‘You think it’s going to taste sweet, but it’s really meaty’

REMARKABLY, venison ice-cream got the thumbs up from three of the four diners who agreed to take part in a Scotsman taste test.

Karen Merchant, 27, a housewife from Banchory, was the first volunteer to have a go.

She said: “It looks like chocolate chips, so my brain’s already saying this is going to be nice. It’s palatable and it’s extremely interesting. You think it’s going to be sweet, but it’s not sweet. It’s – let’s say – meaty and full-bodied.

“Actually, it’s really interesting. It’s creamy, but it has a very, very odd sort of taste. I could eat it, but I certainly wouldn’t have it in a cone.”

Annabel Holroyde, 38, a company secretary from Aberdeen, admitted: “It’s all very confusing. The texture is ice-creamy, but to me it tastes salty and I can taste the smoke. I could eat it all if I was hungry, but not as a dessert.”

Rosie Kelly, 44, a geoscientist from Banchory, enthusiastically endorsed the dish.

She said: “I really like that. It is slightly sweet, but the bits of smoked venison take away the sweetness.

“It would be really nice with a bit of venison and a nice glass of red wine – but not with strawberries and cream.”

However, Alex Fisher, 38, a housewife from Banchory, gave it the thumbs-down.

She said: “It’s not unpalatable, but it’s not particularly for me.

“As an Australian I am not used to eating venison. I just wouldn’t chose to have this.”