After closing the beloved Lorne bistro Little Picket in April, Jo Barrett’s new chapter is wild. No, seriously.

Barrett is shifting her focus to a new project that tackles climate change, food waste, and takes full advantage of the resources in Australia’s backyard. Named WildPie, the project turns native and feral animals into food to introduce a larger audience to free-range, organic and ethically-harvested food.

As Barrett sees it, and increasingly the food industry at large, the demand for an environmentally sustainable source of protein has been rumbling towards boiling point. Not only are the ethics of conventional farming becoming widespread knowledge, but health-conscious consumers are also seeking something different. “People are pretty conscious of the type of meat that they’re eating. To eat wild food that’s got no hormones, that’s organic, that’s roaming free, there are myriad reasons to start eating it.”

Every year in Australia, populations of invasive species such as deer, feral pigs and goats are managed through culling programs that aim to prevent over-population, reduce roaming, limit habitat loss of native flora and fauna and protect culturally significant sites.

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Usually, when these animals are killed it is by aerial shooting or by poison and the meat is not harvested. The team at WildPie are changing all that, by utilising an abundant protein source and helping to reduce dependence on farmed meat, a major contributor to emissions and food waste.

In partnership with Louise Daily of Oakridge and Little Picket, former co-owner of Three Blue Ducks, Mark Labrooy and Discovered Wildfoods, the pies are initially being released into the wild in metro and regional Victoria, and soon to NSW and Queensland.

Winners of the Sustainability gong at the 2024 Harvey Norman delicious. Produce Awards, Discovered Wildfoods is an initiative that encourages licensed hunters to cull introduced deer with a single shot to the head for a swift and humane death. The carcass is then quickly butchered and chilled, then sent to restaurants as-is, or whipped into the WildPie range.

Pies include Flinders Island wallaby and mountain pepper leaf; and a venison, red wine and rosemary pie. Also available are a Sri Lankan-style goat curry, wild boar sausage rolls, party pies and mini sausage rolls, and a wild game dim sim.

For the team at WildPie, the project is a leap of faith in every way. From leaving behind businesses while at their peaks, connecting with a diaspora of hunters across several states, utilising game meat, and relinquishing control of the final product, it’s a nerve-wracking but rewarding experience. 

“We’ve never been in a kitchen where we didn’t have complete control over the dish until it hits the table. Because the pies are created to be baked from frozen, we’re leaving it up to the industry and consumers to bake their pie, put their own spin on it, and create a product that they love.

“There’s this perception that game is either really expensive or is really hard to cook. We’re doing what we can to make that process as stress-free as possible.”

The ready-to-cook range can be ordered online at the WildPie website here.

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