Savour Issue 02 - 2014

savour Welcome to

A celebration of north-east food and drink ISSUE 02, 2014

FROM THE EDITOR

03

contacts issuu.com/savour Savour is produced by Mackintosh Media Ltd., Regent House, 36 Regent Quay, Aberdeen AB11 5BE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Steve MacKintosh T: +44 (0) 1224 288981 E: steve@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL

Eric Farquharson T: +44 (0) 7730133036 E: eric@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

Yippee! The clocks are now on British Summer Time and anticipation of weeks of sunshine similar to last year eradicates the winter gloom. Get the garden furniture uncovered and start looking out those fine weather recipes. It may be a bit of a lean time for the kitchen chef but there are still lots of fresh local produce to be found in farmers’ markets throughout the area. To emphasise the wealth of talent in the North East, we announce the winners of the 2014 Grampian Food Innovation Awards and look forward in anticipation to this year’s Taste of Grampian at Thainstone. Also in this issue, there are some suggestions for dad on Father’s Day and I dig up the dirt on my latest exploits in the allotment. The new

Chester Hotel is uncovered, we celebrate the humble herring – a feature of this year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy, and we take a trip through the magnificent Royal Deeside countryside with its equally impressive food. We are also delighted to have tracked down two Michelin-star chef Michael Wignall, whose profile is growing following his appearance on MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge.

However, it’s the abundance of great local produce and talented chefs in the area we applaud and this publication is a celebration of their great achievements, so keep this handy pocket-sized magazine with you as you explore what they have to offer.

PRODUCTION

Calum Farquhar T: +44 (0) 1224 288982 E: calum@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

ACCOUNTS & DISTRIBUTION T: +44 (0) 1224 288983 E: accounts@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

@SavourMag

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ingredients A celebration of north-east food and drink ISSUE 02, 2014

CONTENT

28

44

Paul and Nick

p11

Paul and Nick headline A Taste of Grampian

WInes Uncorked

p25

Tempting wines to try

Michael Wignall

p28/29

Talking to the two Michelin-star chef

Chester Hotel

32

23

p32/33

Take a look at the new Chester Hotel

Meet Gavin Henry

p44/45

You’re Inn for a treat

Breakaway!

38

42

47

p50/52

Breakaway to spectacular Royal Deeside

Competition!

p53

Dine at Raemoir House Hotel

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Early Summer Risotto Deliciously creamy risotto without being too rich Ingredients • 450ml vegetable stock, made with half a stock cube • 4 asparagus spears, trimmed (trimmings kept) and each spear sliced into four • 200-250g peas in the pod, about 85g podded (pods kept) • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 small onion, finely chopped • 85ml risotto rice • 3 tbsp white wine (keep the rest of the bottle chilling) • small handful of freshly grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) • small handful of rocket and a few Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) shavings, to serve

Method 1: Simmer the stock for 10 minutes with the asparagus trimmings and pea pods; these will intensify the flavour. Strain into a jug.

2: While the stock is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide, shallow pan. Tip in the onion and fry gently for 56minutes, stirring, until it is soft but not coloured. Add the rice and continue to stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until the grains become see-through at the edges and begin to make ‘clicking’ noises.

3: Add the wine (it should bubble and evaporate), then 50ml of the stock. Stir well and simmer gently until all the liquid has been absorbed. Now pour in another 50ml of stock and stir again. Continue adding the stock and stirring.

After about 7 minutes, when half the stock has been added, swirl in the asparagus and peas. Carry on adding stock in small amounts until it has been absorbed; this will take about 10 more minutes. Now the risotto should be a little wet and sloppy and the rice tender with a nutty bite.

4: Turn off the heat, then gently stir in the grated Parmesan, taste and season. You may need only a little black pepper, as the Parmesan and stock are both salty. Spoon the risotto on to a plate, top with the rocket, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and scatter with Parmesan shavings. Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy your meal.

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Ever stop to think about what’s in a jar of honey? It’s really quite simple. There are no added preservatives.

No added flavourings. No added colouring.

Take a look at the additive-free journey that honey takes from bee to jar and see for yourself. The jar of honey on your supermarket shelf is nothing more than honest-to-goodness sweetness the way nature intended.

From Bee ALL-NATURAL PRODUCTION Honey gets its start as flower nectar, which is collected by bees, naturally broken down into simple sugars and stored in honeycombs. The unique design of the honeycomb, coupled with constant fanning by the bees’ wings, causes evaporation to take place, creating the thick, sweet liquid we know as honey.

The colour and flavour of honey varies from hive to hive based on the type of flower nectar collected by the bees. For example, honey made from orange blossom nectar might be light in colour, whereas honey from avocado or wildflowers might have a dark amber colour.

To Hive HARVESTING AND EXTRACTING Beekeepers - large and small - harvest honey by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that bees make to seal off honey in each cell.

Once the caps are removed, the frames are placed in an extractor — a centrifuge that spins the frames, forcing honey out of the comb. The honey is spun to the sides of the extractor, where gravity pulls it to the bottom and it can be collected.

To Jar STRAINING AND BOTTLING After the honey is extracted, it is strained to remove any remaining pieces of wax or other particles. Some

beekeepers and bottlers might heat the honey to make it easier to strain, but this does nothing to alter the liquid’s natural composition. It only makes the straining process easier and more effective.

To Shop John Anderson, who has been mastering the honey business for thirty years, produces only the highest quality Scottish honey, and now has hives across the country estates and heather moors of the Scottish Highlands. Based in Turriff, he is ideally located to harvest the natural goodness that the rich fertile land produces. As well as blossom, heather and clover honey, he also produces honey with GlenDronach single malt, and sells New Zealand comb honey, where the honey is sealed into the comb by the bees - the whole comb is edible.

Anderson also makes jams, marmalades, curds and jellies using the traditional ‘open pan’ method; the strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, rhubarb and redcurrant products use exclusively Scottish fruit.

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Chester Hotel Opens Aberdeen has a new jewel in its crown with the recent opening of the eagerly anticipated The Chester Hotel. Aimed at the

five-star

hotel,

dining

and

entertaining market, The Chester Hotel

News Bites...

Andy Murray Serves Up Another Title

combines the original features of its stunning 19th century listed building on the city’s famous Queen’s Road with luxurious contemporary design.

Following a complete refurbishment, the newly extended premises boast an exceptional restaurant, bar, private dining room, 54 bedrooms - including two suites, and a gym. A beauty room available to residents and non-residents opened in April and a function room for weddings and dinners for up to 300 people, plus conferences for up to 500 delegates, has recently opened. (Read more on pages 32 and 33).

Cock and Bull Shortlisted The Cock and Bull at Balmedie has been shortlisted in the category of The Pub Excellence Award at the Catering in Scotland (CIS) Excellence Awards 2014

Andy Murray has served a quick-fire ace after the historic hotel acquired and refurbished by his family was named Scottish Hotel of the Year.

Cromlix, which re-opened at the start of April near the Wimbledon and Olympic tennis champion’s home at Dunblane in Perthshire, took the top prize at the 2014 Scottish Hotel Awards in Edinburgh.

“This superbly balanced combination of solid investment, vision and hugely experienced management has made Cromlix the unanimous choice of judges this year,” said awards’ chairman, Gary McLean Quin.

along with Edinburgh’s The Scran & Scallie Public House, owned by famous duo Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack.

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“Hotels often have sizeable sums of money spent on them but that’s only

half the battle,” he added. “What impressed us – and specifically enabled this award – was the involvement of award-winning management and individuals in every department - people of excellence we have known for a decade. The result is no less than a national treasure. We must also pay tribute to Andy’s mother, Judy, who has undoubtedly played a great part in this transformation.”

Since being bought by the Murray family last year, the 15-bedroom Victorian mansion hotel with private chapel, set in 34 acres, has been entirely redesigned and in some areas rebuilt. It is managed by Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI), which controls eight other properties around Scotland and won the Hotel Management Company award for the fifth year in a row.

Cromlix’s restaurant bears the name of ICMI industry expert, Albert Roux, owner of La Gavroche in London, the first UK restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars.

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News Bites Don't Wait for Friday to Escape for Lunch In April, PizzaExpress launched a new lunch menu and the Aberdeen restaurants were among the first in the UK to roll it out. The biggest ever change to the PizzaExpress offering presents a real focus on healthy, light and inexpensive dishes.

The new spring menu boasts classic Italian flavours as well as a wider range of its low-calorie Leggera dishes. New pizzas include a vegan-friendly recipe and a Leggera version of the Sloppy Giuseppe, created to be under 500 calories. New salads, sides and desserts have also been added including a creamy white wine and salmon risotto, a traditional panzanella, a refreshing lemon sorbet, summer pudding and panna cotta.

From tasty soups to perfectly proportioned pizzas, the new menu has been designed to give busy people an excuse to escape for a quick and inexpensive lunch. The range is bursting with tasty new choices as well as lunchtime-sized versions of the old favourites. All items are available to eat in

or take away from Monday to Friday and main dishes range from £3.45 to just £5.95.

New to PizzaExpress is a selection of piadinas, bread pockets that are made using the restaurant’s famous dough, baked with Gran Moravia and filled with tasty, fresh ingredients. Two flavours of soup are also being introduced and served with warm bread, also made from PizzaExpress’s dough.

Lunchtime-sized portions of PizzaExpress’s most popular salads are also joining the menu, including the Leggera superfood salad, which is glutenfree and contains just 256 calories. For pizza-lovers looking for a lighter choice, eight Romanita pizzas have been created – smaller versions of PizzaExpress’s Romana range of thin and crispy pizzas.

Also featured are mini side dishes, including half portions of dough balls, rosemary-infused polenta chips and a crunchy, zesty coleslaw.

Dalkeith Chef Crowned Scotland’s ‘Curry King’ Matin Khan, who runs Itihaas restaurant in Dalkeith, has been named Scotland’s ‘curry king’. He beat off competition from restaurants all over Scotland to be named Chef of the Year at the Scottish Curry Awards at a gala dinner attended by more than 500 guests at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.

“I am proud and honoured to have received this recognition, especially considering there are so many marvellous curry chefs around Scotland,” Matin commented. “At Itihaas we use the finest meat, vegetables and other ingredients, working to authentic recipes.

However, work in the kitchen has to be matched by top-notch service in the restaurant and I’m fortunate to have an excellent team front-ofhouse as well as in the back.”

The trophy was received on his behalf by his son, Habibur.

