Nominee Summary
Glenkilrie Larder is our family-run business in Highland Perthshire, where we proudly direct market our own venison, beef, and lamb from Glenkilrie Farm. We are passionate about bridging the gap between producer and consumer, and in 2024 launched Glenkilrie Larder Cook School, which allows us to showcase how our farming benefits nutrition, wildlife, and the environment. In the same year, we were awarded a Cairngorms National Park grant to install a new deer larder to improve our facilities, allowing us to donate venison mince back to the community, our donations are going to Scotland's schools for home economics classes.
What makes your nominee stand out?
Over the past year and a half, we have donated more than 1,800kg of venison mince to fifty schools across Scotland, and children's events, as well as going into schools and speaking to children about deer management, the environment, and the nutritional benefits of venison. Whilst giving them hands-on experience, of cooking a range of venison dishes. We have used our business platform, to passionately advocate for local food, traditional land management and raise awareness around public procurement. We have campaigned fiercely at the national level for school meal improvement and have been successful in encouraging our local council and meal provider to withdraw their affiliation with ProVeg UK, a vegan organisation aiming to reduce the consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040. Additionally, we write bi-monthly columns in the local paper, discussing rural issues.
Supporting the local community
Through our venison donation programme, we have had the privilege of educating, inspiring, and engaging with young people across our local communities. We have visited schools throughout Perthshire and Northern Scotland to deliver demonstrations, helping pupils understand where their food comes from, the nutritional benefits of venison, and the importance of sustainable land management. Alongside this work, we have collaborated closely with organisations including SLE, BASC, QMS, and NFU Scotland to promote local food, farming, and rural education. We have also supported numerous community events by donating both our venison and our time, ensuring more people can experience and learn about this healthy, sustainable meat. Through our cook school, we utilise many local businesses, for example, the local printers for all our menus, a florist for flowers, and other local food producers.
Maintaining high ethical/environmental standards
Maintaining high ethical and environmental standards is at the heart of everything we do at Glenkilrie Larder. We are committed to producing high-quality, locally sourced venison, beef, and lamb while caring for the land, wildlife, and the wider environment. Through responsible farming and sustainable deer management, we help protect biodiversity and make the best use of a natural, food source. We are passionate about educating consumers on the benefits of sustainable food production and bridging the gap between producer and consumer. Through school visits, our onsite cook school, demonstrations, and community engagement, we encourage people to understand where their food comes from and the positive role well-managed land and deer management play in both environmental stewardship and healthy diets.
