GAME from North Yorkshire is proving a hit in top London restaurants – and the industry in the region is booming while grouse remains in short supply elsewhere.

Despite widespread cancellations this grouse season, estates in the North Yorkshire Moors Moorland Group (NYMMO) are witnessing healthy, and in some cases full shooting programmes which continues to benefit local hotels, restaurants and businesses.

With grouse in short supply in other parts of the country, North Yorkshire grouse has been in high demand both locally and further afield, with three in every four grouse supplied from estate in NYMMO making its way into the kitchens of restaurants and hotels throughout London.

Andrew Dent, of L&A Dent Game Dealers, said: “This year we are down 70 per cent on trade from last year due to the poor season throughout the country, so this steady supply of grouse from North York Moors is vitally important to our business."

One such estate supplying fresh grouse to local outlets is Spaunton Estate in Ryedale.

George Thompson of Spaunton Estate said: “The estate has recently invested several thousand pounds on converting a derelict estate building into a game meat handling room.

"The facility is registered with Ryedale Council and gamekeepers have the required hygiene certification for handling and processing game meat for consumption. This new room allows us to dress all game shot on the estate with no wastage whatsoever and reducing the carbon footprint of our fresh game meat."

Andrew Pern, owner of the Star Inn, Herome, said: “We are firmly rooted in North Yorkshire and pride ourselves on modern Yorkshire cooking. We place great emphasis on sourcing regional and seasonal produced with grouse being a firm favourite having been on our menus for over 22 years.

“We are very proud of our connection with the shooting community and thanks to visiting shooting parties, our business is as busy in autumn and early winter, as it is in summer."