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Stick with Rhubarb

Everyone loves rhubarb, particularly at the start of the year, when it's much prized amongst gardeners and allotment owners as the first of the season's fruits.

Although, strictly speaking, rhubarb is a vegetable. You can enjoy rhubarb in hearty steamed puddings, fruity crumbles, moist cakes, delicious jams,

savoury chutneys, sharp-tasting pickles, mouth-watering tarts and flans and, more recently, as an accompaniment to pork or duck; rhubarb's tart flavour cuts through the richness of the meat.

The young pink stems have a refreshingly sharp flavour. There's no need to peel

young rhubarb; just remove any stringy bits. If you have a lot of rhubarb, you can blanch the stems in boiling water for about 45 seconds, drain well, cool, cut into pieces and freeze for up to three months. Limp rhubarb can be perked up by standing the stems upright in chilled water for about an hour.

Rhubarb and Custard Crunch Ingredients • 450g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into chunks • 85g caster sugar • roughly a 500g/1lb 2oz tub or can of ready-made custard • ½ quantity honey crunch granola

Method for mousse: 1: First make the honey crunch granola with almonds and apricots. You'll need half the granola for this recipe.

2: Heat the oven to 150ºC. Arrange the rhubarb in a roasting tin just big enough to hold it all in a single layer, scatter with the sugar and cover with foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just tender, then cool in the tin.

3: Spoon a little rhubarb into the base of six glasses or pots, then top with a couple of tablespoons of custard. Sprinkle over some granola, then repeat the layers to fill the glasses.

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Paul and Nick Heading for Taste of Grampian

Two celebrity chefs, who have just completed a culinary mission to find the very best Celtic food and drink, are heading to the North East.

Northern Ireland’s Paul Rankin and Scotland’s very own Nick Nairn were confirmed as the duo that will be starring at the 15th Taste of Grampian, being held at Inverurie’s Thainstone Centre on June 7.

The pair will each be displaying their prowess in the kitchen individually and jointly. Their Big Food Trip, screened last year by STV, was extremely popular and saw them travel by boat along the Scottish and Northern Irish coasts. They turned a variety of different meats, seafood, vegetables and fruit into an array of tantalising dishes.

The annual showcase for the North East’s rich and diverse food and drink larder is promising various enhancements.

A seafood pavilion, which made its first appearance at last year’s event, is being made bigger to fully accommodate the interest in it.

And local chef Sandy Greig, one half of the popular ‘Two Fat Laddies’, will be teaming up with a variety of other chefs and cooks, including Lady Claire

Macdonald and Tesco’s Donna Knight, throughout the day to provide cookery demonstrations outdoors.

Sandy will also be overseeing a new contest for chefs, where they will be challenged to make an omelette as quickly as possible.

Taste of Grampian chairman Brian Pack revealed the line-up as the event was launched to the trade at a Grampian Food Forum dining club at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

He said: “We’ll be back in June once more, bigger and better than previous years, while remaining true to our roots in making sure visitors can see, taste and buy all the very best food and drink produced in this region.

“We’re also delighted to have a new title sponsor in the shape of Town and Country Apartments, an Inverurie-based business, and welcome them on board.”

The firm is among the North East’s largest providers of serviced accommodation and, through a sister company, also specialises in leasing residential rental property.

Business development manager Richard Booth said: “To be at the heart of this year’s event as the main sponsor is a

great fit for Town and Country. Just as we put quality and customer service at the centre of our business, so too do the incredible producers and chefs who do such an excellent job of highlighting the produce of the North East at Taste of Grampian. It’s all too easy to take for granted what we have on our doorstep and sometimes it takes an event like this to focus the mind and underline the potential of our region.”

Mr Pack said interest in Taste of Grampian was already strong, with in excess of 30 stands for the main food and drink show and 20 in the craft tent already booked.

Also sponsoring the event are Asda, Quality Meat Scotland, the Food Standards Agency, the Crerar Thainstone House Hotel, Young’s Seafood, Tesco, the Mercure Ardoe House Hotel and Spa, Mackie’s of Scotland, Hamlyns of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Thistle Hotels, Union Square, Imajica, More Than Kitchens, Service Point, Ledingham Chalmers, the Nick Nairn Cook School, the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, and Banff and Buchan College.

The partners behind the Taste of Grampian are the ANM Group, Aberdeenshire Council, Grampian Food Forum, the Press and Journal and Scottish Enterprise.

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in season Welcome the spring season with tasty alternatives to your usual greens Variety not only keeps your diet fresh—it can also help keep you healthy by giving you a broader range of nutrients. And the bounty of greens arriving at farmers' markets at this time of year makes it a great time to trade in your tried-and-true healthy foods for something new. Added bonus: ‘Just picked’ produce is loaded with disease-fighting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, plus it usually costs less and bursts with flavour.

So what’s in season and good for us at this time of year?

It’s the time of year for delicious asparagus; lightly steaming or boiling brings out the fragrant flavour, which can be enjoyed simply covered in butter or dipped in hollandaise sauce.

• ASPARAGUS • CRAB • ELDERFLOWER • LAMB • GOOSEBERRY • NECTARINE • NEW POTATOES • RADISH

May

• ROCKET • SARDINES • SPRING ONION • WATERCRESS

Broad beans are pretty hardy and adaptable as they grow in most soils and climates. They’re a great source of protein and carbohydrates and are at their peak from the end of June.

• BROAD BEANS • CRAB • FRENCH BEANS • LAMB • MACKEREL • MANGETOUT • PEAS • RADISH • RASPBERRY

June savour

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• SARDINES • STRAWBERRY • TOMATO

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The Rich Radish

The root of a member of the mustard family, radishes have a peppery flavour and a crisp, crunchy texture. Among the most popular varieties are the small, cherry-sized common variety, which has a red skin and white flesh. (The French Breakfast radish is a variation on this type, and has an elongated shape with a deep pink skin that fades to white at the roots).

You can also find black radishes, popular in Eastern Europe, which are more strongly flavoured, as well as large white mooli or daikon radishes, which are shaped like carrots. They are popular in Asian cookery and have a very mild flavour.

Radishes are rich in folic acid and potassium and are a good source of vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, and calcium.

Availability

All year round, though the British season runs from May to mid-October. They're extremely easy to grow from seed, whether in an allotment or in a window box.

Choose the best Go for firm-skinned radishes with no blemishes. If they feel soft, they are likely to be spongy inside. Any greens still attached should look fresh and perky. The bigger the radish, the less crisp its texture, so avoid larger examples.

Prepare it To increase the crispness of radish, soak them in iced water for a couple of hours.

Wash, then chop off the greens, if present; then slice off the root. Leave

whole, slice or chop, as required. Always prepare radishes just before using, as they lose their potency when cut. Mooli or daikon radishes can be sliced, diced or grated.

Store it In a perforated bag in the fridge for around three to four days. Always trim the leaves off before storing, as they'll draw moisture from the radish itself. You can keep the radish greens in the fridge, wrapped in moist kitchen paper then stowed in a perforated bag, for a couple of days.

Cook it Common red-skinned: raw in salads.

Mooli or daikon: raw or stir-fried (three minutes). Add radish greens to salads.

New potatoes with radishes & cured ham Ingredients • 600g baby new potatoes (look for Jersey Royals or Pembrokeshire) • 1 bay leaf • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1-2 tsp sherry vinegar • 2 bunches breakfast radishes (or 150g bag radishes), trimmed

Method for mousse: 1: Bring the potatoes to the boil in a large pan with the bay leaf and plenty of salt. Simmer gently just until tender, about 10-15 minutes, then allow to cool a little in the cooking water.

2: Drain the potatoes, discarding the bay leaf, then dress in the olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar to taste. Split the radishes in half from head to toe, season with a little salt, toss with the warm new potatoes and carefully arrange on a serving platter with the ham slices.

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Stonehaven Market Stonehaven Farmers' Market - one of the busiest and most successful in Aberdeenshire - was established by the Stonehaven Business Association in 2005. The market takes place on the first Saturday of the month from 9.00 a.m. until 1.00 p.m. in the town’s Market Square. A particularly strong array of producers can be found at Stonehaven market including Granite City Fish, The Store, Gluten Free Baking, Neil Gammie (Fernieflatt Farm), Poppys, Cocoa Ooze, Devenick Dairy, Ingram’s Homecure, Rob Powell (photographer), Pam's Tablet, From Scotland, Crannach Bakery, Cambus O'May Cheese, Ola Oils, Wow Dog Bakery and Castleton Farm (when their superb fruit is in season).

Featured Producer – The Store Based at Foveran near Ellon, The Store is a farm-based family-run business with a strong commitment to providing local, natural, high quality produce. The farm raises Aberdeen Angus cattle and sheep (Suffolks and Texels) in small numbers in open fields, fed on natural pastures and home-grown fodder, seeing the product all the way through from pasture to customer and making best use of the natural environment. Meats are hung traditionally to ensure the highest quality. The Store supplies The Marcliffe at Pitfodels, Aberdeen's only five-star hotel, as well as the outstanding Eat on the Green restaurant in Udny Green.

Run by the Booth family, The Store continues to be a strong supporter of local farmers’ markets and can be found at the regular monthly markets at Stonehaven, Banchory, Balmedie, Aberdeen and Inverurie, as well as many other local food events including Taste of Grampian.

The Store has its own butchery and offers an excellent range of meat products including superb steaks, sausages and pies.

Experienced staff members are invariably on hand at farmers’ markets to offer cooking and serving suggestions. An online ordering facility means that meat enthusiasts unable to attend local markets can still access their produce.

The Store’s farm shop at Foveran was extended in 2012 to incorporate a coffee shop and restaurant and is well worth a visit – especially on a Gourmet night!

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Farmers’ Markets can be found at: ABERDEEN - Last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

BALMEDIE - 2nd Saturday of the month 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

BANCHORY - 3rd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

HUNTLY - 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

INVERURIE - 2nd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

MACDUFF - Last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

PETERHEAD - 1st Saturday of the month 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

STONEHAVEN - 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

TORPHINS - Every Wednesday TURRIFF - 3rd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

WESTHILL - 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Cook the perfect steak On our farm in Aberdeenshire, we take pride in our Aberdeen Angus beef cattle. We feed them purely on a forage-based diet to enhance the flavours of the succulent and tender meat. The beef is matured on the bone for three to four weeks at our on-site maturation chills at The Store, and butchered by our team of master butchers.

Method 1: Get your griddle pan smoking hot and season your steak. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to your griddle, followed by the Aberdeen Angus fillet steak. Allow the meat to get a lovely dark crust before turning over. Remember more colour gives more flavours!

