STAND aside all you claret-swigging, red-faced colonels in plus-fours. Your favourite, venison, is now becoming a must on many family dinner tables.

At the heart of this social revolution, shaking off the once-tweedy image of this lean meat, is Holme Farmed Venison, at Sherburn-in-Elmet, which is booming in the wake of a wave of demand from supermarkets and now pitching for the Growth Business of the Year title in The Press Business Awards 2006.

Nigel Sampson, managing director, has doubled his workforce to 25 to meet the demand from three major supermarkets as the public clamours for his low-fat steaks, grill steaks and sausages.

Another big attraction which has seen sales soaring by 75 per cent is customers know that Mr Sampson farms his native herd of red deer on the lushest grass at Thorpe Underwood, just north-west of York, ensuring that the meat is full of flavour.

Back in December, 2004, turnover was a respectable £1.3 million, but the moment Mr Sampson decided to move from small factory premises into a new purpose-built factory in Sherburn-in-Elmet, along with investing new machinery, equipment and IT systems, the leap began.

Now turnover for the summer months alone will be annualised at between £2.75 million and £3 million, with bottom line profits running at ten per cent.

Summer traditionally was a quiet season for game sales, but then "barbecueman" discovered his venison burgers that clock up a mere 100 calories. Some supermarket orders are up 300 per cent from last year.

The new IT systems have enabled the business to work with supermarkets' paperless accounting systems.

Mr Sampson said: "I have just taken a new order to supply 394 Sainsbury's stores with our venison grill steaks delicious low-fat burgers. Five years ago, you couldn't imagine taking such a huge order for summer."

So great is the speed with which the market is expanding that Mr Sampson wants to persuade more grassland farmers to rear deer. "The demand for venison is outstripping supply and farmers need to heed this market trend," he said.

Latest market analysis suggests that food fashions are moving towards a mainstream market for venison, providing Holme Farmed Venison with a market opportunity to double its turnover again within the next few years.