NEW YORK – New Zealand-based Silver Fern Farms, a leading red meat producer and exporter, has launched ground venison and venison medallions throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The new products will now be available in 216 Safeway stores in the region. Venison offers a lean red meat option with a distinctive taste and strong nutrition profile. It’s a strong source of protein, iron and other important vitamins and minerals.

New Zealand has a strong and advanced deer farming industry that makes the country one of the top sources of farm raised venison accounting for half the world’s farmed deer population with approximately one million deer on 2,000 farms.

Ground venison can be used as a nutritious ground beef alternative to make a variety of meals, such as lasagnas, burgers, or meatball dishes. The Sliver Fern medallions come pre-portioned to save cooking time and provide a different dining experience for the home cook.

Silver Fern Farms’ deer are free-range and pasture-raised and produced following international quality criteria. The company also provides expertly curated venison recipes on their website to guide cooking enthusiasts and experienced chefs alike.

“Venison has been a staple of New Zealand for years and we are excited to expand our pasture-raised venison offerings to customers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska at Safeway stores,” said David Patragnoni, USA Country Manager. “We work hard to produce our high-quality venison and are proud to be able to bring our products from luscious New Zealand pastures straight to customers’ doors. We hope people will fall in love with our venison’s delicately flavored meat and create unique recipes that enhance their experience at the dining table.”

The Safeway venison launch is Silver Fern Farms’ newest expansion campaign in Albertsons Companies supermarkets in the United States, following their previous venison retail launch in over 500 Midwestern Jewel supermarkets, Star Market and Acme Markets earlier this year.