Merchant of Venison Ltd is a specialist venison supplier based in Tai Tapu, just out of Christchurch. The company buys and sells New Zealand farmed venison, locally sourced from farms around the South Island through Mountain River Venison — a specialist producer whose farms and factory sit beside the Rakaia River as it runs from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean.
James has worked in the venison industry since 1988, starting out in the boning room at Mountain River Processors before supplying venison cuts to restaurants, supermarkets and butcheries around Christchurch. Angela joined in 2009, and together they have steadily grown the business New Zealand wide.
What sets Merchant of Venison apart is a willingness to source any part of the animal, from head to tail — premium cuts alongside offals and fresh venison blood. They collected and supplied the blood for New Zealand's 2017 Sausage of the Year, a boudin noir made by a small local French butcher in Akaroa. The deer are free range on open pasture, grass fed, and never fed hormones, steroids or antibiotic supplements — lean, iron-rich meat with a clear story from grass to plate.
Merchant of Venison sits on Canterbury's rural fringe — based in Tai Tapu, just out of Christchurch — and does one thing with uncommon focus: buying and selling New Zealand farmed venison. Everything they handle is locally sourced from farms around the South Island through Mountain River Venison, a specialist venison producer whose farms and factory sit beside the Rakaia River as it runs from the mountainous Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean.
James has been in the venison industry since 1988, when he started out in the boning room at Mountain River Processors. Before long he was supplying venison cuts to restaurants, supermarkets and butcheries around Christchurch. Angela joined the team in 2009, and together they have steadily grown the business New Zealand wide.
That experience shows in the way they work. Merchant of Venison enjoys getting alongside each customer to source the very best cuts for their business, and takes real satisfaction in supplying a unique cut that creates a point of difference. Not many suppliers can say they source any part of the animal, from head to tail — premium cuts, offals and even fresh venison blood — but this team can and does.
The deer behind every order come from Mountain River farms on the lush pastures of the South Island, raised with pride by family owned farmers with a commitment to sustainability and animal welfare. The animals are free range on open pasture and are never fed hormones, steroids or antibiotic supplements. Farming this way delivers the advantages of a farmed product: consistency, premium quality and continuity of supply, for customers in New Zealand and around the world.
The head-to-tail philosophy has produced some memorable moments. Merchant of Venison collected and supplied the blood for New Zealand's 2017 Sausage of the Year — a boudin noir made by a small local French butcher in Akaroa, Canterbury.
Endorsements from kitchens carry weight in this trade, and Merchant of Venison holds a striking one. Paul Howell, Head Chef and co-owner of Twenty Seven Steps on New Regent Street, Christchurch, puts it simply: "Simply the best venison from the South Island, if not all of New Zealand. Consistently, my biggest seller."
New Zealand is the premier producer of venison worldwide, and the meat itself tells you why. Venison is lean and low in fat, cholesterol and calories, and high in iron. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, it carries one-fifth of the fat and 100 fewer calories per 3.5 ounce serving than beef. Red meat is one of the best sources of easily absorbable iron, and venison contains more of it than both beef and lamb. It is classed as a nutrient-dense source of protein, packed with zinc and a number of B vitamins including B12.
Grass feeding shapes the eating quality too. Animals raised on open pasture rather than crowded feedlots develop lean, tasty muscle, and the meat has less total fat along with more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, more conjugated linoleic acid and more antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E. Hormone free meat, the site notes, is generally tastier than its hormone-laden counterpart.
If you run a restaurant, supermarket or butchery — or you simply want venison with a proper story behind it — Merchant of Venison welcomes the conversation. They will work with you to find the cuts that suit your business, from everyday premium cuts to the parts of the animal most suppliers won't touch. Orders go through the orders line on 027 522 2335, with James on 027 459 6343 and Angela on 021 141 6158 for enquiries, and email at [email protected]. From family farms by the Rakaia River to kitchens across New Zealand, this is venison with a clear path from grass to plate.