2: To cook your fillet to the right temperature, you should ideally use a temperature probe: 40º for rare, 50º for medium. We don’t do well done!

3: Remove the fillet from the pan and allow it to rest for about five minutes. This allows the muscle to relax and gives you a far juicier eating experience.

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The Booth family, owners of The Store in Foveran, have a reputation for producing the finest Aberdeen Angus beef. On-site The Store has its own butchery, farm shop and deli, kitchen and coffee shop, and all meat products sold at The Store are reared on the family’s farm. The focus at The Store is to bring customers the best possible fresh, local produce. It is also a great place for a coffee stop, where you can relax with a brew, a home-made cake or a delicious lunch. If you can’t make it to Foveran, you can shop online or catch up with the team at farmers’ markets across the North East. Farmer Booth talks to Savour’s editor about the family’s business success.

Q: Over the years I have published many stories of achievement relating to The Store, so what, in your opinion, is the reason for the Booth family’s success?

A: At The Store, we are passionate about encouraging our customers to make use of Scotland’s natural larder, with a strong vision to provide good quality local produce to the North East.

I guess this has helped to make The Store a success.

We strive to offer our customers only the best local produce, whilst also educating and promoting agriculture.

As we have our own farms and on-site butchery, we are able to follow a farmto-fork approach, giving us full traceability and, importantly, complete control so customers can have trust

and confidence in our meat, which is vital these days.

However, we don’t just want to offer a place to buy local meat; we also want to enhance food tourism in Scotland, so we host various foodie events and open farm days to showcase the farm and our products. We also get involved with various national initiatives such as National Breakfast Week to provide our customers with further understanding about the importance of local food.

Since day one, our aim has been simple – to promote high-quality, regional food with passion.

Q: Have you plans for any open days, gourmet evenings or butchery masterclasses this year?

A: We host various events and foodie nights throughout the year as a way to

showcase our award-winning produce.

We like to focus on different themes and foodie favourites each week, and so far we have hosted a variety of themed nights, including Best of British Summer, Flaming Butchers Grill night, a Game night, Indian and Taste of the North East. In the next few months, we are planning a gastro night and our popular grill night. Our butchery courses are run regularly and offer an experience to any meat-loving foodie, with hands-on butchery experience and expert tips on carving the Sunday roast.

We also attend several farmers’ markets throughout the year and will be exhibiting at Taste of Grampian in June.

Our annual open farm day will be held in September to mark the homecoming of harvest 2014.

Q: As the weather improves and we look forward to another summer, what does The Store offer the barbecue enthusiast?

A: We always like to host some summer barbecues for our customers at The Store, but we can also provide the ultimate showstopper for their own parties or events. Our hog roast can be hired out either as do-it-yourself or fully catered with a choice of high quality meats available from The Store, with the extra condiments to cater for 100 guests.

We can also provide barbecue hire for those traditional beef lovers who prefer the classic burger in a bap, which is extremely popular for private birthday parties and special celebrations in the summer months and corporate events throughout the year.

In our farm shop, we have a range of products from local artisan producers, including home-grown vegetables, sauces, chutneys and cheeses to offer the complete package for the barbecue season.

Q: If I’m buying online, how can I guarantee my food box arrives fresh and to a suitable destination?

A: All meats products sold at The Store come from produce reared on the family farms, offering 100% traceability

from farm to fork. We deliver locally and throughout the UK mainland using a next day delivery courier service.

They are also delivered in a chilled cool box and, if preferred, we can dispatch products frozen. This gives customers complete satisfaction, so they can enjoy the real taste of Scotland.

Q: What kind of fare can our readers expect at the coffee shop?

A: Our coffee shop menu is changed seasonally, with hearty Scottish dishes and foodie favourites, including mouth-watering handmade burgers and home-baked cakes to accompany your coffee. We like to feature a new special each day to give customers a new experience on each visit. Of course, all the meat produce is from the farm, but we also source from local suppliers to give the customers more variety. We also transform our coffee shop for our gourmet foodie evenings.

An added extra for the customer is that the products served in the coffee shop can be purchased in the farm shop, with sauces, salad garnish and special ingredients all available to take home.

Q: You are clearly a farmers’ market enthusiast. Why are they so important?

A: Farmers’ markets are great fun and have proved to be a fantastic way to

get The Store’s name out there from the beginning.

We use these events to launch many of our new products, and we get an honest, quick response from our customers about our produce, so we can gauge if a product will be a success or not.

Q: You have resident chefs who work outwith the coffee shop. Can you tell me about their roles?

A: Our resident chefs, Kenny and Drew, create the seasonal menus and foodie Friday menus, along with me and my wife, Debbie.

They are tasked with using ingredients from the farm and other local suppliers and food in season to create a menu that will cater for and excite our customers’ taste buds.

Q: What new products, events or surprises can we expect from The Store this year?

A: We are currently confirming all of our foodie Friday evenings, but we will be at Taste of Grampian this year and plan to hold our open farm day in September.

2014 and 2015 are going to be very exciting times for The Store, so be prepared to see a number of changes.

MARCH Halleluiah! I always feel when you get to the end of February you really notice the days stretching so it’s countdown time to getting those dormant seeds planted. The damp soil, however, refuses to part from the dandelion and dock roots, making the remaining clearing of our plot impossible. Mud clings to my wellies more than Ann Widdecombe to Anton on Strictly. Although we’ve been spared the floods of southern Britain, water still lies in many allotments and indeed a neighbour may perhaps consider rice planting rather than more conventional vegetation.

We have instead concentrated on construction work and, with the help of the B&Q sale, managed to

purchase and build a summerhouse, a venture in which we succeeded with surprisingly limited profanities. Our idea is to use this little haven to bring on our seedlings in the springtime while in the summer months offer consolation to our hard graft with a seat and a cheeky little Sauvignon. So be warned, neighbouring horticultural friends, at day’s end you may think Michael Bublé has taken up gardening but it’s actually me relaxing just a little too much!

For weeks now every shaft of sunlight has had my wife reach excitedly for packets of seeds and we now have every window ledge groaning with little green trays with Perspex lids. Little did Yeo Valley know that, on emptying the creamy contents of their ‘Greek Style’ pot, a home was created for a

fledgling spinach plant! Trays are turned daily with military precision as the young plants bend to the window in an endeavour to capture the limited rays of sunshine. Like a sister on a maternity ward, my wife constantly checks her incubating ‘babies’ and no visitor is spared her proud ‘rounds’ from window to window.

Back on the allotment, our rhubarb (hence the rant!), which has been cosseted with straw over the winter and shielded by pots, has sprung into life. Now showing its red stems and umbrella-like leaves, it is our first success but I fear it is about to crumble!!

Despite the rainfall I’ve also been able to construct two more raised beds – one for herbs and one for salad leaves. The larger beds remain black tarpaulin-covered, in grave-like solitude, awaiting the early summer sunshine and a chance to burst into life.

APRIL To plant or not to plant? That is the question! The weather changes more times than a brood of girls on a hen weekend.

However, activity on neighbouring allotments has increased and gardeners now scurry around like busy ants getting their beds in order, while garden centres do battle to convince you their aisles of greens are better than elsewhere.

It may still be a bit cold outside but my wife’s credit card is red hot.

As I continue to do battle with the soil, her struggle is with the copious amounts of trays she can fit into her trolley. With no heed to the ‘Beware of Frost’ warning, every conceivable edible plant with the slightest sign of life is chosen and wheeled to the checkout. Bearing in mind the amount of seeds sown and maturing nicely at home, I feel the allotment may be a mistake and a farm a more appropriate option!

The brassicas - that’s cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts for the uninitiated - are carefully dibbered into the awaiting beds and snugly covered with horticultural fleece to protect them from frost. The lettuce and salad leaves are planted and I’ve erected a wigwam for impending broad beans that would make the indigenous people of Native America proud. The constant rain has my wife announcing I should grab a big butt. I can’t tell you my response but my ear is still aching!

As the final remaining sods are turned and I risk a nose bleed as I finally straighten up after weeks of being doubled in two, my younger son, who has been known to pick up a spade on occasions, appears. This was not the time to tell me he had just been notified of his success in claiming an allotment for himself … just across from ours! Every dad will tell you how proud he is when his kids follow in his footsteps, but why did he have to pick gardening??

20

The Taste of Success

Joining Mr Kenny on the judging panel was Jeremy Dixon, marketing and sales director at Ochil Foods, and food and drink editor of The List, Donald Reid. Ochil Foods are a third generation, family-run food business supplying Scottish produce and internationally sourced speciality foods to hotels and caterers throughout Scotland. Donald Reid has been food and drink editor at The List since 1999, and is the founder and editorial director of the Larder series of publications, which covers the food and drink scene in Scotland.

Associated Seafoods Ltd (ASL) won the Best New Retail Product category for businesses with more than 25 employees for their high quality crab products (White Crab Meat Pot, White and Brown Crab Meat Pot and Dressed Crab).

Over 180 guests from the food and drink industry attended the Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards last month.

Highlighting the richness and diversity of the north-east larder, the awards, held in the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, Aberdeen, rewarded the skill and ingenuity of thriving food and drink businesses across the region. During the day, over 33 entries from 17 food and drink companies were sampled and assessed by the judging panel. The evening culminated in trophies being handed to the category winners from the impressive array of original entries.

The judging panel was headed by Andrew Kenny, who has worked in food retail all of his working life and has been with Asda Stores Ltd for 10 years, holding a number of positions on the trading floor. Andrew is now category director responsible for all aspects relating to the customer within Meal Solutions, Cafés and Asda local sourcing ranges in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mr Kenny said he had his eye on several products that he would like to see on Asda’s shelves, adding: “There are certainly some I want my buying team to pick up and take forward. It has been fantastic to see the drive, passion and energy behind some great products in the local area. There’s definite potential to support local producers in the future and list the unique and innovative products in Asda stores for our customers to enjoy.”

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Issue 02 2014

Henry Angus of ASL, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award, which recognises the huge efforts put in by all our staff in ensuring that we produce premium products with strong consumer appeal.”

ASL recently successfully completed a major investment programme at its facility in Buckie, Scotland, creating an ultramodern processing plant for Scottish shellfish and Scottish smoked salmon. A significant element of the new development plans for the business includes the diversification into high-end

21 “To win an award for investing in skills development is testimony to our staff and their appetite for learning (as well as for great butteries!), and the support we receive from the Scottish Association of Master Bakers. The Entrepreneur of the Year award was the icing on the cake.

