The shooting season brings a concentrated flow of by-products through larders and game dealers, and the gralloch, carcasses and trimmings involved all fall within the animal by-product rules. Martlands supports shoots and game dealers as part of our fallen stock and ABP collection service, working from our family-run, DEFRA approved base in Burscough, Lancashire. For an activity that is intensely seasonal, having a reliable licensed collector in place before the season starts is the smart move.
Why Game Generates Animal By-Products
Game handling produces several by-product streams. The gralloch, or the viscera removed in the field, the carcasses of birds and animals that are not fit for the food chain, and the trimmings and waste arising in a game larder or dealer’s premises are all animal by-products. Material from game that entered the food chain through inspection and dressing is generally lower-risk Category 3, while carcasses condemned or unfit are handled higher up the scale. Understanding the distinction keeps storage and documentation correct, and our blog on categories of animal by-products explained sets out how the tiers work.
The Seasonal Volume Challenge
Unlike a farm with steady year-round mortality, a shoot or game dealer faces intense peaks during the season and quiet periods outside it. A successful day’s shooting can produce a large quantity of by-product in a short window, and a larder that fills faster than it empties quickly becomes a hygiene and pest problem. A flexible collection arrangement that can scale up through the season and ease off afterwards is exactly what this pattern needs.
Larder Hygiene and Storage
Game larders must be kept clean and cool, and by-products held in sealed, leak-proof containers away from product destined for sale. Prompt removal of gralloch and unfit carcasses protects both the saleable game and the hygiene standards a dealer is held to. Storage discipline through the busy weeks of the season is what keeps a larder workable rather than overwhelmed.
Documentation for Dealers
Game dealers selling into the food chain need clean documentation as much as any food business, and every collection we make is accompanied by the Commercial Document and Waste Transfer Note that evidence lawful disposal. This matters for traceability and for any inspection of a dealer’s premises. Fallen and unfit material is handled through our dedicated farm and fallen stock collection service, keeping the by-product side fully compliant.
Coverage Across Shooting Country
Much of the region’s shooting takes place across the uplands and estates of the western counties, and our reach extends well into that ground. Shoots and dealers can read about our Shropshire ABP collection coverage, and those in the Peak fringe and surrounding country can see our Derbyshire fallen stock collection service.
Handling the Gralloch and Field Waste
Much game by-product originates in the field, where birds and deer are gralloched and the viscera removed at or near the point of shooting. How that field waste is gathered, contained and brought back for collection affects both hygiene and compliance, and leaving it scattered in the countryside is neither lawful nor good practice. A workable system collects gralloch and field waste into suitable containers for return to the larder or a central point, from where it can be collected under proper documentation. Thinking this through before a shoot day keeps the whole operation clean and avoids the temptation to deal with waste informally in the field.
Getting Ready for the Season
If you run a shoot or a game dealing business, your seasonal by-products need a licensed collector that can flex with the calendar. Call Martlands on 01704 776977 before the season builds to set up a collection arrangement that keeps your larder clean and your paperwork in order.
