Pioneering venison ambassador, Nichola Fletcher, of Reediehill Deer Farm in Fife, has been awarded an MBE for her services to the venison industry.
An award-winning food writer, Nichola has worked tirelessly to educate people about venison, its health aspects as well as how to prepare and cook it. Having worked with both wild and farmed venison for over forty years, she is regarded as Britain’s pre-eminent expert on all aspects of venison.
On hearing that she had been awarded the MBE, Nichola said:
“When you spend your life trying to make people listen to you, it’s sometimes quite a surprise when you discover that someone actually was listening after all! I am just thrilled that my work with venison should have been so honoured and it’s great to be working in an area I feel so passionately about. There’s still so much for people to learn about venison and I’m always trying to place it at the forefront of peoples’ minds.”
Originally trained as a goldsmith (a skill she still practices), Nichola’s work with venison started when she met and married Dr John Fletcher, a specialist deer vet and pioneer of deer farming in Europe. Together they started Fletchers of Auchtermuchty which became a by-word for seriously good venison amongst enthusiastic foodies all over the country. The farm went on to act as a model for venison farms across the world.
A diverse range of people and organisations across the UK and internationally have benefitted from Nichola’s help: from national bodies like Scottish Natural Heritage or the Ministry of Defence to individual stalkers and member of the general public.
Nichola continues to run tailored venison and game tastings, cookery demonstrations and practical workshops. She acts as a consultant for venison businesses and is available for writing and broadcasting commissions on the subject.
Nichola Fletcher is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and has written seven food books, including Nichola Fletcher’s Ultimate Venison Cookery which won the award for the best single-subject cookery book in the world in 2007.