Free venison a hit at the Blas Festival

Almost 1,000 people enjoyed a free treat when they were served venison as part of the Blas Festival’s Piping Gala at Eden Court, Inverness, in September. The freebie was part of the Eat Scottish Venison day celebrations and were arranged by the Deer Commission for Scotland.

Linzi Seivwright of DCS said: “We are delighted to be giving Blas festival-goers a taste of Scottish venison. Other foods and drink like whisky and the British sausage are celebrated in the UK, so we felt it was time to celebrate venison, especially as it’s one of the healthiest meats available. It is lower in fat than skinned breast of chicken, higher in iron than any other red meat, contains omega 3, is low in cholesterol, and is free of any antibiotics or growth promoters.”

Festival Director Donna MacRae said: “The Blas Festival is about our culture, music, food and language. This is a fun and tasty way of combining all those elements. This is an excellent example of how Blas can showcase elements of Highland culture. We are also working closely with the Deer Commission for Scotland on plans for their involvement with Blas 2010.”

For more on the Blas Festival, see www.blas-festival.com. Blas is Gaelic for ‘taste’ or ‘savour’.