New Zealand's Finest Single Source Velvet
As the world’s largest producer of single source deer velvet, Peel Forest Estate is uniquely placed to guarantee the quality and traceability of its velvet. For more than 25 years, the estate has concentrated on perfecting the many aspects that enhance velvet quality: the genetics, pasture-based system, harvesting and processing. The result is clean velvet of the highest standard, produced on one of New Zealand’s most beautiful and environmentally conscientious farms.
Find out moreFull traceability backed by science
New Zealand's best velvet genetics
Quality velvet starts with using quality genetics.
As well as being New Zealand’s largest velvet producer, Peel Forest Estate is also the country’s largest source of velvet genetics, specifically red deer genetics. Velvet can be traced back to the source stag and therefore an individual animal’s entire pedigree.
The estate’s velvet genetics were strengthened in 2012, when it purchased the award-winning Windermere Stud and its pure Warnham and Warnham-Woburn breeding herds. Windermere had been supplying consistently superior and correct style velvet genetics for 25 years.
Peel Forest Estate focuses on producing a clean, tidy antler structure that slices evenly with minimal wastage.
Free to roam and graze naturally
Peel Forest Estate runs 4000 velvet stags over 2800 hectares of flat, rolling and mountainous country in the middle of New Zealand’s South Island. The estate takes its name from the nearby Mount Peel – a large conservation area, which is home to numerous native plant and animal species, and much loved by nature lovers.
New Zealand is fortunate to be an island nation and relatively isolated. Combined with stringent border control and wide-open pasture-based farming systems, it has avoided many animal diseases that affect other countries.
Peel Forest Estate’s deer graze outside all year round, with minimal human interference. In this way, they enjoy freedom to graze without stress in a totally natural environment.
Processing for finest quality
Peel Forest Estate harvests antlers earlier than most – when the antler is experiencing maximum growth and is therefore of the highest potency.
Antler is harvested by experienced accredited staff, in line with the New Zealand Government’s Animal Welfare Act 1999, the Code of Recommendations and Minimum Standards for the Welfare of Deer During the Removal of Antlers 1992, and New Zealand’s National Velvet Standards Programme.
Each antler stick is handled with great care, as it is tagged for full electronic traceability to each individual stag and immediately frozen. It is then transported an hour to Christchurch, where the velvet is graded and processed to client specifications, all within stringent hygiene protocols.