“Whilst we may be at the helm, the success of our business is thanks to all our staff passionately working hard to consistently deliver great products and service. Also to our loyal supplier base and our customers who truly embrace local quality products and are a pleasure to work with and supply. If you want to know where the real engine rooms of the economy are

retail products such as those that have been successful at the awards.

Husband-and-wife team Claire and Ross Rennie, who started in business making fresh chocolate-covered strawberries at their family farm near Rosehearty under the Berry Scrumptious label, had cause for a double celebration. They were awarded the Best New Retail Product for businesses with less than 25 employees for their Summerhouse Drinks, and Most Successful Product from the 2013 awards for their Gourmet Berry Fudge. Claire

and what will generate economic growth, look up your local family business. We are here, we employ, we invest!”

Since the Innovation Awards J G Ross (Bakers) Ltd have been shortlisted for Scottish Baker of the Year.

The Grampian Food Forum, a partnership between representatives of the food and drink industry and public sector organisations in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray, has supported this sector for more than 20 years. Although Aberdeenshire accounts for less than 9% of Scotland’s land area,

commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won two awards this year, especially for our Summerhouse Drinks, a new range for us, which we are very excited about.”

However, the night belonged to the team from J G Ross (Bakers) Ltd from Inverurie, who went home clutching three of the coveted awards. A jubilant Graeme Ross said: “We are absolutely delighted to win so many awards across several categories. In 2013 we made a significant investment in our Portsoy bakery to develop it into a gluten-free site and, after less than 12 months, for two products made there (Angelic Gluten Free Cookies and Pulsetta Breadcrumbs) to win awards is fantastic.

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22 it produces more than 20% of its agricultural output, primarily premium red meat, cereals, berries and vegetables. Moray is home to the country’s largest cluster of distilleries and, as well as being a significant food producing region, has a coastline that is home to the majority of the Scottish fishing fleet.

The Grampian Food Forum is part of the wider Scotland Food & Drink Network and advises on the needs of the industry so that specific projects can be put in place. The network was established in 2011 to help Scotland’s food and drink businesses grow and connect, potentially identifying new business opportunities. Its aim is to promote the expansion of this sector, in turn helping to maintain Scotland’s reputation for excellence within the industry.

Next year is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink and the perfect time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Innovation Awards. The Forum offers a range of activities throughout the year, and anyone in the food and drink industry locally wishing to

participate

should

contact

Elizabeth

Mathie

at

grampianfoodforum@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Winners of the Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards 2014 Best New Retail Product Award for businesses with more than 25 employees

Grampian Food & Drink Entrepreneur 2014 Award, sponsored by Johnston Carmichael

First - Associated Seafoods Ltd - Crab Range Runner Up - John Ross Jr (Aberdeen) Ltd - Original Classic Smoked Salmon (Limited Edition)

Winner - Graeme Ross - J G Ross (Bakers) Ltd

Best New Retail Product Award for businesses with up to 25 employees First - Berry Scrumptious - Summerhouse Drinks Runner Up - Deeside Brewery Ltd - Deeside Craft Lager Best New Foodservice Product Award for businesses with more than 25 employees Winner - J G Ross (Bakers) Ltd for the Angelic Gluten Free Range Best New Foodservice Product Award for businesses with up to 25 employees Winner - Pulsetta Foods Limited - Pulsetta Breadcrumbs Local Independent Retailer of the Year Award sponsored by SRUC and Taste of Grampian

Investing in Skills Development Award, sponsored by Skills Development Scotland Winner - J G Ross (Bakers) Ltd Denis Emslie Above and Beyond Award, sponsored by Mackie's of Scotland Winner - Calum Richardson - The Bay Fish and Chips The Most Successful Product from the 2013 Awards, sponsored by SRUC and Aberdeenshire Council Winner - Berry Scrumptious - Gourmet Berry Fudge Best Young Business Award, sponsored by Young's Seafood Ltd Winner - Pulsetta Foods Limited

Winner - Allarburn Farm Shop Commitment to Healthy Eating Award, sponsored by The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health

Judges' Choice Award, sponsored by the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa

Winner - Chalmers Bakery Ltd - Mediterranean Pie

Winner - Seb Jones, Speyside Craft Brewery

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23

Steak out this Healthy Eating Website

We Scots love our meat and we are lucky to have some of the best and most respected suppliers’ right here on our doorstep. One of the most highly regarded purveyors of meat in the North East is Andrew Gordon, who has introduced his Fresh Food Guru healthy eating range through his website. Already recognised for his amazing butchery and fine foods store in Chattan Place, Andrew is exploring the healthy eating side of the business, offering low-calorie, low-fat options. As an established butcher he has great buying power and can therefore pass this on to his customers, allowing them to afford eating healthily and getting better value for money.

For example, Andrew has obtained local exclusive rights for Piedmontese meat, which has a subtle richness, aromatic and herbaceous flavour, and an earthy finish.

Its genetics and diet result in a meat that is low in both saturated fat and cholesterol. Nutritionally Piedmontese compares favourably to what have

historically been considered ultra-healthy sources of protein. For example, it actually has fewer calories than roasted chicken. This exceptional range includes sirloin, fillet and rib-eye steaks, steak mince, steak burgers and, for the bodybuilding enthusiast, a Piedmontese pack.

But it’s not just about the one brand. The Fresh Food Guru offers Aberdeen Angus steaks, extra lean minced topside, centre cut fillet steaks, chicken olives, British chicken breast fillet and a selection of lean burgers and sausages. For even better value, you also purchase bulk buy meat packs, including gluten-free bulk buy deals.

If you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, a wedding, a corporate day out with your clients or simply having a party, there is no better way to impress your guests than a delicious hog roast from Fresh Food Guru Hog Roasts.

Delicious Aberdeenshire-bred pork served in a brioche bun, with sage and onion stuffing, Bramley apple sauce and a home-made pork and wine gravy. Add to the experience with a selection of canapés, salads, baked potatoes with fillings and desserts. Professional and friendly staff will work with you and ensure your guests have a memorable time. It’s a spectacular day you’ll be talking about for some time.

If you look after your body, whether you’re a gym enthusiast or simply because you care about nutrition, click on to the website www.freshfoodguru.co.uk They have superb produce, unbeatable value, offer free advice for cooking and deliver throughout the UK.

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The white grapes of the Rhône Valley in France make me smile; they have presence whether solo or in a blend. It was a study trip to the southern Rhône areas of Luberon, Ventoux and Costières de Nîmes that really shone a light on the character of the white wines of the Rhône.

What’s not to love about the pear and herb fragrance of Roussanne or the white flower, mineral and apricot notes of Viognier? And then there’s the honeysuckle, jasmine and honey of a maturing Marsanne.

On its own in the northern Rhône, Viognier is the grape of the enticing Condrieu appellation. A small percentage is also sometimes co-fermented with Syrah (the only permitted red grape in the northern Rhône) in the wines of Côte-Rôtie to give an extra dimension to powerful wines. It’s a practice that has transferred to Australia and other New World countries.

That dynamic trio of grapes is often found in the mix under the Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc appellation, sometimes alongside Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc.

The results can be vibrant and deserve more attention than they get.

Rosé Rhône is well worth exploring. The appellation of Tavel in the southern Rhône is only for rosé, the dry flavourful wines based on Grenache, which gives red berry characters, and Cinsault with its dark juicy fruit.

Red wines dominate both the northern and southern Rhône Valley, each appellation having its style - from the

concentrated long-lived wines of Cornas and the steep hillside of Hermitage to the softer, earlier drinking wines from the slopes, Crozes-Hermitage.

In the southern Rhône, the most well-known area is probably that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Up to 13 different grape varieties are permitted but many are Grenache-dominated and, if you are already a fan, then the nearby appellations of Gigondas and Vacqueyras are a must.

Wines to try*: Les Dauphins Côtes-du-Rhône Reserve Blanc 2012 (Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Viognier) Tesco £6.79 Domaine Maby 2012, Tavel Cuvée Prima Donna (Cinsault, Grenache) www.thewinesociety.com - £9.95 Guigal Gigondas Red 2010 Wine Importers (01506) 468900 Crozes-Hermitage Cave de Tain White 2011 M&S £12.99 Léon Perdigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Des Argentiers 2010 Fountainhall Wines, Aberdeen £17.99

26

Drink

News Bites...

The Most Unusual Beer Names There’s been a great and rather amusing response to a previous issue of Savour and our request to send in names of beers with unusual names. (It does make me worry a little about our readers!!)

Unravel the Taste of France

different grapes together: ‘The sum is

From the Oban Bay Brewery, we were informed about the Kilt Lifter IPA; from Tayside, MòR Tea Vicar? produced by MòR Brewing; and, nearer to home, Tactical Nuclear Penguin from our friends at BrewDog.

greater than the individual parts’.

Be confused no more as Anne Roque from AdVini in the south of France is coming to Montmartre on 14th May.

There were a couple of seasonal entries with the Inveralmond Brewery in Perth producing Santa’s Swallie and, with the same theme, we were told of Ridgeway Brewing in England who offer us Santa’s Butt.

Montmartre Restaurant has selected an exciting menu to bring out the best in her wines, which include a Malbec from Cahors, a rosé from Provence and a

rare

white

blend

from

the

Clearly it’s a topic of great amusement, which instigated immediate research resulting in the following, for which I can only apologise:

Languedoc.

Old Leghumper

and why they have been paired with

Arrogant Bastard Ale

the dishes prepared by our chefs for

Anne will explain the general wines of the area, discuss what is in her wines

this occasion.

The Dog’s Bollocks

The wines of France can be a mystery

Pig’s Ass Porter

to some. Many are named after the place they come from, the winemaker

The evening will not be a lecture, so leave your textbooks at home! It is

Spicy Fish Wife

who made them or the company who

intended rather to be a fun, informal

Men’s Room Original

produced them rather than saying

affair where the food and wine will be

what the grapes in the bottle are. Also,

the centrepiece of this celebration of

the predominant way is to blend

all things culinary.

Can you beat any of these?? If so, drop us a line at info@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

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Issue 02 2014

27

Ballathie Trio HIT the Heights Training at the world’s oldest hotel school is on the menu for Gail Schofield after winning a coveted industry scholarship.

She is one of three managers and staff at Ballathie House Hotel near Perth to receive the awards from the Hospitality

Expansion for Scottish Brewery A Scottish brewery has recently expanded into new premises, triple the size of its previous facility, to meet demand as it continues to brew up further growth.

