Are you game for a taste of the wild life? (From Worcester News)

Are you game for a taste of the wild life?

10:09am Monday 5th February 2007 in Country News latest

ARE you game for it?" asks the sign on the mystery hot plate on Eye Game Larder's farmers' market stall.

Co-owner Sue Fletcher has pan-fried one of her game meats and customers have the opportunity to try it and guess what it is.

"The men usually see the tasting sign but when they are offered a sample they tend to back away and encourage the women to do the tasting," said Sue, from Luston in Herefordshire.

The pan-fried meat is actually grey squirrel that 30-year-old Sue says tastes like rabbit, only a bit stronger. When she tells her customers what it is she says: "They screw their faces up and you can tell they are picturing Squirrel Nutkin but then they say it is nice. They like to go and tell people that they have tried it."

Sue and her father Dave Morris, 53, have been selling game, meat and eggs at Worcestershire farmers' markets for four years.

The father and daughter team keep all manner of farm animals on their smallholding at Luston, near Leominster, from where they head out to farmers' markets in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and across the West Midlands.

As well as rearing the animals, Sue and her father prepare all the game, meat and meat products on their farm. Eye Game Larder specialises in game as well as traditional meats.

"All of the game comes from the wild. We are supplied by gamekeepers at estates in Worcestershire and Herefordshire," said Sue.

Their stall boasts supplies of rabbit, hare, grey squirrel, pheasant, partridge, wild duck, pigeon and venison.

"It takes us a week from when the animal is in the feather or in the fur to when it is on our market stall. We take the time to prepare our products carefully," said Sue.

The pork and beef sold at their stall are from rare breeds. The pork is from a wild boar crossed with a Gloucester Old Spot - the resulting animals are very slow growing and get very large.

"They have been very slow to mature and there is a lot of fat on the meat but that's what gives it its flavour," said Sue.

Sue also rears Dexter Cattle for beef. "They are very small and they look like someone has hit them on the head with a frying pan," she said.

All of the meats on the Eye Game Larder stall are available in a variety of cuts, as well as sausages and burgers. Call Sue at Eye Game Larder on 01568 615711.

SUE'S RABBIT HOTPOTIngredients 1 rabbit 3 level tablespoons flour 2-3 onions 450g/1lb potatoes Bottle of beer or stock Salt and pepper to taste Method Toss the rabbit in the flour, salt and pepper. Slice the onions and cut the potatoes into quarters.

Place a layer of onions in a large casserole dish, put the rabbit on top and cover with the onion and potato.

Add the liquid, nearly covering the rabbit, cover the dish and bake in oven 170C/325F/Gas mark 3 for 2-2 hours.

Remove the cover a short time before serving, to brown the potatoes.

Recipe leaflets are available from Sue's stall.

Farmers' market datesDroitwich - Victoria Square - Saturday, February 3, 9am-2pm.

Worcester - Royal Worcester - Sunday, February 4, 10am-2pm.

Bromsgrove - High Street - Saturday, February 10, 9am-5pm.

Malvern - Abbey Road - Sunday, February 17, 9am-2pm.

Worcester - St Peter's Garden Centre - Saturday, February 24, 9.30am-2pm.