Rudolph for dinner, anyone?

SMALL PRINT:Rudolph and the rest of the reindeers will need to be extra careful this Christmas: Lidl plans to stock reindeer meat in more than 500 of its UK stores. The meat is part of its Deluxe range, aimed, ironically, at the Christmas market. Animal-rights activists point to objectionable farming techniques for reindeer and claim the move is against the spirit of Christmas.

Traditionally eaten in Scandinavian countries, reindeer meat is served on its own or in a stew. Lidl says it has no plans to introduce the range in its stores in the Republic or Northern Ireland, which operate independently of Lidl UK. But one place where it is available in Ireland is Ikea, where it has been available since the Dublin store opened, last year. Selling for €2.90 per 100g portion, it comes from herds in Sweden. So far the company says it has had no complaints from Irish customers.

Derry Clarke, chef-patron of L’Ecrivain, in Dublin, says that in his experience there is little demand for the meat here, particularly given the time of year. “We don’t really have reindeer in Ireland; we have venison,” he says, “I have cooked it before, and it’s a bit more gamy than venison. I wouldn’t have it on the menu here, though.”

Pádraic Fogarty of the Irish Wildlife Trust says the meat tastes quite good. “My wife is Norwegian, and I have eaten it many times,” he says. “You can eat it like a steak or cooked in a stew with juniper berries and mushrooms. Reindeer are not rare or endangered, and I have never heard of any conservation issues.”

Fogarty says reindeer are safe on Irish soil for now. “I don’t know if the land here would suit them. They are used to a much colder climate. In Scandinavia it is eaten midweek. It’s a Monday dinner, not a special-occasion dish. Reindeer went extinct from Ireland 20,000 years ago, and in my opinion they are not likely to return any time soon.”