News

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES OF THE MOORS!

Monday 10th August, 2009

The beekeeper and the gamekeeper, the guardians of the heather moorlandThe future of England’s iconic heather moorland and the delicious honey it produces are under threat, says The Moorland Association. From 2007 to 2008 heather honey sales slumped by 39%, and where heather moorland is not managed for Red Grouse it is in long term decline*.

Putting hives on hills in time for the upland bloom not only benefits the honey bees by providing them with abundant heather flowers, but also helps the heather set to seed creating a stronger plant for future generations.

Edward Bromet, chairman of the Moorland Association, said: “Moorland Association members carefully manage more than 90% of England’s remaining heather moorland, which is a globally rare landscape. The Red Grouse is a totally wild game bird unique to the British Isles and managing the moors for grouse has seen thousands of acres of cherished heather habitat brought back. This conservation management has helped to buffer against the terrible loss of heather elsewhere.”

Martin Smith, Chairman of the British Beekeepers’ Association, said: “It is good for our two organisations to be working together, producing high class natural produce from environmentally friendly management.

“Bees benefit from the abundant heather flowers found on grouse moors but also improve the set of the heather seed by pollinating it rather than leaving it to the wind. In the process they create the unique and delicious heather honey and with Moorland Association members hosting thousands of hives this summer, we hope to boost production and sales.”

After 365 days of wildlife friendly management, August the 12th marks the start of the grouse shooting season and the harvest of one of Britain’s most iconic seasonal, wild and fresh produce. Chef Mike Robinson, whose passion is cooking game and wild food, has created a new recipe which combines Red Grouse and heather honey to provide a taste of the beautiful landscape. He said: “This is sustainable food at its best. Red Grouse only eat fresh young tips of heather and moorland honey bees only feed on the heather flowers. From August 12th Red Grouse will be available to consumers once more and this recipe makes a great summer treat.“

-ENDS-
For more details contact Amanda Anderson in the Moorland Association media centre on: 0845 458 9786 or out of hours on: 07979 851123. For interviews with British Bee Keepers Association call Christine Gray BBKA Press Officer: 07891 000207/01462 450707 christine.m.gray@btinternet.com


Notes to editors:
• *Latest figures suggest that in 33 years 27% of heather moorland in Britain was lost. 75% of the world’s remaining heather is found in Britain.
• Moorland Association members manage 750,000 acres of the 864,885 acres of upland heath in England and Wales and have created habitats for 90% of the surviving Black Grouse population in England.
• 160,000 acres of heather have been regenerated by Moorland Association members.
• For further information about heather moorland management visit: www.moorlandassociation.org
• The British Beekeepers’ Association, is an educational charity which supports bees and beekeepers and raises public awareness of the importance of bees in the environment. Its membership has increased by nearly 30 per cent over the last 12 months to 14,500, a 10 year high. For more details of how and where to take up beekeeping visit www.britishbee.org.uk
• For this season’s grouse shooting prospects contact Morag Walker, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust on 01425 651 000 / 07736 124097


Mike Robinson – Celebrity Chef
Spotted while working as a chef in Chamonix, award winning cook Mike Robinson has developed a passion for a rustic-style of cookery. A man of the outdoors with a passion for cooking game and other wild foods, he has regularly been seen on television on UKTV Food’s daily live show, on Saturday Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook, as well as in a series of programmes and sequels which have documented the setting up of his rural country pub The Pot Kiln in Berkshire. He also runs the Mike Robinson Game and Wild Food Cookery School which is devoted to introducing others to sustainable, environmentally friendly cooking. (www.gamecookeryschool.co.uk)

Warm salad of heather honey glazed grouse with black pudding and bacon
Recipe serves four as a starter, two as a main course:
2 young grouse (www.ovenreadygrouse.co.uk)
50g butter
Mix of delicate salad leaves such as rocket, mizuna, chard
200g good firm black pudding
200g really good streaky bacon
1 tbsp heather honey (www.honeycombco.co.uk)
2 tbsp reduced balsamic vinegar
100 mls mustard vinaigrette

Start by removing the breasts from the grouse. Pan fry them in the butter on a medium to high heat until golden brown on both sides (about 1 minute each side) then add a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of honey, Turn down the heat in the pan and toss the breasts in the mixture until it has evaporated and the breasts are sticky and glazed. This will take one or two minutes more.
Meanwhile cook the finely chopped bacon until crispy, and do the same with the chopped black pudding. Remove the grouse breasts from the pan and rest for 3 minutes or so to relax (very important).
Dress the salad with the vinaigrette, then place a ball of it in the middle of the plate. Sprinkle the black putting and bacon rubble around the salad and slice the grouse lengthwise into 6 slices. Lay these on top of the salad. Dress over the plate with more balsamic and vinaigrette and serve.

Heather Honey: The Facts
• Between 2007 and 2008 sales of heather honey fell from 112.5 tonnes to 44 tonnes.
• From November 2007- March 2008, nearly one in three honey bee colonies were lost as 90,000 UK hives did not survive the winter.
• Due to the thixotrophic characteristics of heather honey, it has to be extracted using a special heather honey press.
• Additional costs are offset by the premium for which this rare type of honey sells of between £1-£2.00 per lb.



Red Grouse: The Facts

• Red Grouse are totally wild and depend on heather moorland for food and shelter
• They are only found in Britain
• The season is from August 12th – December 10th when they are shot during organised grouse shoots
• Because they are globally rare, there is always more demand to attend grouse shooting days than there is supply of grouse.
• Only the surplus is shot leaving a healthy breeding stock for the following year
• All grouse shot go into the food chain commanding high prices both at home and abroad
• The price for a team of 8 or 9 guns for a day’s shooting and the cost buying grouse from the butcher or in a restaurant fluctuates each season depending on supply