News

‘WILD GOURMETS’ FORAGE FOR GROUSE AT BARNINGHAM

28th September 2007

Former Masterchef winner/writer Tommi Miers and outdoorsman/writer Guy Grieve will bring the every best of Yorkshire’s wild harvest to our screens shortly. Filmed at Barningham, by kind permission of Moorland Association founder member Anthony Milbank, Tommi and Guy rough it out on the open moor and bag their supper in the form of a wild red grouse. The red grouse is only found in Britain, where its habitat – heather clad moorland - is managed by gamekeepers.

The Red Grouse is a gourmet’s delight, featuring seasonally on the menus of many top restaurants, who annually vie to be the first to bring this unique bird to the table in August. Local game dealer, Yorkshire Game, has just won a coveted Gold in the Best Seasonal Food category of the Taste of Britain awards with a tender young grouse. However, red grouse are only shot if there are enough on the moors to ensure a viable future population. This year is a good year for grouse thanks to warm, dry weather in the Spring breeding period.

Said Anthony Milbank: “Having the film crew here was very interesting. Meeting Tommi and Guy was a pleasure, especially as they shared my passion for these unique moors and their fantastic wildlife and tranquillity. They really seemed to appreciate the benefits of our management for conservation. Love the moors as I do, however, I was very pleased that I spent the night in my warm bed rather than under canvas up on the tops!”

The 150 year-old tradition of shooting grouse is internationally recognised as one of the world’s most challenging countryside sports and people come to the moors of England from far and wide, injecting vital income into some of our most remote rural areas.

This income also helps fund the long-term management of the precious moors, employing gamekeepers and local contractors, conserving the landscape and providing a safe haven for many bird species.

Anthony, also a keen cook, sells young, oven-ready grouse in boxes of 10 delivered direct to your home. Email Milbank@teesdaleonline.co.uk, fax 01833 621298 or telephone 01833 621202.

The programme ‘Wild Gourmets’ was filmed in September last year and will be shown at 8.30 – 9.00 pm on Channel 4, Tuesday 9th October, 2007.



Images from the programme are available from lclucas@channel4.co.uk