A Monthly Publication

Meet the Producer: Simon Owen, Gamekeeper on the Walsingham Estate

There are currently about 3000 full time gamekeepers in the UK and a similar number who do the job part time. At the start of the last century, the last gasp of the Edwardian era when labour was cheap, and shooting was at the height of its popularity just before the First World War, there were over 10,000 gamekeepers in Britain.

We should all be eating more game, as it is extremely delicious, but also inexpensive and healthy. October marks the start of the plentiful availability of game birds in our shops. Walsingham Farms Shop has its own game larder, so we can prepare game ourselves without sending it away to a specialist game dealer to be dressed.

Simon Owen is the one game keeper on the Walsingham Estate, where once there would have been at least three, but his job still looks like  an old fashioned country boy's dream: you get to roam outside with a dog or two or three all the time, and you get to go out with a gun!! and at least some of the time you get to shoot with it. He lives at the centre of the estate, in the midst of woods and farmland, where he can keep an eye on his birds. On shoot days he is joined by a group of like-minded souls who come to help with beating and picking up, these days they're an eclectic bunch who mostly just enjoy days out in the country and a chance to work their dogs.

Game keeping is a very old profession. The first gamekeepers in Britain would have been employed to protect the deer from poachers in medieval Royal hunting forests.

Today, gamekeepers are much less concerned about poachers, and their main work is to help pheasants, partridges, hares and grouse to thrive in the countryside. Walsingham is a farming estate, and has many pockets of woodland and hedgerows planted by design to shelter pheasants and partridge for shooting. In addition, the farmers are encouraged by the Countryside Stewardship scheme to plant 'game crop'. This is a mix of seed-bearing plants such as sunflower and maize, which is left standing at the field margins through the autumn and winter; the birds can both feed and shelter in it, and it doesn't just benefit the game birds. Also a part of the scheme are the 'beetle banks' which are strips planted with plants nurture beneficial insects, birds, and other fauna that prey on pests. They provide a mix of biological control for pests, and more food and shelter for wildlife.

Looking after the woods, hedgerows and fields in which the game birds and animals live is crucial. The birds need cover in which to nest, plenty of food and protection from predators such rats and crows which would otherwise attack and eat the chicks. Hares need open country and protection from foxes. Many other wild birds and animals benefit from these things too, which means that gamekeeping plays a really important role in keeping the countryside alive with song birds and small mammals. Simon also plays an important role for the farmers keeping down vermin such as rabbits, pigeons and muntjac deer which cause such damage to woodland, crops and gardens. Some of these find their way into the farm shop, where we sell jointed wild hare and rabbit ready for the pot, and fresh pigeon breasts which are exceptionally good and healthy eating.

At Walsingham pheasants and partridges are also hatched and reared by hand for release into the countryside to supplement the wild birds. This rearing is carried out every spring, with the birds being released into the wild during early summer. This has to be done carefully, too early and the birds will be vulnerable to bad weather, and also possibly cause crop damage. Young partridges are very partial to rape seedlings which upsets the farmers! Some will be shot the following winter, but many will survive to strengthen numbers in the wild. It is the income from the shooting which pays for all the gamekeeper’s work.

At Walsingham the shoot is run by a shoot tenant, Mike and Sharon Adams of High Noon Game Ltd. Theirs is a family business which both hatches and rears game birds, and runs several shoots in Norfolk. They have a regular syndicate which shoots at Walsingham, plus some individual let days. The shooters can enjoy a great day in the lovely Walsingham landscape, and with it greatfood at our restaurant The Norfolk Riddle where Hervé our chef really enjoys cooking with game. In fact Will Owen, one of Simon's sons, was assistant chef there until recently, but has now moved to work for Mike Adams to train as a gamekeeper, having spent much time out with his father.

The official start of the partridge season is September 1st, with pheasants from 1st October, but the first day at Walsingham is usually mid month and pheasants a month later; the first birds for the table should be in the shops a few days after the start of the season. Young game birds at the start of the season are as easy to cook as a roast chicken; they just require a little extra fat in the form of bacon or pork back fat, or a lovely nut of butter, to keep them moist.

Recipe: Easy roast partridge ‘Walsingham’

Partridges are very tender and delicious just plain roast

To prevent dryness, as these little birds are healthily low in natural fat, put a little chopped onion and apple and a sprig of thyme inside each bird, and a couple of rashers of unsmoked streaky bacon over the breast, together with a dab of butter and some salt and pepper on the skin. Young partridges can be fast roast in 20-30 minutes at 200°C (or hotter if your oven will go there! e.g. Aga roasting oven).  Keen game eaters like their birds pink, but that’s a matter of taste. Greedy game eaters can easily polish off a partridge each. When birds are roast to your liking, rest them on a hot dish, either in a cool oven, or covered with a folded tea towel for 10 minutes. While resting, make gravy in the cooking juices, by deglazing the pan with a little red wine, stock if you have it (or more wine!) and a spoonful of good redcurrant jelly. Very good with roast or mashed potatoes, stir fried cabbage, roast carrots and squash.