This excitement is one of the reasons I so love game. Because fresh, wild game is only available during specific seasons, it creates the sense of occasion that should accompany the arrival of a new harvest.

Game reminds us that good food should be looked forward to. Those of you who grow your own fruit and vegetables will know the anticipation you feel for your new produce throughout the season, and the pleasure of being able to able to try much-loved or new dishes with long-forgotten tastes.

The Glorious Twelfth also reminds us that a new season's produce should be celebrated.

Many consider grouse to be the finest game bird of all for its rich flavour. I also like grouse the best, particularly because it is so thoroughly natural and wild. Grouse is good for you, like all game it's lean, so is low in fat and high in protein.

Many of the more familiar types of game are now readily available from supermarkets, including venison, partridge and pheasant. You can even buy game from fine food mail order companies. However, if you would like to know where your game came from, go to a dealer who will advise on flavour and how best to prepare the meat.

People can be nervous of game, they worry it will be tough or too strong in taste. Game is hung to tenderise the meat, and it helps "gamey" flavours to develop. The longer it's hung for, the stronger those flavours will be.

The age of game is important, as it will affect how you cook it. Older game does better in something like a casserole; venison and cranberry casserole served with mash is great comfort food. Wintery accompaniments like cranberries and red cabbage go really well with game.

However, because the grouse season is early and catches the end of the summer, it gives the opportunity to do lighter, more summery things. A bird roasted simply, layered with pancetta, will be delicious with a fresh salad and minted new potatoes, or strips of grouse stir-fried with garlic and fresh ginger makes a really tasty dish.

There's also plenty of scope to create summery meals with venison. Cooked venison can be sliced and added to a herby salad, or if the sun comes out and you get the chance to barbecue, try venison kebabs.

If you'd rather enjoy someone else's cooking, come along to The Treehouse. The evening menu always features locally-sourced game and we're currently serving a pan-fried loin of Estate venison with buttered mash, peppercorn jus and Drambuie apples. This summer we're open for evening dining from Wednesday to Saturday, serving a la carte from 6.30pm, and we've just introduced an early bird menu from 4pm-6pm from Monday to Friday, at £12 for two courses and £15 for three. Dishes include an organic salmon and potato cake and beer-battered fish and hand-cut chips and desserts of lemon posset and sticky toffee pudding.


RECIPE: Pan fried loin of Alnwick Estagee venison with skirlie mash, juniper, cabbage and smoked bacon

Ingredients
4 portions of venison loin
800g mash
½ a finely chopped onion
Sprig of fresh thyme
Oil
100g pin head oatmeal
¼ of a green cabbage
2 rashers of smoked bacon
4 juniper berries
½ a finely chopped onion
60g of butter

Method
For the skirlie cook finely chopped onion in the oil with the sprig of thyme until soft. Add the oatmeal and stir for 10 minutes, season well.
Sauté remaining onion with the shredded smoked bacon in the butter and crushed juniper berries. Add the finely shredded cabbage and cook until tender, season with freshly ground black pepper.
Cook and slice the venison and add the skirlie to the mash.
Serve with a redcurrant jelly or port sauce.