But those hoping to eat the tiny game bird in the gilded Ritz dining room in London will be out of luck this year, as the world-famous hotel has quietly removed it from the menu following an outcry from environmental campaigners. Luke Steele, executive director of wildlife campaign group Wild Moors, celebrated the news: “Behind every trapped grouse on a restaurant menu is a moorland where foxes, hares and weasels have suffered in traps and snares and carbon-rich peatlands have been set on fire. . In an age where environmentalism is all the rage, it is clear that there is nothing less classy than supporting grouse shooting – and the cruelty and ecological damage that comes with it.” Weed shooting is bad for the environment, activists have long argued, because to maintain the winding heaths where the birds thrive, the vegetation is often burned, destroying the carbon-rich peatland in which it grows and killing wildlife. . Some grouse have also been linked to the illegal killing of birds of prey, which eat small birds such as roosters. The Ritz usually supports the Glorious Twelfth, enlisting executive chef John Williams to create a special grouse dish. Last year, he wrote on Instagram: “Every year the chef creates an exciting new dish, showcasing wild fowl, celebrating the best of British produce. On the menu this year, for a limited time only, will be Grouse, Celeriac, Juniper and Walnut.” No such dish has been created this year, and promotional material celebrating the Glorious Twelfth has been removed from the Ritz’s Twitter account following complaints from activists. Those who call the hotel to ask if they can dine on grouse in the grand dining room are discreetly told that they do not serve it due to supply problems. “I am caught by wild turkeys from shoots that rise, not driven. Big shots – not easy for me”: chef Richard Corrigan. Photo: Cultura RM Exclusive/Tim E White/Getty/Image source But there don’t seem to be any supply issues at other London restaurants. A stone’s throw from the Ritz in Mayfair, Wiltons serves the bird the old fashioned way: roasted and served with game chips, bread gravy, breadcrumbs, wild boar sauce, wild boar liver pate and cardamom. In Westminster, those who prefer curry to game and chips can enjoy grub at the Cinnamon Club, which serves a plate of smoked clove brisket, chickpea bread, warm sweet pumpkin and keema game with creamy black lentils. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Chef Richard Corrigan has had no problem sourcing grouse this year for his restaurant Corrigan’s in Mayfair and says it can be a viable option. De Rang chef Giacomo Monti is setting a table at the Ritz, where grouse will no longer be available. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images He told the Observer: “At the moment we are craving. I want to make sure our rooster comes from good places – we don’t get it from the most intensive shoots. I love the whole idea of country outings, but I’m much more aware these days of the cost of intensive grouse operations. I get mine from sprouts that come on foot, not driven. Big led shoots – I don’t like it anymore. “We make a little wild pie, which is two partridge breasts. I put some duck liver in the middle and it is rolled in dough. You would cut someone’s hand off if someone touched it. It’s a dish made for pure gluttony.” In fact, the shooting community celebrated a good year of demand for the bird, with restaurants buying about the same supplies as usual. Adrian Blackmore, shooting director at the Countryside Alliance, said: “Unfortunately, due to insufficient stock, some blacks are not shooting, particularly in the Peak District and the western fringes of the North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales, but many other blacks are also seen in other areas. healthy wild pike stocks, with some good bags being recorded, especially now the weather has turned cooler. “This is clearly very good news for many communities in our highlands for whom grouse shooting is so important from an economic, environmental and social point of view. Grouse is the “king of game birds” and is in high demand every season. Although this year has been much better for grouse numbers than recent years, restaurants will still only be able to purchase a sustainable number of birds to be shot throughout the season, as is the case every year.” Bird charities condemn the mass shooting of grouse for sport. The RSPB’s Duncan Orr-Ewing said: “We have no problem with the shooting of red grouse, provided it is carried out legally and sustainably. However, the more intensive form of ‘guided’ shooting, which involves the shooting of large numbers of grouse by sporting clients, can be associated with the illegal killing of raptors and the burning of deep peatlands, which damages vital carbon stocks, as well as use of lead ammunition toxic to wildlife and humans. “We encourage all restaurants serving grouse to check that the birds are sourced from environmentally sound sources.” The Ritz declined to comment, but confirmed that grouse is not currently on the menu.
