Grouse Prices Soaring: Prepare for Luxury Dining Changes
The impact of a poor grouse season means that we won't see as many birds on restaurant menus.
Grouse Price Surges Due to Lack of Availability
As I am sure many of you are aware, the grouse numbers this year have been extremely low due to the wet weather and heather beetle. The knock-on effect for restaurants is grouse will become a rare luxury to offer on their menus. Some prices of grouse dishes will be increasing by 50%. This season grouse can be expected to cost anywhere between £15.00 - £25.00 bird depending on where it is sourced from.
I spoke to Nick Lister from Ox Close Fine Foods game dealers on the 12th and he said, "It’s nearly 20 years since a year like this year. I don’t envisage selling a young grouse under £20 wholesale, so retail or to restaurants is going to be £25 plus. I’ve just had this morning's grouse in, which we only got 15 brace and not a young one amongst them. Next week there will be some grouse, not many, then it will peter off. From my side, estates need to see some revenue, which is why the buying price has to stay high, which then has an impact on the price at the other end."
Mark Kempson, Head Chef at KitchenW8 told Restaurant Online “Last year we charged £40.00 for our grouse dish. It would break my heart to charge people £70.00, so we have worked hard to keep the price down by creating a more economical but still absolutely delicious dish. We want to keep the restaurant as accessible as we can.”
Kempson highlighted the challenge, saying, “We love cooking grouse—it’s one of the best game birds in terms of flavour—but at this price, it’s hard to justify putting it on the menu.” This price surge is due to poor breeding conditions, which have led to a reduced population and, consequently, a tighter supply.
The increase in cost might force chefs to either significantly raise the price of grouse dishes or consider removing them from the menu altogether. However, this could be a silver lining to instead promote more affordable alternatives like pigeon or partridge. This shift could transform grouse from a seasonal staple into a luxury item, reflecting broader trends where economic pressures are reshaping traditional culinary offerings.
