I await my Christmas card from Greenpeace and Greta.
Sam Dean
10 December 2025 9:20am GMT
Related Topics
Gift this article free
Brentford’s caterers will be rolling out their carbon-conscious menu to other UK sporting venues, including the Oval cricket ground Credit: Getty Images/Vince Mignott
For decades, the simple beef burger has been a staple part of the match-day diet of the United Kingdom’s sport-loving population. But now its presence at sporting events is under serious threat, as venues across the country are making the switch to wild venison in an attempt to reduce their carbon emissions.
The sustainability push is taking place at venues including Brentford’s Gtech Stadium, Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, the Oval cricket ground and the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. Catering company Levy UK, which has implemented this initiative at more than 20 venues in the UK and Ireland, says it will have a dramatic impact on emissions.
Brentford said beef has the highest impact on carbon emissions of all their ingredients, while the chief executive of Levy has said wild venison is “the most sustainable and healthy red meat by miles”.
Levy claims that wild venison offers an 85 per cent lower carbon footprint per kilogram than beef and plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance.
Brentford say venison burgers have a smaller carbon footprint than their beef equivalents Credit: Reuters
“With an estimated two million wild deer in the UK and no natural predators, incorporating wild venison into the food chain removes the need for artificial additives or fertiliser, supporting carbon reduction, reducing water contamination, and improving land use by supporting biodiversity and woodland health,” the company said.
James Beale, the head of sustainability and community at Brentford, told Reuters: “Beef has the highest impact in terms of carbon emissions in all of our ingredients that we offer.
“We wanted to replace that with wild venison that has 85 per cent less carbon emissions per kilogram than our beef burgers. So, it has a massive impact. Our fans really like it. It’s more popular than the beef burger from last year.”
Beef burgers have long been the match-day meal of choice for British football fans Credit: Getty Images/Rene Nijhuis
Levy has reported similar success at Allianz Stadium, where almost 5,500 wild venison burgers were sold in one month earlier this year, including at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
Levy’s venison burger, which is served in an eco-friendly seaweed-lined tray, comes in a brioche-style bun made with regenerative flour – and is topped with ketchup and mayonnaise from surplus vegetables.
A study carried out by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation found that venison results in almost 30 times less carbon emission than beef per kilogram, with roe deer creating 0.6 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of meat compared with 17.12kg/CO2 per kg of meat for beef.
Levy said their shift from beef to venison has the potential to save up to 1,182 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The move has been supported by Eat Wild, the development board for wild meat in the UK.
Twickenham is among the growing list of UK stadiums offering venison burgers Credit: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
Announcing the decision earlier this year, Levy chief executive Jon Davies said: “Championing wild venison is the next big move in our deep decarbonisation journey. Levy is committed to driving sustainability at scale and wild venison is the most sustainable and healthy red meat by miles.
“Getting more of this underrated, yet delicious meat into the food chain is a necessary, but also fantastic move for people and planet.”
The Countryside Alliance, a campaigning organisation for field sports including hunting and shooting, have said the shift towards venison is a significant boost for those who work in deer management.
“This development represents very positive news for deer stalkers, who are, at last, beginning to see an uplift in the prices received from game dealers for carcasses across the UK,” the Countryside Alliance said.
“After years of limited returns despite the increasing need to manage rising deer populations, improved values not only provide fairer recognition for their work but also help to support the long-term sustainability of deer management and the wider wild venison market.”
Stadiums replace beef burgers with venison to cut carbon emissions
Brentford FC and Twickenham among those to have changed menus in move claimed to reduce harmful greenhouse gases by 85 per centSam Dean
10 December 2025 9:20am GMT
Related Topics
Gift this article free
- https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?ur...ace+beef+with+venison+to+cut+carbon+emissions
- https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php...s-replace-beef-with-venison-to-cut-emissions/
- https://wa.me/?text=https://www.tel...s-replace-beef-with-venison-to-cut-emissions/
Brentford’s caterers will be rolling out their carbon-conscious menu to other UK sporting venues, including the Oval cricket ground Credit: Getty Images/Vince Mignott
For decades, the simple beef burger has been a staple part of the match-day diet of the United Kingdom’s sport-loving population. But now its presence at sporting events is under serious threat, as venues across the country are making the switch to wild venison in an attempt to reduce their carbon emissions.
The sustainability push is taking place at venues including Brentford’s Gtech Stadium, Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, the Oval cricket ground and the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. Catering company Levy UK, which has implemented this initiative at more than 20 venues in the UK and Ireland, says it will have a dramatic impact on emissions.
Brentford said beef has the highest impact on carbon emissions of all their ingredients, while the chief executive of Levy has said wild venison is “the most sustainable and healthy red meat by miles”.
Levy claims that wild venison offers an 85 per cent lower carbon footprint per kilogram than beef and plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance.
Brentford say venison burgers have a smaller carbon footprint than their beef equivalents Credit: Reuters
“With an estimated two million wild deer in the UK and no natural predators, incorporating wild venison into the food chain removes the need for artificial additives or fertiliser, supporting carbon reduction, reducing water contamination, and improving land use by supporting biodiversity and woodland health,” the company said.
James Beale, the head of sustainability and community at Brentford, told Reuters: “Beef has the highest impact in terms of carbon emissions in all of our ingredients that we offer.
“We wanted to replace that with wild venison that has 85 per cent less carbon emissions per kilogram than our beef burgers. So, it has a massive impact. Our fans really like it. It’s more popular than the beef burger from last year.”
Beef burgers have long been the match-day meal of choice for British football fans Credit: Getty Images/Rene Nijhuis
Levy has reported similar success at Allianz Stadium, where almost 5,500 wild venison burgers were sold in one month earlier this year, including at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
Levy’s venison burger, which is served in an eco-friendly seaweed-lined tray, comes in a brioche-style bun made with regenerative flour – and is topped with ketchup and mayonnaise from surplus vegetables.
A study carried out by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation found that venison results in almost 30 times less carbon emission than beef per kilogram, with roe deer creating 0.6 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of meat compared with 17.12kg/CO2 per kg of meat for beef.
Levy said their shift from beef to venison has the potential to save up to 1,182 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The move has been supported by Eat Wild, the development board for wild meat in the UK.
Twickenham is among the growing list of UK stadiums offering venison burgers Credit: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
Announcing the decision earlier this year, Levy chief executive Jon Davies said: “Championing wild venison is the next big move in our deep decarbonisation journey. Levy is committed to driving sustainability at scale and wild venison is the most sustainable and healthy red meat by miles.
“Getting more of this underrated, yet delicious meat into the food chain is a necessary, but also fantastic move for people and planet.”
The Countryside Alliance, a campaigning organisation for field sports including hunting and shooting, have said the shift towards venison is a significant boost for those who work in deer management.
“This development represents very positive news for deer stalkers, who are, at last, beginning to see an uplift in the prices received from game dealers for carcasses across the UK,” the Countryside Alliance said.
“After years of limited returns despite the increasing need to manage rising deer populations, improved values not only provide fairer recognition for their work but also help to support the long-term sustainability of deer management and the wider wild venison market.”
