Game

What is game meat?

Game meat is a collective term for all animal groups that live in a free-range habitat and may be hunted according to legal guidelines. The hunting season varies depending on the species of animal. For example, wild ducks may be shot in the Netherlands from August 15th, while deer may only be hunted from January 1st. This significantly influences the availability of fresh game meat in the Netherlands. Each country has different hunting seasons for different game species. As a result, game meat is now available year-round. Traditionally, the game season runs from October 15th to December 31st. During this period, professional hunting of most animal species is permitted in the Netherlands.

Farmed Game Meat

In addition to wild game, there are also various animal species that are kept in captivity but within an enclosure. The natural habitat is largely simulated. These animals are bred purely for their meat and therefore do not serve the purpose of maintaining the natural environment. Farmed game meat is very popular, especially in supermarkets. Its taste is not as strong as "real" game meat. However, the quality is excellent.

Game Meat from Beef&Steak

The Dutch Van Leendert family from Maastricht has been well-known for its game activities for years. The man who laid the foundation for this in 1968 was Johan van Leendert. After a tough apprenticeship as a market trader with his father, Johan, together with his wife Roos, founded a fish and poultry shop at the market in Maastricht. The fact that quality played a big role even then is evidenced by the fact that soon the whole of Dutch and Belgian Limburg came to the Van Leenderts.

In the following years, the assortment was expanded with other game products, which were produced in-house for the Benelux. Slowly, French and German game connoisseurs also fell for the game from Van Leendert. The now well-known quality brand LOUISA was launched.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Johan van Leendert was one of the pioneers who ventured into former East Germany to tap into the rich game supply. It was then a small step to the big game paradise of Poland. In Poland and later also in Hungary and the Czech Republic, the Van Leendert Group is present with a production facility that mainly processes deer, roe deer, and wild boar.

In addition to these products, poultry is mostly imported from Great Britain, provided these products meet the high-quality standards of the Van Leendert Group. This way, the entire chain is managed in-house, ensuring an honest, flavorful, and high-quality product.

Game Products

Game meat offers a wide variety of beautiful and luxurious products. Especially during the Christmas season, a lot of cooking is done with game meat. Think, for example, of European deer steak, pheasant, and wild duck.

Contact

Would you like more information? Or do you have any questions? We'd love to hear from you. You can reach us by phone at 0172-577147. You can also email us. You can send your message to info@beefensteak.nl.