AS the evenings start to get darker and the weather begins to cool, nothing heralds the beginning of autumn quite like the taste of partridge.

This delicious – and often underrated – bird is at its best served up on a chilly autumnal evening, with some hearty veg and robust herbs.

And, of course, no partridge will taste better than one that is properly hung, bought from your local Worcestershire farmers’ market.

Stallholder Sue Fletcher, of Eye Game Larder, has plenty of birds on her stall at the moment: “We have some lovely young birds.

They taste delicious. We get them from gamekeepers at a local country estate. When we get them they are hung for three or four days before being feathered and dressed.

“My father and I like them roasted – we serve them with seasonal vegetables – they go particularly well with parsnips.”

When cooking the birds, don’t treat partridge as you would a chicken – these birds need far less time in the oven, and are best served pink and juicy. Don’t be afraid to keep it simple – young partridge, grilled or roasted and served with a light gravy from the cooking juices, is a delicious dish that only needs sweet, roasted autumn vegetables, or traditional game chips (very thinly sliced crispy potatoes), as an accompaniment.

A whole partridge per person is about right – it is just the right amount of game meat to be had in one sitting. It looks equally good served on or off the bone.

This is a very special weekend for Worcestershire farmers’ markets. As well as today’s regular Malvern market in Abbey Road from 9am until 2pm, there is a new market starting in Worcester tomorrow.

Worcester CrownGate market in Angel Place will run from 9am until 3pm every third Sunday of the month.

Tomorrow will see a bumper first event with more than 30 stallholders offering Worcester people the chance to find out what their local farmers’ markets are all about. There will be plenty to choose from, so make sure you head over to the city centre tomorrow morning. Next weekend’s market is at St Peter’s Garden Centre from 9am until 2pm