Deer farmer finds brainy way to expand

The search for indigenous culinary adventures has prompted one restaurant to experiment with cooking deer brains.

The dish, on offer at Wellington's Port Nicholson Yacht Club restaurant, comes from the Pohangina Valley deer farm run by farmer Robin Ferguson and his business partner, Billie Scott.

"They are experimenting with them," Mr Ferguson said. "If they are as good as they hope, they will start putting them on the menu - and purchasing."

Mr Ferguson has been deer farming for five years, and is experimenting himself with how to get his products to restaurants and the public.

He has had some success - Rydges Palmerston North takes his cuts and sausages, and they were a favourite with the All Black trialists who were at the Rugby Institute last week.

His farm, 28km northeast of Palmerston North, also supplies Adam Newell's Zibibbo restaurant in Wellington.

Newell has written a book which includes information on Pohangina Valley Venison, including recipes.

The book is due out in October and will be sold in New Zealand, Australia and Britain.

Mr Ferguson is not just interested in getting his product into restaurants - he also wants it on the dinner tables of New Zealanders at home.

"Buying venison at the moment through supermarkets is prohibitive, when you can get it, that is.

"You pay $50 a kilogram for back steaks and $30 for legs. It's just too much.

"We want to sell a half-kilogram Denver leg (equivalent to beef steaks such as rump or porterhouse) for $10."

To sidestep supermarkets and the "50 per cent markup", Mr Ferguson is looking for an outlet in Wellington. The company also wants to run a mobile chiller unit, "a bit like the fish vans that you see around."

One of the reasons he is seeking an alternative to mainstream selling is the state of the venison market.

The meat is now selling at about $3.50 a kilogram from a high of $10 a kilogram.

All the deer from the farm are killed at Venison Deer Packers in Feilding and processed and vacuum packed. The packaging gives it a shelf life of about three months.

- NZPA