Brewmeister, a craft beer specialist, which was launched in 2012, has recently opened a new brewery facility in Keith, in Moray, following significant investment and the continued success of the business.

The 5000 sq ft facility, located at the Isla Bank Mills in the heart of the town, will allow Brewmeister to increase its brewing capacity by over four times, and meet growing demand from customers in the North East and across the world. The brewery also has future plans to build a retail unit for selling its specialised beers, as well as opening the facility to host behind-the-scenes tours.

Brewmeister, which was launched by then student, Lewis Shand, now has 13 members of staff and expects to develop a number of employment opportunities for the surrounding areas and the North East. The brewery has also recently undergone a rebrand to coincide with the expansion, and its new labels are already up for a Scottish design award.

Managing director of Brewmeister, Lewis Shand said: “We first launched Brewmeister in a small farm steading in 2012, and in the past two years we have seen a huge increase in demand for our beers, and we quickly outgrew the facilities. Expanding to larger premises allows us to significantly increase our production and will enable us to grow as a business through increased ability to export further and also employ more staff. The new brewery is also key to our future plans of creating a retail outlet to sell our beers direct to the customers, and also educate them through tours at the site.”

The firm, which was first launched on a £5000 student loan, currently has six types of craft beers, including the world’s strongest beer, Snake Venom (67.5%), with several new recipes in the research stages.

Brewmeister is currently available in several Aberdeen bars, hotels and restaurants, including the Carmelite Hotel, The Gas Lamp and the Queen Vic. The firm is already exporting to Europe and Asia, and is in talks with US distributors.

Industry

Trust

(HIT)

Scotland.

Gail, deputy manager at the four-star 53-bedroom mansion on the banks of the River Tay at Kinclaven, has won a scholarship for a four-day course at the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland.

General manager Jody Marshall will take part in a bespoke course run by Switzerland’s

Glion

Institute

of

Higher Education, and sous-chef John Peter (JP) Ferguson will attend a

four-day

residential

Outward

Bound Leadership programme.

The trio received their certificates from top chef Raymond Blanc at HIT’s Emerging Talent Conference at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow.

“The scholarship will give me a unique experience and once-in-alifetime opportunity to develop myself further by training with the best trainers in their field,” said Gail, who started work at Ballathie as a receptionist 15 years ago.

The

Hospitality

Industry

Trust

Scotland is a charity, which helps people achieve their potential within the Scottish hospitality industry.

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28

Twinkle, Twinkle Michelin Star Our cover story in this issue is an interview with the newly awarded two Michelin-star chef, Michael Wignall at The Latymer. Recently given the accolade of ‘Best Chef you have never heard of’ by Olive magazine, Michael’s profile is growing with a guest spot on the BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals as a judge. He was recently seen competing on ITV in Britain’s Best Dish: The Chefs, describing his cooking as 'complex, carefully crafted and very technical, but not intimidating'.

Q: In most cases when chatting with a chef they have quoted their mums as being a huge influence and inspiration in their careers. Does this also apply to you?

A: My mum always used to cook wholesome meals, baked every day, no frozen or fast foods, something which did set me in very good stead for my subsequent career. Like a lot of successful

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Issue 02 2014

chefs, catering wasn’t my first option and I almost fell into the trade.

Q: It seems everyone wants a piece of Michael Wignall at the moment. With pop-up cafés, T.V. appearances and new projects, how do you maintain your high standards at The Latymer?

A: You’re only as good at the team behind you in the kitchen and front of house. We all work equally as one team, with no egos, and my priority is always the restaurant and the staff, something I believe is shown in the quality of our output. I seldom take time out during opening hours and always choose projects carefully - ones that enhance what we do, not dilute.

Q: You have a ‘Chef’s Table’ in the heart of the kitchen. What experiences can guests at this table expect?

A: The ‘Chef’s Table’ gives the customer the opportunity to see first-hand how we work in the kitchen. It’s also an amazing

29 opportunity to meet the chef who has created each dish personally, as they introduce the dish and the techniques that have gone into each course. It’s a more relaxed style of service, which we have also adapted in the restaurant. The days of stuffy service are long gone.

Q: With two Michelin stars and regarded as one of the country’s leading chefs expectations are high.

Do you still find your kitchen a pleasurable experience or do you feel under pressure?

A: Without a certain amount of pressure, one could get complacent – I find myself more creative when under pressure. We all need a goal to work towards and once this has been achieved a new one will be set; we do not rest on our laurels.

Q: Clearly you must have a brilliant kitchen brigade working with you.

Can you tell us a little about them?

A: Most of my team have been with me now for two to three years and some well over six, so we’ve all developed together.

You spend more time with your colleagues in the kitchen than you do your family, so it’s vital you all get on and work well together. My team are extremely motivated and dedicated,

continually developing diverse ideas. I’m a great believer in developing my staff on a daily basis by setting them challenges for dishes, ideas, combinations – keeping your staff creative can only be a good thing for the restaurant.

Q: You describe your dishes as ‘complex and carefully crafted’, but what exactly does that mean?

A: My food is certainly not simplistic but every element on the plate is there for a reason – to complement or enhance each of the other ingredients in the dish but never overshadowing one another.

Q: There is hardly a week goes by when a ‘celebrity’ chef is not at the top of the book charts. Have you ever been tempted to put pen to paper?

A: Of course. I have a back catalogue of thousands of recipes, which are ever evolving, and it’s definitely something I have in the pipeline.

Q: When can we next expect to see you on our T.V. screens?

A: There are a couple of things planned for 2014, but my priorities lie with evolving the restaurant and other projects even more.

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31

The Spirit of Beckham Diageo has signed football icon David Beckham and his manager Simon Fuller to front the global launch of its Haig Club single grain Scotch whisky brand.

Diageo has joined forces with David Beckham to launch a new Scotch whisky brand worldwide.

The variant has been created in partnership with the duo, who will also play what Diageo says is a ‘fundamental’ role in developing the brand’s marketing strategy and positioning. It will be promoted as a ‘hugely versatile spirit’ when it launches later this year.

The marketing strategy will involve touting the drink’s heritage as Diageo joins the list of alcohol makers emphasising the history behind their brands to appeal to younger drinkers.

The spirit’s name is derived from its origin, the ‘House of Haig’, a 400-year-old dynasty of whisky distillers.

Beckham, who has never backed a spirits brand, will also lead the Scotch whisky’s responsible drinking programme. Diageo is hoping Beckham’s star power can help boost whisky sales as it looks to create new revenue streams from the category.

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The Wait is over...

New Hotel Opens The anticipation is over for Aberdeen food lovers with the opening of The Chester Hotel.

IX Restaurant and IX Bar are part of Aberdeen’s newest high-end establishment, The Chester Hotel, which has undergone a stunning and ambitious refurbishment and extension.

IX Restaurant, under the attentive eye of Savoytrained executive chef, Kevin Dalgleish, seats 90 diners, serving the finest food Scotland offers. The less formal but equally chic IX Bar, with its classic and inventive cocktail list, enviable whisky collection and exclusive Chester Brew, seats 60 guests, dishing up classic yet contemporary bar food prepared with the same skill and of the same high quality as the restaurant.

IX and The Chester Hotel are working directly with prime suppliers such as Simon Howie Butchers; John Ross Jr (Aberdeen), which has created a special Chester smoked salmon; Valrhona Chocolate, with whom IX has a unique deal; and Harviestoun Brewery, from whom IX have commissioned Scotland’s newest beer, The Chester Brew.

The restaurant has two secluded and atmospheric private dining areas, individually seating up to eight people, and a larger private area for up to 30 diners leading on to the Granite Balcony, which has a superb view of Aberdeen’s southern skyline.

The exquisite, modern venue has been designed by world-famous Graven Images, which has ingeniously reworked the large, 19th century interior of the hotel into a stylish and convivial space.

IX Restaurant executive chef, Kevin Dalgleish says: “Leading such a prestigious venue as the IX Restaurant and Bar is a great privilege for a chef, and my team and I are relishing serving our menu to guests and diners. I have spent the past year engaging Scotland’s top food and drink suppliers and perfecting new techniques and dishes to ensure that our customers are bowled over.

“Our menu weaves together the highest quality produce from Scotland’s rich larder with classic and European influences, as well as inspiration drawn from my own team of talented chefs. Our restaurant and bar ingredients include prime Aberdeenshire

beef, the freshest Orkney shellfish, creamy Highland cheeses and indulgent Valrhona chocolate.

“Restaurant diners can pick their own red meat, fish and seafood and watch it being cooked on the Josper grill; the open ‘theatre’ style of the kitchen sets our guests’ mouths watering as they observe their meals being meticulously prepared.

“Afternoon tea guests can enjoy the most delicate confections created by the hotel’s specialist pastry chefs, and we have designed a menu for junior gourmets with yummy dishes such as ‘build your own pizza’ and ‘my first steak’.”

IX sommelier Alex Gerrard said: “Our highly diverse wine list suits new and seasoned palates, with a list of over 120 wines, some of which are well known and others which come from smaller scale and rarefied vineyards.

“We have painstakingly selected bottles which match our evolving, seasonal restaurant and bar menus, but are also very drinkable in their own right. I’m really enjoying pouring customers our delicious white, The Crusher Viognier with its notes of tropical fruit; the red GevreyChambertin, which is bold, dry, rustic and earthy; and the blushing Château Riotor Côtes de Provence Rosé, which is pale and red-fruit dominated.

“Fans of Californian wine will be delighted to see Opus One on the list. This premium Napa Valley winery produces limited stocks only and it is exciting to see it served in a Scottish fine restaurant paired with Scottish cuisine.”

IX bar manager, Gary Middleton said: “IX Bar has assembled a whisky, spirit and cocktail menu to suit all guests, whether they prefer a classic cocktail, a familiar comforting dram or a rarer bottle. We have a full complement of Scottish blends and high-end single malts, and are particularly proud to offer customers the rare Dalmore Constellation 1980 and 1991. Anyone lucky enough to have sampled a measure of this superlative whisky will know its breathtaking quality and chocolate notes.

“We have also, daringly, brought in some exceptional whiskies from Japan and America, which will grace our growing collection of over 130 malts and blends.

“Our cocktails have a highly contemporary gin focus, making the most of Scotland’s growing reputation as a premium gin producer. We stock 16 different gins, predominantly from Scotland, and have been inventing new exciting ways of mixing them.

