German Chancellor Impressed with New Zealand Venison

1-Jul-2008

Angela Merkel, the German Federal Chancellor was impressed by Chef Thomas Prehl’s New Zealand venison.

New Zealand farm raised venison featured on the menu of a summer barbeque in Berlin last week, and among the guests who enjoyed it was Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Deer Industry New Zealand had been invited to serve venison at this year’s summer garden party held by a joint Christian Democrat and Christian Socialist (CDU/CSU) parliamentary committee. Mrs Merkel, the leader of the CDU political party, (and the equivalent of Germany’s Prime Minister) stopped at the New Zealand venison tasting station and spoke briefly with guest Chef Thomas Prehl, before enjoying a taste of the venison on offer.  Mrs Merkel joined around 2,000 party colleagues and invited guests at the evening event in Berlin on 25 June.

This was one of a series of tasting opportunities organised by the New Zealand deer industry to increase German consumers’ awareness of the quality and availability of New Zealand farm raised venison.  Germany is New Zealand’s largest market for venison, (exports worth over NZ$100 million in the 12 months to May 2008), and around half of the venison eaten in Germany comes from New Zealand.  Most New Zealand venison is sold through traditional restaurants, where the country of origin is not mentioned on the menu.

Recently marketing companies have been more focussed on selling New Zealand venison through supermarkets in Germany.  To help sales, activities communicating the delicious taste, natural tenderness and healthy attributes of farm raised venison are necessary.

The promotion undertaken by New Zealand venison marketers centres on the slogan, “Impress Your Guests”, with supporting information material showing how New Zealand venison is the ideal red meat for every special occasion.  Promotions through supermarkets have resulted in increased sales, and more venison being sold outside the traditional German winter ‘game’ season.

Deer Industry New Zealand CEO, Mark O’Connor said “We are very pleased to see our venison at this event.  We target the upper end of the food buying public in Germany, and to see the German Chancellor enjoying New Zealand venison at a summer BBQ will help promote the positive, modern attributes of our excellent product.”

For further information contact:

Innes Moffat
Venison Marketing Services Manager
Deer Industry New Zealand
DDI: 04 471 6111
Mob: 021 465 121
innes.moffat@deernz.org

Notes:

·         Deer Industry New Zealand is the body responsible for promoting New Zealand deer products and represents the interests of the New Zealand venison and velvet processing and marketing companies and approximately 3,500 New Zealand deer farmers.  Deer Industry New Zealand is funded by levy paid by deer farmers and venison processing companies.

·         Exports of venison from New Zealand in the 12 months to May 2008 were worth NZ$283.5 million.  To Germany exports were worth $103.9 million.

·         The New Zealand venison industry exports approximately 95% of production to around 30 countries. Approximately 90% is exported to countries in the European Union.