Step Up with Fair Feast
Founded in 2024 by Helen Stewart, Fair Feast processes deer from areas of extreme overpopulation into venison donations for food banks. Their sustainable donation model was funded by the sale of venison to local hotels and in May 2026, Fair Feast opened the first ever social enterprise butcher shop to sell directly to the public – which has been fitted out with help from a Step Up loan.
A social enterprise butcher’s shop: tackling food scarcity through venison donations
When Helen Stewart took over her family farm near Pitlochry, she was struck by a difficult reality. Deer were in such overpopulation that they were causing extreme environmental and agricultural damage. The deer were almost five times over the legal maximum for deer density. In such a situation deer are frequently culled ‘to waste’ (buried or disposed of) as there isn’t enough room in the seasonal processing chain.
At the same time, food banks and community larders across Scotland are under increasing pressure. Rising demand and constrained resources make it challenging to provide a consistent supply of nutritious food, while many families experiencing food insecurity struggle to access the balanced diets children need to grow and thrive.
For Helen, the disconnect was clear: nutritious, locally sourced food was being wasted, while communities nearby weren’t getting access to the very same nutrients.
Fair Feast was created to change that.
Since establishing Fair Feast, the enterprise has donated 2.7 tonnes of venison to local foodbanks and community larders, helping to improve nutrition in their local area while protecting a vulnerable environment. At the end of May, Fair Feast opened a butcher’s shop on the High Street in Pitlochry, the first butcher’s shop to operate as a social enterprise. Fair Feast venison is now available at the shop for direct sales to the public with all sales funding food bank donations.
Helen has received Firstport support from Start It, Build It, the Social Innovation Challenge, LaunchMe, and now Step Up!
But wait, what is Step Up?
Step Up is one of our loan products, which has very flexible payment terms. Social enterprises can use a Step Up loan to invest in concepts, products or services they’ve previously piloted or run, which have helped to grow their business.
Let’s break it down:
Firstly, it is a 0% interest loan, which means you repay the same amount you borrowed.
Secondly, the amount you can borrow can be between £5,000 and up to £30,000. If you have fully repaid a loan, you can apply again – up to a lifetime limit of £50,000.
Thirdly, the timeline: YOU decide the frequency and rate of repayments, within the following timeframes:
- if you borrow under £10,000, you have 2 years to repay; or
- for amounts over £10,000, you have 5 years to repay.
In other words, you use your unique knowledge of your enterprise to determine the best way to repay your loan. We understand that every social enterprise journey is different and that you know your business best. We want our products to help you grow, not to hinder your progress with restrictive loan terms.
We aim to make funding decisions within three weeks of an application being made, so it’s a really quick process too.
So how is Step Up helping Fair Feast?
Fair Feast applied in Spring 2026 for a Step Up loan to help fit out of the new Pitlochry butcher’s shop. The loan has been used to purchase counters, a vending machine, a pie oven, fridges – amongst other items of equipment. The quick assessment process meant Helen received the Step Up funds just a month after submitting her application.
Lauren Scott, our Investment Manager said:
“We first provided Helen with a Start It grant in Spring 2024, and our support has continued since then with a Build It grant, and providing Helen with investment readiness support through our LaunchMe programme. Fair Feast was also a runner up in our Social Innovation Challenge 2024.
It’s a great example of how Firstport are able to support social entrepreneurs on their journey from the seeds of an idea through to incorporation and further growth, whether that’s by providing business support, grants or loans. Step Up was the perfect fit for what Helen needed now. We are delighted Helen has opened the shop and can’t wait to see what’s next for Fair Feast!”
About Step Up, Fair Feast founder Helen said:
“Step Up has supported me in the next stage of Fair Feast as we open the world’s first social enterprise butcher shop. The loan has allowed us to step up our facilities, our staff, and our donations. Fair Feast has gone from being a small farm project to a large scale donation program. We believe everyone deserves good food.
When people ask me how Fair Feast was possible I thank my amazing staff and the amazing support I have received at Firstport. When Fair Feast was just an idea I went to Firstport and learnt what a social enterprise was. Throughout our journey Firstport has supported every step of the way with tailored grant support and mentorship – I really cannot recommend them enough.”
Follow Fair Feast’s latest updates on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
Want to know more about Step Up?
Get in touch at info@firstport.org.uk, our investment team will help you take your next big step!