"I thought to myself, I hope it moves, or else I'll be having venison for dinner," he said.
Before dinner (venison with butternut purée and purple snow peas) the chef showed me his vegetable garden, plucking a basket of leaves that would, 20 minutes later, end up on my plate.
Over a dinner of venison, duck terrine and roasted lamb, researchers at SCL Elections presented their methodology and case studies.
Consolation comes in the form of a delicious refuge dinner of venison, polenta and excellent local red wine, served on the precipice of what Italians call "il fronte verticale".
A delicious dinner of local venison later, I lay on my bed with the curtains open watching patches of black appear tantalisingly between the clouds.
The first, on the Kyles of Bute, serves scallops, bacon and champagne for breakfast; dinner could be venison sourced by a local stalker.
The outstanding restaurant is Clarkes, which serves modern British food such as Fenland mallard and Denham Estate venison wellington (three courses £20 lunch/£40 dinner).
With advance notice, the von Gilsas will even turn that day's kill into dinner — perhaps grilled venison with sautéed potatoes and cabbage salad.
"We definitely live on what we can grow in the garden and what I can hunt for," he says, over a dinner of homemade venison enchiladas topped with salsa made of vegetables from the garden outside.
Evening productions include an alfresco dinner, featuring dishes such as venison with Mma Ramotswe's bean salad or butternut soup.
