Game, glorious game! Synonymous with tradition and dating back to 1742, Wiltons on London’s Jermyn Street is a bastion of great British food. The 12th of August, known as The Glorious Twelfth, marks the start of the game season and Wiltons is renowned for serving the first grouse of the season. The prized birds are shot in North Yorkshire in the morning, plucked in the back of a Land Rover on the way to London before being expertly prepared by Wiltons’ head chef, Daniel Kent and his team. The birds are then served in exquisite dishes to its revered diners the same evening – a momentous day in the social calendar!
The British game season runs from the Glorious Twelfth to the 10th December, during which time Wiltons serves a wide variety of game dishes on both its lunch and dinner menus, all of which showcase the finest produce the British countryside has to offer. The beginning of the Glorious Twelfth and shooting of the grouse can be traced back 160 years to 1853 in the reign of Queen Victoria. Her Majesty and Prince Albert bought Balmoral in Scotland as a shooting estate and the popularity of driven grouse shooting soared. Red grouse is notoriously known for its richly flavoured meat but is low in fat and cholesterol being the perfect alternative in today’s healthy-eating society.
“Seasonality is key, and the start of the game season creates great excitement in the kitchen at Wiltons.” Comments Head Chef, Daniel Kent. “Creating new ways to serve the birds and developing new dishes, using the finest birds and game from the British Isles, sparks creativity and enjoyment within the team. On the Glorious Twelfth Wiltons serves grouse the traditional way; simply roasted and stuffed with fresh watercress.” Whilst Wiltons is steeped in tradition, this Glorious Twelfth they will be introducing new and avant-garde methods of cooking grouse. Impeccable classic and contemporary dishes will be available to guests with the bird served on and off the bone – and grouse is best enjoyed in the first month of the season.
Wiltons is very much looking forward to the start of the 2021 game season.
Media can contact Kevin Oddy at Storrington PR: kevin@storringtonpr.com or telephone +44 (0)344 736 4106 for any additional information and images.