“Guests are enjoying our very own creation, the ‘Chester Jester’, a raspberry-based cocktail. Beer drinkers are also very favourably catered for with a brand new pale ale, The Chester Brew, which is being brewed especially for IX Bar and Restaurant by the Harviestoun Brewery.”

The Chester Hotel is the latest venture of hoteliers Graham and Gillian Wood, and builds on their notable success, The Chester Residence in Edinburgh, which was recently named TripAdvisor’s top UK and European Luxury Hotel and its top UK Small Hotel for the second year running.

34

Dad’s Special Supper A meaty and satisfying meal, perfect for Father's Day

Ingredients • 750g baby new potatoes • 2 tbsp olive oil • 8 plump sausages (choose Dad's favourite) • 3 rounded tbsp medium-cut Seville orange marmalade (or whatever type you have) • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard • 150ml sweet cider • a few rosemary sprigs

Method 1: Preheat your oven to 200ºC. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size, and put them into a large roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 10 minutes.

2: Take the tin out of the oven and snuggle the sausages between the potatoes so they sit on the bottom of the tin. Now roast for another 15 minutes, turning the sausages over at half-time so they brown all over.

3: While you’re waiting for the sausages to cook, gently heat the marmalade, mustard and cider in a small pan, stirring all the time until the marmalade has melted. Increase the heat and boil for a few minutes until reduced by about half.

4: Pour the sauce over the sausages and potatoes and toss gently together. Scatter the rosemary sprigs on top, return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes until golden brown and sticky with the glaze. Sprinkle with salt and coarsely ground black pepper before serving.

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Issue 02 2014

Is Dad a foodie at heart? Then we've got the perfect man-size Father's Day gifts for him: 1: 2-in-1 BBQ Tool: Even the most talented chef has

4: Cheers Dad!: A hand-picked case of 12 award-

been known to flub a flip of a fish fillet or two. Help

winning British beers and real ales is bound to go

keep steaks juicy, fish intact and kebabs stacked with

down well. All the beer comes from small producers

this double-sided spatula.

and is not usually available from supermarkets. Your

2: Talking Meat Thermometer: Grilling geeks will appreciate the accuracy of Oregon Scientific's Talking Meat Thermometer. If for some reason his grill gets a little too smoky, this audible gadget will come in handy.

3: Sanyo Indoor Electric Grill: Does your dad dip into a

Dad will also find branded beer mats and a pub quiz in the case. Great fun!

5: Chill Daddy Hamper: A brilliant gift with a hint of spice, perfect for the man or men in your life 6: Personalised Gift Card: Fantastic Father's Day gift or

depression when barbecue season ends? Perk him up

for his birthday...or if you have your eye on a lovely

with this easy-to-clean indoor grill.

new outfit!

EVERYTHING A COUNTRY INN SHOULD BE Hugging the Ellon road at Balmedie, just a few miles north of Aberdeen, a familiar black and red sign depicting a cock and bull acts as a welcome beacon to hungry diners. This announces your arrival at a traditional country inn that oozes authentic character and serves honest, locally sourced food, created by an award-winning kitchen team.

Victoria Campbell and Ryan Paterson have taken over the reins and have been unfolding their ambitious plans for The Cock & Bull for the past eight months. They are no strangers to this establishment having previously worked there six years ago, Victoria as a waitress and Ryan in the kitchen. They have gradually been bringing in their own ideas

and have already redecorated the conservatory and made the menu more local and sustainable. Victoria’s focus is on establishing a casual dining experience for everyone with great food and a relaxed atmosphere. Ryan endorses a simplified approach to cooking with a traditional pub menu focusing on Scottish and local produce such as delicious steaks and haggis.

It’s no surprise then that this delightful restaurant is among three finalists in the Catering in Scotland (CIS) Excellence Awards to be judged in Glasgow soon.

How nice too, following a delicious meal and a few ‘drams’, not to think about heading

WWW.THECOCKANDBULL.CO.UK

home. The Cock & Bull offers bed-andbreakfast rooms in the Blairton Cottage, situated near the restaurant. Tuck into a hearty breakfast in the morning before heading home or continuing your exploration of the Buchan countryside.

This innovative couple is already exploring the possibility of increasing the accommodation and looking at plans to use available outside space to hold corporate barbecues and marquees in the summer months.

This authentic eatery with rooms serves excellent food at affordable prices and is everything a country inn should be.

Katie and Rachel bake for charity Haematology,

Oncology

and

37

haematology care in north-east Scotland.

Radiotherapy) charity.

The ANCHOR unit at Aberdeen Royal

Katie and Rachel (pictured left with

Infirmary treats patients throughout the

guests), first year pupils at Westhill

North East as well as those from Orkney

Academy, invited their family, friends,

and Shetland, covering all forms of cancer

neighbours and teachers to enjoy baked

leukaemia and benign blood disorders.

delights at Katie’s house. Tea, coffee, cupcakes and banana bread were the

Money raised by the charity goes towards

School friends, Katie MacKintosh and

order of the day, with the girls asking for

non-NHS provided equipment, funding

Rachel Allan, both 12, put their baking

a donation from attendees, managing to

local research at the University of

collect a grand total of ÂŁ375 for their

Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University,

nominated charity.

and additional care, comfort and support

raise money for the Friends of ANCHOR

Friends of ANCHOR was formed in 1997

for patients to aid their wellbeing during

(Aberdeen

to provide direct support to cancer and

treatment.

prowess to charitable purpose recently, when they organised a coffee morning to and

North

Centre

for

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Bringing Beetroot to Your Doorstep As the warm weather starts to creep in again, we turn our attention to barbecues, picnics and other occasions that bring us outdoors. Spring and summer seasons mean parties, weddings and all kinds of celebratory events, so if you’re planning something, why not ensure you have some of the best caterers involved?

Beetroot Restaurants, The Adelphi Kitchen and The Courtyard pride themselves on delivering the very best of Scottish produce in a spectacular way. The restaurants are celebrated as being shining examples of the greatest Scottish produce presented as a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The restaurants cater to a slice of the foodie market but the Beetroot team felt that they could do more to fulfil your foodie needs. They got their heads together and Eat Beetroot was born.

Eat Beetroot bring you the very best of the amazing food that you can savour in any Beetroot venue – but wherever YOU want it!

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Eat Beetroot delivers exceptional Scottish produce presented with its own premium Beetroot twist at a venue of your choice.

Whether you want to select from one of our specially designed Eat Beetroot packages or meet with us to design your own bespoke package, you can be assured that your needs are of utmost important to us and we will deliver the premium product that you expect from us to you at your location.

Boardroom meetings can be a fairly solemn affair and often end up being held over lunch, but there is no reason that the food needs to be solemn too!

Eat Beetroot platters are designed to give all the premium celebrated tastes of Beetroot Restaurants, but delivered to you in your workplace. With amazing breads, including gluten-free Pulsetta, locally sourced, fresh, high quality ingredients go into our fillings that are freshly prepared daily. We make our own chutneys and dressings in-house to ensure only the highest quality is delivered to you.

39 A summer wedding is the perfect occasion to let Eat Beetroot ensure that your guests have a taste sensation at your reception.

We stand apart when it comes to creating the wow factor, ably backed by our friendly and creative team, making your wedding reception hassle-free.

Food and catering is our speciality and, for a day as special as yours, you need a dedicated team of specialists, so we have partnered with the best and trusted suppliers who have time and time again proven their excellent qualities, but most importantly, impeccable reliability.

A fun-filled reception, freshly made taste sensations, originality, saving time and hassle, flexibility without compromising on quality … Eat Beetroot do all of these without missing a beat. Why we stand out from the rest is in our happy, easy-towork-with team, ample resources, years of experience and bespoke ideas, but mostly our celebrated chef, care and attention to detail.

Eat Beetroot barbecues are a unique experience that no other caterer can supply. We bring our award-winning Beetroot dining experience to you in the form of everyone’s favourite dining experience – Beetroot Barbecue!

We supply everything you need to ensure that your guests are satisfied and well fed. From napkins to knives, steaks to sausages, chef to cleaning crew – we

supply it all.

Executive chef and managing director of Eat Beetroot, Chris Tonner, is proud to be able to take his award-winning culinary skills out of his restaurants – The Adelphi Kitchen, The Courtyard and The Tippling House – to an even wider audience.

He said: “Whether it’s a party in your own house, a wedding or organising a large corporate event – indoors or outdoors, Eat Beetroot can cater for all tastes.

“From buffets and barbecues, sandwiches to steaks, we are always happy to sit down and talk to our clients to discuss what’s best for them.

“We tailor everything to their budgets, ensuring that they get the highest quality of catering possible and that takes the worry out of organising the food and drinks for their event, allowing them to enjoy themselves.”

Whether it’s canapés to compliment drinks or a full catered buffet for 500, Eat Beetroot will fulfil your requirements and give your event that luxurious taste that your guests are sure to remember.

While they have pre-planned packages, they also understand that some people prefer to have more input into their function and Eat Beetroot will work with you to create a bespoke and mouthwatering experience – the only limits to what can be supplied is imagination!

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Ardoe’s Young Chef Receives Top Award A young north-east chef is celebrating after winning a top accolade in recognition of his culinary excellence at local tourism awards.

Alan Clarke, 22, who is senior chef de partie at the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel and Spa on the outskirts of Aberdeen, was named Young Ambassador of the Year at the Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards.

Over 300 industry professionals gathered at Ardoe for the awards ceremony, which was organised by the Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association (ACSHA).

The Young Ambassador award category was open to individuals under the age of 25 who have made a major impact and contribution within their company, and Mr Clarke was recognised for his outstanding work at Ardoe since he started in September 2012.

After working at the hotel for five months, he was promoted from chef de partie to senior chef de partie and, in November 2013, he represented the hotel at the Accor UK Professions

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News Bites Splendid Sundays in Scotland’s Finest

Challenge in London, where he won the kitchen category.

He then spent four days in Paris earlier this year, where he competed against twelve top young chefs from across Europe in the Professions Challenge.

Ardoe’s general manager, Peter Sangster, said: “Alan is an extremely talented young chef, who has shown real passion and a drive to succeed since joining the kitchen team in 2012.

Spend Sunday in regal splendour on Royal Deeside in one of Scotland’s finest country house hotels.

Raemoir House, set in 11 acres of secluded lawn and parkland at

“Ardoe’s executive head chef Richard Yearnshire supports the development of his talented kitchen staff, who are continually offered opportunities to further their professional development.

We are all extremely proud of Alan’s achievements over the past two years and it is great to see this being recognised by industry professionals and peers.”

