Wild Partridge – A Seasonal British Game Bird
Wild partridge are in season from 1 September to 1 February, making them a highlight of the autumn and winter table.

French, or red-legged partridge, is often considered the perfect introduction to feathered game. With tender white breast meat and darker, flavoursome legs, it offers one of the mildest game flavours yet remains full of character. Traditionally oven-roasted and served with bread sauce, it makes for a magnificent Sunday lunch, with one bird serving as a generous portion.

We also love to spatchcock, marinate and barbecue wild partridge. The skin crisps beautifully while the meat absorbs a subtle smokiness that enhances its natural flavour.

The Yorkshire Dales landscape on our doorstep is abundant with wild game, and we work closely with smaller shoots who manage the land with care. Their commitment to maintaining biodiversity and preserving natural habitats is something we are deeply passionate about, ensuring every bird reflects both quality and provenance.

Chef Valentine Warner Informs and Inspires
"I no longer lift my gun to the ‘Grey’ or English partridge. Since the widespread hedge uprooting after the war, combined with the constant disturbance of mechanised farming, their numbers have declined dramatically. As hunters, it is our responsibility to be aware of these changes. With the Grey partridge, a truly indigenous bird in decline, I choose to leave them be, offering only kind words of goodwill and encouragement whenever I see them huddled in their covey or taking flight in surprise and escape.

However, from the gentler, crop-covered gradients of the South and the Midlands (their preferred habitat) to the steep northern heather, the introduced French partridge can be found in abundance. Obviously French, they are red-beaked and red-footed fashionistas, sporting racy striped waistcoats and dark shades decorating their eyes.

As a child, I would watch them playing king of the castle on rotting haystacks or scurrying down the verges of country lanes in a long line. Mum used to cook them fairly regularly in autumn and winter, with Dad calling it ‘roast justice’ — they were the scourge of our kitchen garden, and their raspy screech was often heard from within. Now, in trying to get my own children to eat more adventurously, I’ve taken to calling them ‘hedge chickens’. But for first-timers, no such trickery should be needed; plump and delicious, French partridge are incredibly versatile and easy to cook, responding beautifully to roasting, braising and even deep-frying (DFP: deep-fried partridge)."