Beef or chicken? How about gemsbok, kudu or tempeh?  

As the global demand for protein continues to rise, traditional choices, like beef, chicken and fish, are facing increasing scrutiny, while alternatives are gaining traction. Local chefs are embracing these alternative proteins and are incorporating them into their menus with great success. Here’s a look at why the opinions around proteins are changing and how alternatives are ticking boxes conventional proteins no longer necessarily do.  

FYN’s Bok Box lets you choose your venison before it is prepared with a cherry and shisho crust.

Eating for change
Encouraged by several factors, including a protein’s sustainability credentials and health implications, as well as ethical considerations, consumers are driving the trend away from traditional proteins.   

According to Truitjie van Rooyen, Senior Product Developer: Meat at Woolworths, “to eat less animal protein is a global trend. Our customers have told us that they would rather eat less animal protein, but they want good meat – good for the planet, tender and a great meaty taste.” When it comes to meat-free eating, “health considerations and environmental concerns drive plant-based choices,” she explains.  

Other factors influencing consumers towards alternative proteins include environmental concerns – reducing their carbon footprint and mitigating climate change; animal welfare – opposing animal cruelty; moral and ethical values – aligning lifestyle with personal values and choosing compassion over harm; and the fact that they’re perceived to be healthier, says Truitjie.  

 

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A new world of protein
Browse through many South African restaurant menus these days and you’re likely to find more than just chicken, beef and fish on offer, with chefs celebrating venison, duck and a range of plant-based alternatives in their dishes.  

At Eat Out 1-star restaurant The Chefs Table in Umhlanga, you’ll find hay-smoked duck breast with confit duck-leg tart, pickled beetroot, roast beetroot, white miso velouté and an almond crumb. At Farro in Botrivier, another 1-star restaurant, you can indulge in a kudu tartare with brioche, and at 3-star restaurant FYN in Cape Town, diners can enjoy smoked tofu, spekboom, sake and spring onion sauce, as well as a Bok Box that allows them to choose their venison before it is prepared with a cherry and shiso crust and served with a local miso and African chocolate sauce. Duck and spring onion pancakes are the perfect moreish plate at 1-star restaurant The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse located at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel.  

“I grew up on venison. If you open my freezer at home, you’ll find antelope, wild duck, pigeons, geese, feral pigs, warthogs, and bush pigs,” explains chef Neil Swart of Eat Out star restaurant Belly of the Beast. “I love changing people’s perceptions of wild game. Many believe it tastes ‘gamey’, but with the right preparation method for each cut of meat, it can be absolutely delicious. People often can’t believe what they’re eating.”  

 

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When it comes to consumers, alternative meat proteins, like venison and duck, “are considered a healthier option in the red-meat category – like beef and lamb – and they are more likely to be free range,” says Truitjie, explaining their appeal.  

With plant-based proteins, pea protein-based options are gaining the most traction with Woolworths consumers, but Truitjie has noticed that “a wide range of raw materials and ingredients are now being used in the industry, so soy and pea-based analogues are no longer the sole focus. Ingredients such as mushrooms, fava beans, chickpeas, and mycelium (fungi) are all appearing on shelves in various formats.” 

Is it sustainable?
The major appeal of many alternative proteins are their sustainability credentials. It’s no secret that not all meat is farmed sustainably, which is a growing concern given the increasing demand for protein. 

Venison has some impressive sustainability credentials. Dr Wiseman Ndlovu of the African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University explains: “Unlike traditional livestock farming, game animals typically roam free in natural habitats, which reduces the need for intensive land use, feed production, and water consumption. They also contribute less to methane emissions compared to cattle.”  

“Woolworths only sells free-range venison, and it is one of the most sustainable sources of protein due to its farming practices and small impact on the environment, with minimal human inputs or intervention,” says Truitjie.  

Venison farming also uses minimal resources and has a positive effect on land conservation and restoration: “Game farming or hunting does not require the extensive use of antibiotics, hormones, or fertilisers, which are common in conventional farming. This reduces pollution and the ecological footprint of meat production,” explains Wiseman. “It encourages land conversion from agricultural activities and other land uses to ranching. This ensures that more land is used for conservation purposes,” says Wiseman.  

While the variety of venison included on so many menus is relatively new, duck has a long culinary tradition and is used in several cuisines, including French and Chinese. Consumers now have easier access to the protein and can make sustainable choices. The duck on Woolworths’ shelves is free-range, reared locally on farms that have been vetted by the brand, on a vegetarian diet of grains and pulses, free from animal by-products.  

 

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Is it delicious?
“There are misconceptions about certain animals, like Egyptian geese or Barbary sheep, that people think can’t be cooked well. In my experience, the way the animal is handled and cooked has a much greater impact than the species itself. Venison is a broad category; if you served kudu, gemsbok, eland, and blesbok in a blind tasting, most people wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. In my opinion, venison is the healthiest meat you can eat, with its high protein content and lack of antibiotics. When cooked properly, it’s delicious,” Neil says. 

A look to the future
Neil is excited to see a lot more venison as well as more unusual types of proteins being used in the future. “I’d like to see people utilising invasive species and animals whose populations need to be controlled, like fallow deer, pigeons and Egyptian geese.” On the other hand, Truitjie is looking forward to the advancements in alternative meats: “There is now significantly more attention on alternative meat analogues than ever before, and this focus continues to grow as new innovative technologies enter the market. Additionally, a growing number of small startups are emerging to produce meat alternatives. It will be fascinating to watch how these companies evolve over the next few years, continually improving with advancements in market research and technology.” 

Woolworths is the headline sponsor of the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, taking place on 31 March 2025.