Banchory, is offering dinner, bed and

Mr Clarke said: “I am honoured to receive the award. I work with a fantastic team in the kitchen and I am extremely grateful for their continued help and support.”

and coffee.

breakfast plus afternoon tea for two for £245. The offer is valid on Sundays until 30 November and is subject to availability.

Afternoon tea includes homemade cakes; dessert 'shots'; sandwiches; and scones, cream and jam with a choice of 15 different types of tea

To book, email hotel@raemoir.com or telephone (01330) 824884.

Dining and Driving for Dad If dad’s a golfing fan, thanks to our famous Aberdeen weather, he may be hard pushed to play outdoors. The Locker Room, housed on the first floor of the flagship Gamola Golf store in Market Street, not only offers him the chance to

get some practice in, but also solves your Father’s Day gift perfectly. They have the best virtual golf in the city and are offering lucky dads two hours of free golf with every restaurant booking on Father’s Day. What a day dad would have! They also boast a reliable, skilled and knowledgeable golfing professional who will help enhance his game. Costs are only £25 per half hour lesson on the academy coaching system with video analysis - the ideal gift.

Not only that, but dad can also sit down with the family and enjoy a finely tuned menu, with dishes made with fresh ingredients and local produce. He’ll enjoy

41

the terrific collection of beverages too, whether he’s a wine lover or enjoys an ale or a wee dram. Mum can enjoy a fancy cocktail too! Juniors are also catered for with a top-notch menu for only £4.95.

You don’t, however, have to wait until Father’s Day for a treat as the Locker Room are now offering 50% off your food bill on Mondays and Tuesdays. An amazing offer!

It’s the perfect city centre location and fantastic harbour views make the Locker Room ideal for lunch, dinner, a coffee stop or as a venue for meeting friends for after-work drinks.

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Lemon syllabub A quick dessert than can be as indulgent or as healthy as you want.

Experiment with your favourites.

Ingredients • 284ml tub whipping cream • 50g caster sugar • 50ml white wine • zest and juice from ½ lemon • almond thins or berries, to serve

Method Whip the cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Stir in the wine, most of the lemon zest and the juice. Spoon into glasses or bowls, sprinkle with the remaining zest and serve with almond thins or berries.

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43

Wynd and Dined It’s been several months since restaurant owner Julie McNeil opened the doors of her classy eatery in Correction Wynd in Aberdeen’s stylish Merchant Quarter. It’s pretty evident Julie has the recipe just right, as steady bookings have been testament to her exciting menus and

enthusiasm for vegetarians, those with

3.00 p.m. – offering wild mushroom

food allergies and food intolerances as

toast, marinated courgette, a delicious

they can relax with her carefully crafted

chorizo, chickpea, tomato and spinach

dishes, which redefine perceptions of

linguine, and scrumptious Merchant City

those boring, limited menus.

steak burger. The dinner menu is inspired,

Believing in the vast diversity of delicious

with salt and pepper squid, smoked ham

food in the area, local companies supply

hock salad, seafood linguine with mussel,

Merchant Bistro with the best ingredients.

king prawn, crab and wild garlic, and a

Quality meats from Davidsons Specialist

mouth-watering 10oz rib-eye steak. Yum!

Butcher, artisan breads from The Bread

Dessert aficionados will love the lemon

Maker, Blue Flag freshly caught seafood

posset, cheesecake and the Merchant

and unique produce from Devenick Dairy

chocolate textures.

grace the menu. Yes, they reduce the food miles, but they also ensure you get the very best local produce.

If you’re seeking a lunch or night out with friends, a romantic rendezvous or simply a quick bite, the relaxed atmosphere,

clever use of locally sourced products.

The seasonal changing menus are superb,

friendly service and delicious food make

Perhaps it’s also due to Julie’s extra

with lunch – served between midday and

The Merchant Bistro a must-visit.

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With open-wood fires, low-beamed ceilings and beautiful Scottish countryside all around, The Lairhillock Inn is the perfect retreat from the city centre. However, for this family-run restaurant, it’s the food that steals the show with locally sourced delights to tantalise the taste buds. That’s why Savour’s editor talks to head chef, Gavin Henry, who shares his culinary secrets.

Q: You have been chef at The Lairhillock Inn for four years now. How has your food evolved during that time?

A: At the Lairhillock Inn, we like to serve traditional Scottish food with a modern twist, and we have a strong passion for using local and seasonal produce. I am always interested in evolving with the industry, so whenever possible I will try out new ideas and methods and put my own spin on

them. I do my best to keep up with current food trends and I am constantly researching great ideas and flavour combinations.

Q: How does your menu change to reflect the seasons?

A: We strive to offer customers something new each time they visit the restaurant and change the menu five to six times a year to accommodate the changing seasons. I also have a selection of specials on every day that I can change to suit specific seasonal dishes, for the Glorious Twelfth or British Asparagus Week.

We source the best seasonal produce and aim to use as much local produce as we can with our fish coming from the local Aberdeen market, meat from a butcher in Aberdeen and vegetables from Montrose. Nothing is ever pre-prepared or frozen.

Q: You offer fresh food and an eclectic menu but what exactly does that mean?

A: I would say fresh food is self-explanatory. We buy fish straight from the market, our vegetables are locally sourced where possible and we buy cheese from the Devenick Dairy, which is just down the road from the restaurant.

We are also lucky to have our own smokehouse facility on-site so we can provide dishes that are full of flavour, such as home-smoked salmon and smoked fish for the much-loved Cullen Skink. I also like to create innovative dishes, smoking different fishes and meats, including venison and duck, to offer something extra special for the customers.

Q: What would you say is your signature dish?

A: It is hard to pick one dish, but I would have to say the stuffed lamb fillet, which I have on the menu at the moment.

Q: The Lairhillock Inn has two function rooms, Ostlers and Crynoch, for private dining and celebrations for up to 20-60 guests. Is the same extensive menu available for a private function or is a specific menu chosen by the host?

A: We offer bespoke packages to all of ours customers, and each function room can be tailored to suit individual needs, tastes and budgets. We like to offer our customers a choice, and they can either choose from the current menu or we can work together to build a menu around their specific needs.

Guests really get the opportunity to personalise their menu, which is great for our small weddings, as they can make their big day extra special. Both

function spaces are separate from the main restaurant, with their own entrance and facilities, so guest can really make the space their own.

Q: I imagine things get quite hectic in the kitchen and you clearly don’t work on your own. Tell us a little about your kitchen brigade.

A: We have a great team at the restaurant, and some have been part of the team for a number of years so we all work very well together. I have two full-time chefs (sous chef and senior chef de partie) and two part-time chefs. My senior chef de partie has worked his way up the ranks since he started as a part-time kitchen porter while he was still at school.

Our dessert chef, Isobel, has been with the restaurant for an impressive 32 years, so her knowledge of customer favourites is invaluable when we create the menus.

Q: I’m a real fan of the Lairhillock Inn and have eaten there often, but what would you say to tempt the uninitiated to come along?

A: At The Lairhillock Inn we have a passion to provide excellent Scottish home-made food, with warm friendly service and hospitality. We are only a 15-minute drive from Aberdeen city centre, with beautiful countryside views so customers can relax and enjoy hearty Scottish home-made food.

The restaurant is brimming with traditional Scottish style and character throughout, and is perfect for all occasions whether it’s a family celebration, a romantic meal for two or a relaxed Sunday dinner.

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Celebrating the Humble Herring

The herring and its importance to the nation’s fishing industry marks a milestone anniversary this year. Exactly 101 years ago, the UK’s herring fleet recorded its biggest ever annual catch with some 577,000 tonnes of the fish being landed at ports around the UK coastline.

be running its now legendary kipper barbecue right next to the harbour, and the food fayre will be sponsored by local producer, Downies of Whitehills. Alan Downie, who heads up the firm, will also be taking part in the cookery demonstration and will be sharing his secrets to creating perfect fish dishes.

The industry fell into decline after the boom year of 1913, but nowhere is the herring’s influence on north-east Scotland’s past celebrated more than at the country’s biggest maritime heritage festival.

Local food historian and long-time friend of the festival, Liz Ashworth, hopes that the thousands of visitors will join in the celebrations of the herring boom year. It is estimated that around 75% of the herring landed in 1913 by the UK’s fleet of 1485 steam drifters was exported, including 2.5 million barrels of salt cured herring.

Fishing past and present is a key theme of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, which takes place in Portsoy on the Aberdeenshire coast from 27th to 29th June.

In addition to a collection of colourful heritage vessels and demonstrations of nautical crafts and traditional skills, the festival will be staging a food fayre and cookery demonstrations over the weekend. Seafood will feature strongly: Portsoy fish merchant AG Sutherland will

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Liz explains: “The high fat content of herring meant that, in order to preserve the fish, the herring had to be salted and packed into barrels, hence the salt herring, or salted and smoked, which gave us the kipper.

“Herring has played a very significant part in our history, not just in terms of the fishing industry, but in our social history

too. The fleet followed the herring shoals all over the country and with them went the herring quines.

“These girls were often barely into their teenage years and would spend months away from home working on the quayside where they would gut, salt and pack the fish into barrels. It was incredibly hard work and the contribution these young women made to the success of the industry should not be forgotten.

“Herring is in season at different times of the year and, as luck would have it, the shoals arrive in the Moray Firth in June – just in time for the festival. There will be a number of cooking-with-seafood demonstrations at the food marquee, and a team of experts will be on hand to answer any questions about cooking with this very healthy fish.”

After falling to low levels in recent years, responsible fishing by Scottish boats has allowed stocks of herring to recover. Last year, Scottish boats landed 40,000 tonnes of North Sea herring, making it the second most valuable fishery for the fleet.

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Fresh Herring in Amalfi Lemon

While Liz’s recipes are very traditional herring dishes with connections to the North East, Seafood Scotland has put together a more continental take on herring with this Mediterranean-inspired recipe.

Ingredients • 455g herring fillets – must be very fresh as the fish is cooked by citrus juice rather than heat • 4 bay leaves • 6 lemons, preferably Amalfi or Sicilian • Sea salt and crushed black pepper • 200ml olive oil

Method 1: Cut each fish fillet into three pieces. Arrange with the bay leaves in a single layer in a large shallow dish and squeeze the juice of five of the lemons over the top. Thinly slice the remaining lemon and set aside.

2: Season, then cover loosely with cling film and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

3: Remove the fish from the marinade and transfer to a serving dish. Pour over the olive oil and garnish with the remaining thinly sliced lemon.

