Game is back on the menu: what Walloon restaurants need to check

Since the beginning of October, game has naturally been returning to menus across Wallonia. Wild boar, roe deer, pheasant and other small game are closely tied to the season. But behind the finished dish lie some very practical rules that restaurateurs need to keep in mind.

At the beginning of October, the Fédération HoReCa Wallonie highlighted several points directly affecting establishments. Since 1 July 2026, AFSCA, Belgium's food safety agency, has added new practical sheets to the hospitality sector's self-checking guide, covering in particular the receipt, storage and traceability of wild game.

Buying directly from a hunter: yes, but not without conditions

A restaurant or caterer can buy certain quantities of game directly from a hunter. However, this short supply chain remains regulated. For each six-hour hunting session, direct delivery is limited to two large game animals and twenty small game animals. In principle, the hunting ground must be less than 80 kilometres from the establishment.

When the delivery arrives, the declaration known as the ‘PF’ is important. Completed by a trained person, it must identify, among other details, the place, date and time of killing. This document should not be treated as a mere administrative formality: it forms part of the product's traceability.

Wild boar requires extra vigilance

Trichinella testing is compulsory for wild boar. Until a satisfactory result has been received, the carcass must remain identified and separate from other foodstuffs, and cannot be served. This is essential: it is not simply a regulatory matter, but a direct issue of food safety.

Temperatures also matter in the kitchen. Fresh meat from large game must be stored at no more than 7°C. For large game offal and small game, the stated limit is 4°C. Storage arrangements must also keep game properly separated from other foodstuffs.

Game is more than a seasonal dish

For customers, the game season often means a dish that returns to the menu for a few weeks. For restaurateurs, it involves more: knowing where the product comes from, checking documents, maintaining the cold chain and keeping a clear record of what enters the establishment.

Incoming goods registers, the PF declaration and, for wild boar, the Trichinella test result must be retained in accordance with the applicable rules. The Fédération HoReCa Wallonie also stresses that the staff concerned must know these procedures.

Why this is actually good news

These requirements may seem burdensome, especially for a small establishment. But they also have an obvious benefit: they enable a restaurant working with genuine wild game to know exactly what it is serving and where it comes from.

That is probably the most interesting part for the customer. Game can have tremendous character, but its quality depends heavily on how the animal was killed and how the meat was transported, stored and prepared. A fine sauce cannot make up for poor raw ingredients or unclear traceability.

So it is good to see game returning to Walloon menus in autumn. Yet behind a wild boar stew or a well-prepared cut of roe deer lies a great deal of unseen work. And that deserves as much attention as the final cooking.