Centenarian reveals a Bush Chook a day keeps doctor away

At 107, Bush Chook fan Bid Grocke is no spring chicken.

At her birthday party on Thursday – the same day Prime Minister Scott Morrison was pictured gazing adoringly at a red can during a pre-election campaign jaunt to Toohey’s brewery in Sydney – Mrs Grocke put her longevity down to her nightly can of Emu Export.

“This is what has kept me so beautiful,” she said.

“I feel great.”

A 2014 study by researchers at the University of Texas found people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol regularly lived longer than those who abstained completely from booze.

With a can in her hand, Mrs Grocke is living proof.

“That’s what has kept me going, that’s what has kept me so healthy,” she said.

Mrs Grocke was born in Perth November 18, 1914, making her 40 years older than Emu Export, which was first brewed in 1954.

And unlike the beer, production of which was shifted to South Australia in 2014 and NSW in 2020, she has no plans to leave WA.

“Perth has always been my home,” she said.

A loyal customer for 60 years, staff from her local BWS also came to her party to gift her a carton of Emu Export and a cake.

Despite her impressive age, Mrs Grocke continues to live on her own at her Doubleview home.

Her daughter Jan Robertson said her mum’s secret to a long life was more than just a can of beer each night.

“My mum loves life and loves to laugh,” she said.

“Every Wednesday, she goes to exercise classes hosted by the City of Stirling, and has been doing that for over 40 years.”