America's finest Quail

Cavendish Game Birds

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Our Quail

Our renowned jumbo quail are born and raised on a small farm in Springfield, Vermont. They are substantial in size and have a well-developed finish. Streaks of fat under the skin help maintain flavor and keep the birds moist and tender while cooking.

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Our quail produce a light meat with a well-rounded, slightly sweet flavor, making them a very versatile choice for restaurant and home chefs. This delicate meat pairs well with an abundance of flavors to compliment menus and dishes. It can be prepared in many ways using traditional or creative cooking methods.

Flavor Profile

How quail tastes is one of the questions we field the most. Quail meat has a delicate, savory flavor. It is not as assertive as duck or goose, but is more flavorful than chicken. This meat has a hint of the wild.

Pairings

Quail meat is easy to pair with dishes including many starches such as wild rice and sweet potatoes, vegetables such as swiss chard and brussel sprouts, and especially fruits like pears, apricots and cherries. Each serving provides a flavor-packed punch to a recipe. 

Quail meat is extremely versatile. Swap out chicken with quail and try it in a classic poultry recipe. Choose a cuisine--Vietnamese, Latin American, or Creole and select the appropriate accompaniments. Our favorite quail recipes include Vermont Crispy Quail with a Maple Syrup Glaze and Stuffed Quail with Wild Mushrooms and Figs.

Chef's tip: create a stock with our quail bones for an array of different sauces and soups.

Preparation Essentials

The more you experiment with quail meat, the more confidence you’ll gain in knowing that cooking this game bird is very simple. Quail can be marinated, stuffed and sauteed. An easy prep is to start with a well seasoned bird using salt and pepper on both sides. Saute the birds in a hot pan or on the grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until crispy. The quail is properly cooked when the juices of the bird begin to run clear.

Serve 2 quail

per person

Season well

Use high heat

to crisp skin

Cook 4-5 min

per side

Our Products

eggs

whole legs

boneless breast

butterfly

whole

semi-boneless

Packages

Our family has curated these packages to appeal to a variety of chefs and gatherings. Once opened you can use the meat immediately or freeze for future events. The eggs have a 30-day shelf life refrigerated. All of the items can be prepared using traditional or creative cooking methods.

Starter Pack

serves 4

Family Meal

serves 6

Home Chef

serves 6

For the newcomer to quail.

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Includes:

1 Six-Pack of Semi boneless Quail 

1 Eight-Pack of Quail Breasts

1 flat of 18ct Quail Eggs

For the elegant, relaxed meal.

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Includes:

2 Six-Packs of Semi boneless Quail 

2- 1lb packs of quail legs

2 flats of 18ct Quail Eggs

For the seasoned home cook.

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Includes:

2 Six-Packs of Semi boneless Quail 

1 Six-Pack of Whole Quail

Quail Bones & Quail Eggs (18ct)

for additional products & packages 

Our Family Farm

How we raise our quail

Our 30-year reputation has been built on our birds’ exceptional flavor and consistent size. Each morning our community-based staff collects by hand hundreds of speckled quail eggs. Some of these eggs are placed directly into cartons and shipped to our retail markets. The rest are incubated on site.

Once hatched, our chicks grow in a stress free environment in spacious, well-ventilated barns. We feed our quail a high-protein blend of whole grains with no antibiotics or hormones added. 

Our History

Cavendish Game Birds was started in 1988 with the goal of providing local kitchens with fresh game birds and quail eggs. The Thompson brothers, Bill and Rick, have been in the food business their entire adult lives.  In the beginning years, fresh game birds were not available locally, so Bill, working as a chef in a local inn, began raising pheasants in his backyard to supply many of Vermont’s finest restaurants. Rick started selling them to his restaurant accounts in Philadelphia and Boston.

The brothers combined forces in 1998 and purchased a 75-acre farm in Springfield, Vermont. This property became the family farm where we currently maintain our breeding stock of Coturnix quail, operate a hatchery, and raise thousands of quail each week.

Our processing facility has been recently moved onsite to further reduce the stress on our birds. Cavendish Games Birds is proud to prioritize the well-being of our quail while developing a premium product. Thank you for your business!

Around the Farm