Chris Thorn is an avid hunter and gatherer; whether it is from the sea or the top of the Southern Alps he’s climbed it, shot at it and hopefully eaten it. For years Chris worked hard to turn his passion for hunting and curing wild venison meats into a business beginning with the creation of Venison Small Goods in 2014. After years of perfecting recipes and techniques it was time take his passion public and turn dreams into reality. He renamed Venison Small Goods into Gathered Game in 2015 and with the assistance of his wife, Sally, and brother, David, launched a unique range of Wild Venison Salami in 2016.
The salami range is made from premium wild New Zealand venison with a touch of free range pork. All products are dairy free and gluten free. Gathered Game salamis are handcrafted fermented sausage cured with herbs and spices – all perfectly aged for up to 12 weeks to create a delicious old fashion style salami with New Zealand’s remarkable wild game.
Gathered Game handcrafts premium wild New Zealand venison salami cured the old fashioned way – dry aged with herbs and spices. While almost all of New Zealand’s venison smallgoods are cooked or hot smoked to produce larger quantities, Gathered Game Salamis are not heat treated but utilise a traditional dry ageing process that adds a depth of flavour and texture which simply can’t be faked. Genuine Salami is a dry aged cured fermented meat and doesn’t involve cooking whatsoever, and Gathered Game is proud to stay true to this traditional dry aging craft.
With the head office based in Te Anau, wild deer gathered from Fiordland and processed in Lumsden, Gathered Game is proud to be a Southland based business. Gathered Game brings the best of both worlds together, wild New Zealand game and the art of preserving and dry aging organic meat.
