Milk from Deer Causing a Stir

Excitement is building among New Zealand’s high-end chefs over a new world-first. Deer milk is now being sourced from 70 hinds in Southland to make cheese, desserts and even yoghurt. The company behind the development is Pāmu – the brand name for Landcorp.

“The first question we get from people walking by is: ‘How do you milk these things?’” said Rob Ford, Pāmu’s general manager of innovation, environment and technology.

The answer is with a milking machine, but it’s not easy and the deer have to be hand-reared.

“We’re really excited by it. New Zealand agriculture really needs to start looking at alternative land use, looking at how we can go from volume to value,” Ford said.

So far the milk been made into a crème brûlée, a handmade cheese, yoghurt and even a milk sorbet, and is being trialled in a number of high-end restaurants in Auckland.

The milk has been described as having a delicate flavour that is really subtle and savoury.

At the 50th Fieldays, Pāmu won the Innovation Grassroots Award for its deer milk made with partners Sharon and Peter McIntyre, who farm near Gore.

Original article by Rog Wood, The Herald Scotland, September 14, 2018.