Curtis Pitts, Director of Curtis Pitts Deer Services in Devon is a young man connected to the land. He is a staunch believer in venison, and it makes up the majority of his business. As a third-generation deer manager, he personally harvests all of his venison from managed parkland and wild landscapes. Curtis’ wholesale offer is one of the best in the country and top chefs and food service suppliers hold it in very high regard.
John Pritchard is the Director of Dart Fresh Produce in Exeter, he said “Curtis Pitts always goes the extra mile to ensure we have top quality venison and game to service our chefs from Cheltenham to Cornwall and everywhere in between. Consistency, excellent service and a top quality product come as standard.”
Elly Wentworth has been using Curtis to supply The Angel in Dartmouth where she is the Head Chef and has been for the last two and a half years. She says that the quality of his venison is impeccable and loves the way that he always delivers in person.
“It is really important to me that my produce comes from Devon. Curtis is a fantastic local supplier of the finest venison. My customers love our venison dishes.”
Chef Consultant and former Michelin-starred chef, Michael Nizzero has some show-stopping restaurants on his CV. These include the three Michelin-starred Waterside Inn at Bray and The Ritz in London. Michael is also supporting A Taste of Game in working with Curtis Pitts to create a stunning dish with venison loin, macadamia and a grain mustard sauce. He says
“Venison is my favourite meat to cook with as autumn is my favourite season and I think, the most inspiring time of the year. I love wild foraged mushrooms and herbs, truffle and the array of rich and colourful vegetables this season brings. Venison for me is always the centrepiece and the way that the animal grazes and forages natural ingredients this time of year make for the perfect plate and flavour profiles in the meat.”
Curtis comes from a long line of deer managers and so has been firmly engaged in the management of wild food ever since he can remember, he says
“Wild venison is an animal that lives in its natural habitat with no human interference.”
“It has no reliance on man. The same can be said of wood pigeon and rabbits. Wild venison is a totally sustainable product with no human interference other than harvesting the carcass. The animal lives where it wants to, grazes and eats where it fancies and breeds and populates areas as and when mother nature lets them.
“The other thing to remember is that venison is richer in protein than any other red meat. It’s high in protein. It’s also rich in conjugated linoleic acid which is thought to support a healthy heart. It is full of iron and B vitamins which help the body convert the food into energy and it plays a vital role in brain and nervous system function.”
Curtis is currently working with A Taste of Game, The British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and some top chefs via The Chefs’ Forum to showcase venison in all its finery.
Charlotte Vincent, Head Chef at The Five Bells, Clyst Hyden, Devon has been buying venison and other game from Curtis for over a year. She says she wouldn’t go anywhere else.
“Provenance is massively important to me and I love the way Curtis documents his stalking on his social channels, so I know exactly where it comes from and can see the humanity and respect with which it is treated throughout the harvesting and preparation process. The meat is absolutely beautiful and very easy to work with. It comes ready loined-down which really helps me out in my busy kitchen. The Five Bells will continue to do take out while restrictions remain in place. We’ve also launched a new ‘Five Bells at Home’ service. One of the boxes is a delicious Venison Wellington dish that our customers can make and enjoy at home and this will be Curtis’ finest locally-sourced venison.”
Check out our recipe page for fantastic dishes by Charlotte, Michael, Elly and many more top chefs!
