Hot Chefs & Heritage Meats

Made in Scotland Hot Chefs & Heritage Meats

By Wendy Barrie Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife Director of Scottish Food Guide

As a pair of ethical omnivores we enjoy seeking out interesting eateries and good food is essential whether we are at work or play. Sometimes this results in a sumptuous day of dining, dipping into a country inn or a coastal café, savouring a mouth-watering mutton pie, a venison tagine or perhaps a summer berry crème brûlée. On other occasions I recall driving for hours, trying to find that elusive place to pause, tempting me with their clean bright façade and welcoming lights, when all I pass are fast food chains or unloved establishments. Many a time my fellow passengers were starving but they knew the score: travel with me and they would dine like kings but only when I found the smultronstället as they say in Sweden, meaning “that special place.” Until then they must haud yer wheesht and be patient! I have certainly found hidden gems in Scotland however there is always room for improvement.

A few years ago in Sweden, we booked into an eco hotel, proudly displaying its sustainability credentials for saving the planet in style. Our room was lovely, minimalist, with virtuous bars of soap, a trickle of water lest we waste any and light bulbs that flickered faintly. The environmental message continued through the design, heating, waste water and textiles however when it came to food it was conspicuous by its absence. Although there were a number of barbecues with signage inviting guests to cook al fresco, there had been no advance enlightenment on the subject. In the event, we, along with all the other tourists, had to return to our cars and drive ten miles to the only food outlet, a garage with a mini mart, and buy mass- produced rations to tide us over until breakfast. Twenty miles worth of fuel is hardly eco. I contemplated what the owners might have in their fridge as food did not seem high on the agenda and yet it plays such a significant role in both tourism and our environment. What a missed opportunity. Local meats, dairy and bread in a fridge with an honesty box would have been sufficient to transform our visit. We could have all barbecued simple delicious meals and supported the local producers.

The importance of buying from fine Scottish producers, respecting and remaining loyal to them is a sign of a great chef or cook. Sustainability is certainly a buzzword these days but, like ‘local,’ it can become over-used by marketeers as a throwaway line with little or no meaning. It is well-documented that menus with ‘Aberdeen Angus’ or ‘locally landed seafood’ are an instant draw but they have become so ubiquitous, how do we know which are genuine?

Chefs who spend time building relationships with their suppliers have a depth of knowledge – they walk the walk, not just talk the talk. It takes time and energy and the results are rewarding: a strong produce-led menu, brimming with high quality ingredients, expertly prepared resulting in flavours that dance on your palate and remain in your memory. That is value for money and a marvellous meal experience. These same cooks are also thrifty, using every inch of each ingredient, sourcing sustainably and reducing their waste - a winning combo. And the dishes created need not always be complex: mouth-watering stovies

using heritage mutton or an East Neuk crab salad can be equally enjoyable.

So who are these trailblazers? The chefs and cooks who go that extra mile and seek out producers with whom to collaborate? Well I’m delighted to report they are on the increase. There are also growing numbers of exceptional Scottish producers who recognise the value of these chef/farmer relationships that enrich their lives – both financially and in the recognition from both chef and customers. The creative collaboration is greater than the sum of its parts.

A very welcome and exciting new addition to the awards calendar reflects this enlightenment and movement, The Rare Breeds Survival Trust Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards. The winners of these Awards are recognised as placing sustainability as a core value in their modus operandi: supporting rare and native breeds, from nose to tail, and working in partnership with artisan producers, recognising their important role in maintaining biodiversity and rural communities. With a range of both food and farming categories, one is left in no doubt that farming is all about food production and sustainable chefs are all about linking – often directly - with these producers, be it Ardoch Hebridean lamb or Uradale Shetland Kye.

The Award Winners were announced at the Royal Highland Show and the Sustainable Chef of the Year entries were so impressive there were Joint Winners for 2022: Paul Newman of Errichel, Perthshire and Fred Berkmiller of l’Escargot Bleu, Edinburgh, both very worthy winners and exemplars, growing their own produce and seeking out specific producers of heritage meats and artisan produce. Family businesses themselves, they are actively supporting other families, rare breeds and rural livelihoods, the results of which can then be savoured by their customers. Paul and Becky at Errichel keep Large Black pigs, Native Shetland sheep and Shetland Kye, all reared outdoors as nature intended and used in Paul’s kitchen and deli charcuterie. They grow some vegetables and source remaining ingredients from local suppliers, supporting cheesemakers and sourdough specialists too. Fred and Betty at l’Escargot Bleu grow virtually every vegetable they use and link with family farms throughout Scotland that use pasture fed systems, never grain, to feed their ruminants, ensuring all their meats are high welfare and fine flavours.

Sustainable chefs who follow a similar path all specialise in heritage breeds - setting aside our fabulous seafood restaurants for the moment, as this is all about farming. In Perthshire, Graeme Pallister at 63 Tay Street, Fabrice Bouteloup at Barley Bree, Tom Lewis at Mhor and David Barnett at Blasta are all dedicated in their sourcing of ingredients and suppliers, also using many locally foraged wild ingredients in their dishes. In Edinburgh, Scott Smith at Fhior and Neil Forbes at Café St Honore go the extra mile to ensure the provenance of the dishes throughout their menus. Over on the west, The Chip has definitely made its mark, now celebrating fifty years, and in 2013, The Gannet joined the Glasgow scene with the incredibly talented Peter McKenna, skilled in matching flavours whether it’s oysters from Gigha, Shorthorn carpaccio or Peelham mutton, not to mention his delicious breads served with “Brenda’s butter” from Jersey cows. With too many cooks to mention, you will find them on Scottish Food Guide and hopefully student chefs will follow in their footsteps. The movement is set to continue but it takes dedication and passion to carry off – it is a journey not a day trip, and both producers, farmers and diners will appreciate that devotion.

Fred Berkmiller of l’Escargot Bleu, Edinburgh