Venison supplier looks to grab slice of ostrich meat market

A Tayside meat supplier has secured deals with major supermarket chains including Tesco and Morrisons after investing more than £1 million launching a range of specialilty products.

Christian Nissen is the founder of Dundee-based Highland Game. Picture: Contributed

Buffalo and ostrich meat are on the menu following the roll-out of the Outlanddish brand by Dundee-based Highland Game, which is better known for supplying venison.

Christian Nissen, who launched Highland Game nearly 20 years ago, said he was looking to create a new category for meats in the UK and to satisfy a demand for high-quality, provenance led produce. The current range includes ostrich burgers, ostrich steaks, veal burgers, iberico pork sausages and wagyu burgers.

Outlanddish has already struck separate deals in the UK with Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi Scotland potentially worth millions of pounds since launching in October, alongside deals with international supermarket players.

Nissen said: "We went to intrepid lengths to source some of the world's most exciting meats that deliver on flavour, quality and provenance.

"We know that shoppers are becoming increasingly experimental in their own kitchens and relish the adventure of trying out new flavours and ingredients. I hand-picked and personally visited every supplier in order to ensure that they met our exacting standards.

"When we launched venison into supermarkets under the Highland Game brand 20 years ago, it was unfamiliar to most consumers. Now it's one of the UK's favourite meats.

"The launch of Outlanddish has the potential to create a new speciality meat category in the UK and, with high protein diets continuing to prove popular, we see a huge opportunity for this range to become a regular addition to the weekly shop."

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