Grouse

The glorious twelfth starts off the game season and it begins with quite a bang - grouse being the bird with a reputation as the best game bird in the world. The red grouse or Scotch grouse, a native of Scotland, the North of England, and the west of Ireland is the envy of many countries. Over the years there have been attempts to introduce it into France but they have not been successful. Grouse feed on young shoots of heather and berries which no doubt contributes to their fine flavour. The season starts on the 12th of August and ends on the 1st of December. The best birds are those born the same year and eaten before mid-October. Ptarmigan, black game and capercaillie are also members of the grouse family but are fairly rare and not considered to be of much culinary merit, (see appendix)