Major UK Stadiums and Entertainment Venues Switch From Beef to Wild Venison

Levy, the hospitality partner to the UK’s most iconic sports and entertainment venues, is pioneering a landmark sustainable shift in stadium catering by replacing beef with British wild venison. The move will take place at over 20 venues across the UK and Ireland, including Premier League football club, Brentford FC, and the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with the potential to reduce emissions by 85% and save up to 1,182 tonnes of CO₂e annually.

At the heart of the move is replacing 54 tonnes of beef burgers with Levy’s ‘Game On’ Signature Wild Venison Burger, developed with Three Michelin-starred chef Brett Graham (The Ledbury). The burger comes in a brioche-style bun made with regenerative Wildfarmed flour, topped with ketchup and mayonnaise from surplus vegetables by Rubies in the Rubble, and served in an eco-friendly seaweed-lined tray from Earthshot Prize winners Notpla.

Having made its debut at Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium at the start of this year’s Premier League season, the wild venison burger is being rolled out across Levy-catered venues nationally as part of its long-term strategy to remove high-carbon impact beef from its menus.

At the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, close to 5,500 wild venison burgers have been sold in just one month, including at the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final, demonstrating that stadiums can make meaningful, sustainable changes without compromising the fan experience or rate of sales.

James Beale, Head of Sustainability and Community at Brentford FC, said: “At Brentford FC, we are constantly seeking ways in which to improve both our sustainability practices and the matchday experience for fans. Our supporters have been impressed with the new high-quality offering this season, and we are pleased to be working with Levy on this project as we continue to champion sustainable change as a club.”

Levy is committed to being the most sustainable large-scale hospitality partner and championing wild venison is its next big move for people and planet. The nationwide rollout includes The Kia Oval, National Theatre, The O2, The NEC, alongside Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, the home of England Rugby.

Jon Davies, CEO Levy UK & I 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.”

Wild venison offers an 85% lower carbon footprint per kilogram than beef and plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. 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.

Alongside the new ‘Game On’ burger, Levy is introducing a range of wild venison dishes – from mince and hot dogs to loins and shanks – in partnership with sustainable British producers including Eat Wild, Lake District Farmers, Lean and Wild, Braehead Foods, and Styal Meats.

Eat Wild CEO Louisa Clutterbuck said: “Levy are real game changers when it comes to getting more wild venison on plates, not just because of their passion for doing the best for people and planet but also thanks to the number of stadia and venues in which they provide hospitality.  Their potential to drive sustainable change is huge and we are absolutely delighted to see them championing wild venison.”

With food and drink being the second largest cause of Greenhouse Gases, Levy has developed an ambitious strategy to deliver ‘sustainability at scale’ over the past 5 years, focused on environment, nature and health. This includes reducing red meat and dairy on its menus, championing plant-forward, seasonal dishes and plant-based desserts, banning air-freighted fruit and veg, using carbon measurement and labelling on menus and reducing single-use plastics.

To find out more about Levy’s journey to sustainable hospitality, read its Climate Impact Report: 'Serving the Future’ here.