GUEST COLUMN:
Maria Leijerstam
Owner
Llantrithyd Deer Park
Established in the mid-17th century, Llantrithyd Deer Park has remained remarkably intact, with 100 acres of unspoilt parkland nestled just outside Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan.
For the past 25 years, this historic landscape has quietly championed a different kind of farming—one that puts the land, the animals, and the climate first. As the second generation to care for the estate, I’m proud to share how we’re not only aiming for net zero carbon emissions this year—we’re also rethinking the role of meat in a sustainable future.
We hear every day how many UK farmers face relentless financial pressure. The reality is that to make ends meet, many are forced into intensive systems: more animals on less land, imported feeds, and ever-increasing transport miles. A recent episode of the hit TV show Clarkson’s Farm highlighted the crisis facing UK abattoirs: small abattoirs are closing at an alarming rate of about 10% per year, with only around 60 remaining by 2023 and warnings that they could disappear entirely within a decade.
It’s a treadmill that’s hard to step off, and it’s taking a toll on our countryside, our climate, animal welfare, consumer health, and the quality of our food.
At Llantrithyd Deer Park, we’ve chosen a different path—one that’s not always easy, but is deeply rewarding. We keep our deer herd small, ensuring every animal has an extremely high quality of life with ample space to roam & rest and the land is never overburdened.
Our deer roam freely across natural, unfertilised pastures, enriching the land as they go. Their dung is naturally spread and gently trodden in by their hooves, creating a self-sustaining cycle that nourishes the soil without the need for artificial fertilisers.
Because our deer graze across the entire park, no patch of grass is left to grow sour or overrun, keeping the land naturally balanced. We produce all our own haylage for winter feeding, closing the loop and eliminating the carbon footprint of importing feed from elsewhere.
We’re practically off-grid, thanks to newly installed solar panels that power our operations. Our deer are born, live, and are humanely culled right here on the park. Soon, we hope to bring the entire butchering process on-site, too. That means our venison will be truly zero miles—produced and sold from the same place, with no lorry journeys or anonymous supply chains.
Every year, we plant new trees across the park, locking away more carbon and enriching the landscape for wildlife. Our ambition is to use every part of every animal: antlers for dog chews or décor, skins for rugs or drums, offal for dog food (our own dogs certainly approve!). We’re working towards being able to process and sell the whole animal, so nothing is wasted.
Here’s where we really stand apart: Llantrithyd Deer Park might be the only meat-producing farm in Britain actively encouraging people to eat less meat. We believe meat should be a treat—something special, not an everyday staple.
When you do eat it, choose the highest quality, least tampered-with, and least transported meat you can find. Our venison fits that bill: it’s local, low-carbon, and as natural as it gets.
Venison is considered one of the healthiest meats to eat and is great for weight loss due to its very low fat content- just 1.6g of fat per 100g serving compared to 12.9g in beef topside- and high protein, which helps keep you fuller for longer. It’s also rich in iron, with 100g of venison providing around 4mg of iron, about 80% more than beef and covering up to 16% of a woman’s daily iron needs, making it especially beneficial for women. Additionally, our park venison is 100% traceable from estate to plate, unlike wild venison, and comes exclusively from animals less than two years old, ensuring tender meat with none of the strong, gamey flavours sometimes found in older wild venison.
We know this isn’t the easy path. It’s hard to make ends meet when you refuse to compromise on quality, animal welfare, or the environment.
Fortunately for us, venison is also the healthiest meat you can eat with the lowest fat content and highest levels of protein. The rewards are immense: a thriving landscape, healthy animals, and food you can truly trust.
After 25 years, Llantrithyd Deer Park stands as a testament to what’s possible when you put nature and ethics at the heart of farming. Our goal is not just to achieve net zero, but to inspire others—farmers and consumers alike—to think differently.
Farming and nature can thrive together, and the choices we make at the table really do matter.
It is a beautiful lifestyle, and we are determined to prove that low-impact, carbon-friendly farming is not only possible, but essential for the future.
Llantrithyd Deer Park is proudly carbon-conscious, family-run, and rooted in the Welsh landscape for nearly 400 years.
- Vale of Glamorgan Council recently launched the Taste of the Vale directory, which aims to connect residents and visitors with local food producers. The directory highlights the county's food and farming heritage, and provides a guide to local producers, vineyards, dairies, bakeries, and more. To view the Taste of the Vale producer directory, visit the webpage.
