Chef James Golding becomes Eley Hawk Ambassador

The outstanding Group Chef Director of The Pig hotels, James Golding, is to champion sustainable shooting with Eley Hawk 

Eley Hawk have confirmed that celebrity chef James Golding will be joining the elite handful of ambassadors for the British cartridge brand. James is a stalwart of sustainable produce and an avid game shot, who promotes the shooting and eating of game and other wild, responsibly-sourced ingredients via seasonal menus, his considerable social media following and on live TV.

James commented: “I am absolutely delighted to represent such a fantastic heritage brand in a sport that I truly love. Eley has a commitment to innovation demonstrated over almost 200 years and produce the best steel cartridge options available on the market today. This is key to ensuring game and wildfowl is featured on the menu of more restaurants and in supermarkets and, indeed, the longevity of this wonderful sport.

“While my family were always involved in local shoot days, and I grew up eating pheasant and partridge regularly during the season, shooting didn’t begin properly for me until I became a professional chef and saw it as a means for escape from the busy day-to-day life. I started on clays initially, until around 10 years ago when I was invited to shoot on a game day at a local estate in Stockbridge. I absolutely fell in love with the sport, the community vibe, and of course being able to harvest my own incredibly tasty, free-range produce. I return there every year without fail and now enjoy shooting at various other estates regularly in the south of England along with regular foreshore wildfowling – it’s become a way of life for my family and me.”

James has been cooking game since day one of becoming a chef, and truly accepts it as a fantastic source of protein with fantastic environmental credentials.

“Game is good for you, and it’s good for your body!” he added. “Indeed, levels of selenium in pheasant and partridge are so much higher than that of chicken, and the protein vs fat macros are far superior, too. Plus, game pairs beautifully with autumnal produce from wild fruits and herbs to root vegetables and mushrooms – chefs love the game season as it offers the availability of more than a handful of flavoursome ingredients that allow for creativity.

“I think over the years, while it’s not readily available in supermarkets, people have become far more adventurous in what they are ordering. I hope as an ambassador for Eley, I am able to do my part in promoting sustainable shooting and this wonderful way of life to the wider public so that we see more of this wonderful produce in more eateries and on supermarket shelves.”

James is a tremendous addition to Eley’s collection of ambassadors that collectively express the many benefits of all forms of shooting, such as renowned game shot Gerwyn Jones, pigeon shooting guru Geoff Garrod, Senior Chef Lecturer of Westminster Kingsway College Jose Souto, and Clay Champions Amber Hill and John Bidwell to name but a few.

Eley Hawk Managing Director, Rodrigo Crespo, said: “It is fantastic for us start a partnership with such a recognised British chef and game shot as James Golding and add another branch to our ambassador tree. James opens the doors to talk about the benefits of shooting regularly to large social media and TV audiences, including those which don’t necessarily have an opinion on shooting which can only be a good thing.

"James has chosen to use the VIP Steel Pro Eco Wad cartridges for game and wildfowl, which not only offer outstanding performance but are lead-free, biodegradable and recyclable. These were specifically designed to allow sustainability-minded estates and shooters to have a choice between lead and steel cartridges, and to see more game in the food chain.”