be those establishments in which the creativity, knowledge and use of game is consistent throughout the year and game is actively promoted to customers on the menu and through front of house staff.
The winning restaurants will be invited to participate in a four-day deer stalking and pheasant, partridge and duck shooting experience on some of the best estates in Scotland. This follows the success of last year’s ‘estate to the plate’ expedition organised by Braehead Foods for Gordon Ramsay’s head chefs, Josh Emett and Simone Zanoni, and offers the winners the opportunity to take part in the shoot and follow the game supply chain from start to finish to illustrate how wild game reaches their kitchens.
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