Never Cooked Venison for Christmas? Start Here

Never cooked venison, and thinking of starting on the biggest dinner of the year?

Good choice. Seriously.

A venison roast spends far less time in the oven than a turkey. No 5am alarm. No wrestling with a bird. A 1.5kg rump roast needs around 35 to 45 minutes in the oven after searing.

Here’s everything a first-timer needs to know.

Pick one joint

Don’t overthink this bit. Two joints cover most first-time Christmas tables:

Cooking for	Our first-timer’s pick	Size
2 to 3 people	Venison Haunch Mini Roast	450g
6 to 8 people	Venison Rump Roast	1.5kg

Every joint is cut to order, so you get the size you need for your table.

Want to see every option? Our Christmas venison roast guide covers the full range, with cooking times for each joint.

Three things that matter

Venison is lean, so it asks for a little attention. Get these three right and you’re home.

1. Use a meat thermometer. It’s the best few pounds you’ll spend this Christmas. Take the joint out at 55 to 57°C for medium rare, or 60°C for medium.
2. Sear it first. A hot pan, a little oil, and brown it all over before it goes in the oven.
3. Let it rest. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for a large joint. Don’t skip this!!

That’s it. No marinade needed, no basting every 20 minutes.

Your Christmas Day timeline

Here’s how it looks for a 1.5kg rump roast, with dinner on the table at 2pm:

1. 11:45am: Take the joint out of the fridge. Rub with oil, salt and pepper.
2. 12:30pm: Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.
3. 12:45pm: Sear the joint all over in a hot pan.
4. 12:55pm: Into the oven.
5. 1:25pm: Start checking the temperature.
6. 1:40pm: Out of the oven and rest it, loosely covered.
7. 2:00pm: Carve and serve.

Your oven is free while the joint rests. That’s 20 minutes to finish the roast potatoes.

Every joint is a little different, so trust the thermometer over the clock.

Three questions we get asked

Is it safe to serve it pink?

Yes. Our roasting joints are whole muscle cuts, so they can be served pink in the middle as long as the outside is well seared first. Prefer it with less pink? Take it to 60°C.

What goes with it?

All your usual Christmas sides. Roast parsnips, braised red cabbage and a redcurrant sauce all work well.

When should I order?

Order by Friday 18 December for delivery on Tuesday 22 December. Prefer to get ahead? All our venison is suitable for freezing, so you can order earlier too. See our Delivery page for the details.

Local to Ellon? Click & Collect is available too.

One last thing

If Christmas goes well, don’t wait until next December.

The same Scottish Wild Venison makes a quick midweek dinner. Our Venison Frying Steak is ready in minutes, and our Minced Venison Steak slots straight into your usual chilli or lasagne.

So, what’s the one thing stopping you trying venison this Christmas?