4: Serve as a starter with focaccia.

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Dill and Poppy Seed Soda Bread Make this bread the day before you want to eat it Ingredients • 400ml milk • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting • 140g wholemeal flour • 50g butter, straight from the fridge • 1 tsp caster sugar • 2 tsp salt • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda • handful of dill leaves • 2 tbsp poppy seeds 1: Heat oven to 200ºC and put a flat baking sheet in the oven to heat.

2: Mix the milk with the lemon juice in a jug to sour it.

3: Tip the flours into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine crumbs.

4: Stir in the remaining dry ingredients and dill, saving some of the poppy seeds for the top, then make a well in the centre and pour in 350ml of the soured milk. With your hand, or a wooden spoon, draw the dry ingredients into the wet to make a very soft, quite sticky dough. Add the rest of the liquid if you need to. Be careful not to overwork the dough as this will make your loaf tough.

5: Lightly flour your work surface and tip the dough onto it. With well-floured hands, roughly shape into a round, then turn the dough over to reveal its smoother side. Sprinkle a little flour over the hot baking sheet, then lift the dough onto it. Press down slightly, giving a flattened, round-ish loaf about two fingertips deep.

6: Using a sharp, non-serrated knife, slash a cross deeply into the top of the dough. Scatter with the rest of the poppy seeds, and then bake for 25-30 minutes until well-risen and deep golden colour.

7: Give it a tap on the bottom - it should sound hollow. Cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

8: To serve, cut into quarters along the lines of the cross, then slice and lightly toast.

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The AGA cooker treats food differently. Put simply, it doesn’t blast food with drying direct heat. Instead, radiant heat from the cast iron ovens gently cooks food, locking in flavour, moisture and goodness, meaning the food you serve tastes delicious.

A great way to experience AGA cooking first-hand is by attending a live AGA demonstration. You’ll learn AGA cooking techniques, meet other AGA owners, taste the delicious food that’s been cooked and receive some great recipe ideas.

AGA cookers that are built for modern life With the exciting launch of the

new generation of electric AGA cookers – the AGA Dual Control and the AGA Total Control – there really is a model to suit everyone. Built for the 21st century, the new generation AGA cookers can be operated in a way that suits modern life.

What’s more, you will save a huge amount on running costs and these new models can be sited anywhere in the kitchen, including an island unit.

AGA Total Control The innovative AGA Total Control is designed for those who want ultimate flexibility. Its ovens and hotplates can be controlled independently and there’s even an additional feature which allows some models to be controlled

remotely via a mobile phone, tablet or laptop.

AGA Dual Control The new AGA Dual Control is designed for those who like flexibility but still want to take advantage of the indefinable AGA warmth in the kitchen.

With this clever model, the hotplates can be switched on and off as the owner pleases and the ovens can either be on full or set at a lower economy setting.

You don’t have to travel far for a really spectacular short break. Less than an hour from Aberdeen, you can enjoy the magnificent scenery of Royal Deeside and its equally renowned hospitality. Majestic castles, varied sporting activities, amazing walks and world-famous gatherings make the area a very special part of Scotland.

Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms is a destination renowned for its acres of rich, fertile land and the clear spring waters that cut through it. This distinctive landscape plays a key role in producing the best homegrown ingredients, which are then used to create tasty dishes in the region’s restaurants and hotels.

However, there is one other acclaimed activity: You must get your teeth into…the amazing food!

Cambus O’May Cheese Company has built a business out of celebrating the best of the local area through the taste – and naming – of their cheeses. The Ballaterbased operation stocks delis and shops throughout Aberdeenshire, as well as selling at local markets.

Visitors to the Cambus O’May’s facility outside Ballater are invited to watch the Deeside creamery in action from the viewing area, while the more hardcore fan can indulge in an accredited one-day cheesemaker course.

Just 18 miles from Aberdeen sits the picturesque town of Banchory, home to a host of amazing hotels and restaurants. Sheltered in acres of magnificent woodland and parkland on the edge of this pretty village, Tor-na-Coille, a charming boutique country house hotel, offers a professional, friendly service and great food.

Stunningly situated on the bank of the Feugh river is the unique and individually styled 22-bedroom Banchory Lodge Hotel where the restaurant offers soulsatisfying food, expertly created using the finest ingredients and local seasonal produce.

Sitting in eleven acres of secluded lawn and parkland, perfect for a romantic and relaxing break, sits the majestic Raemoir House Hotel. Offering quality cuisine of the highest standard, it is the only property to have been voted Scotland’s Best Country House Hotel two years in succession. In 2013 it won the titles of Scotland’s Top Chef and Chefs’ Team.

Located in the village of Aboyne, nestling on the banks of the beautiful river Dee, The Boat Inn is the perfect place to get away from it all, relax and enjoy some well-earned peace and quiet. Provider of first class hotel accommodation in Aboyne, the Inn has retained many original features, such as exposed granite fireplaces and internal pine work. They serve quality food, using the best ingredients, locally sourced.

Dee Valley Confectioners, established by the Skene brothers in 1965, are manufacturers and suppliers of traditional handmade sweets including boilings (such as Soor Plooms), Lucky Tatties, fudge and tablet, and are based in the Station Square in Ballater.

HM Sheridan, which holds Royal Warrants from both Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales, is a traditional butcher’s that has been trading since 1963. Their beef is purchased from local farms and matured for 21 days: Lamb is local black face, heatherfed for a unique, rich taste; pork is sourced from Aberdeenshire and reared outdoors; and venison is purchased from the wild herd on the local estate. As it is wild, the venison has a very distinctive flavour. It is also a very healthy, lean meat.

Whether staying for a short break or shopping, for that exclusive Highland gift there’s plenty to see, do and eat in Royal Deeside.

The Loch Kinord Hotel is a delightful three-star village inn, originally built in the 19th century by Queen Victoria's doctor. Just five miles from Ballater in glorious Royal Deeside, this family-run hotel offers comfortable single, double and family rooms and is famed for its AA Rosette and Taste of Scotland dining. Guests, who are welcomed with personalised service, are offered quiet elegant rooms and guest suites, and presented with amazing dishes using the very best of local produce. There is often live folk music taking place with the Deeside Sessions. The newly built self-catering log cabins are an ideal base to explore the area and each has two bedrooms sleeping up to four guests. The hotel offers access to the River Feugh for fishing and a ghillie who will pick up and return guests from the hotel.

Loch Kinord is ideally situated for exploring Royal Deeside. Balmoral Castle and Crathie Church are 30 minutes away and the Lecht and Glenshee ski centres an easy drive. The area has an abundance of delightful Highland golf courses, superb River Dee fishing and the Gliding Centre at Aboyne is nearby.

With only 22 rooms and suites, this family- and petfriendly hotel provides individual attention, a ‘home away from home’ for guests with service tailored to their needs. Spacious and stylishly designed, this uniquely crafted hideaway seamlessly blends upscale tranquillity with affordable charm and understated luxury. This characterful hotel accommodation is just perfect for business, leisure or weekend breaks – or a long-term stay in Aberdeenshire.

The award-winning chef ‘Majic’ (Maciej) has been at

Loch Kinord Hotel for over two years. He is passionate about food and only uses local produce wherever he can. He also regularly visits the farms where the meat comes from, even helping the farmers with butchery.

As you might expect of a small hotel so blessed in its setting, fresh local produce is the particular speciality. The extensive menus offer an interesting choice of traditional Scottish and a few international favourites, chosen and carefully prepared by the skilled team of chefs who prepare special dishes daily. The menu boasts freshly cooked, uncomplicated cuisine, easy on the palate with local flavours always shining through, showcasing the best of ‘Scotland’s natural larder’. Enjoy the ambience of the dining room and let the cheerful waiting staff serve you fresh meat, game or fish accompanied by locally grown, seasonal vegetables.

If you’d rather be a little more independent, the lodges located in the grounds and backing on to the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve will be perfect for you. They have a fully fitted kitchen including integrated dishwasher and fridge freezer, spacious open plan lounge/kitchen/dining area and a decked patio area to enjoy the summer sunshine. The bathroom has a bathtub and shower. The lodges are double-glazed and centrally heated making them a cosy retreat after a day out on Royal Deeside.

This is the perfect destination for a short break, offering comfortable hotel accommodation with great food or private self-catering lodges, all within one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland.

The only hotel to have won the title of Scotland's Country House Hotel of the Year two years in succession, Raemoir is carving out an increasingly grand reputation among a wide range of guests from food lovers to executives wanting a tranquil setting for company meetings.

break. And booking it as an exclusive venue makes

It has also been a home away from home for numerous celebrities appearing in Aberdeen, including Oasis, Van Morrison, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Penelope Keith, Sir Cliff Richard and Michael Ball.

Park.

The historic 20-bedroom Banchory hotel, part of which dates back to 1715, sits in 11 acres of secluded lawn and parkland surrounded by 3,500 acres of hill and forest in Royal Deeside, a setting which ensures privacy. Yet Aberdeen and its international airport are less than half an hour away.

The Hill of Fare behind the hotel is accessible

After winning the top country house hotel awards in 2011 and 2012, last year it was named the top country house hotel and most romantic hotel in the North East.

Its four-poster bedrooms overlooking the grounds are perfectly suited to a romantic and relaxing

the organiser the talk of the town. It’s available for a private party, wedding or corporate use, or a base from which to explore the region’s Whisky, Castle and Golf Trails and wealth of walks and activities. It also affords easy access to the Cairngorms National

Its Private Sitting Room can cater for a meeting or dining for up to 16 people and the larger Georgian Room accommodates up to 70.

directly from the grounds and provides increasingly wonderful panoramas the higher you climb. Near the top it is possible to see large swathes of the north-east of Scotland countryside with vistas to the North Sea. Food is at the top of its agenda. Owner Neil Rae commented: “Our location is perfect for food lovers from throughout the North East, Angus and beyond.

Our reputation for the food they eat when they get here is becoming unmatched in the area.”

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One of the best and possibly most flavoursome experiences for kids is a trip to Wagamama. They have a fantastic range of mini Japanese dishes the kids will love. Main dishes include mini chicken katsu and chicken ramen, and most things on the menu are healthy and nutritious. A fruity ice lolly to follow keeps the kids happy but, what’s more, mums and dads will enjoy amazing food too. www.wagamama.com Fairly similar, and in close proximity in Union Square, is the popular Yo! Sushi. The kids will love choosing a dish from the conveyor belt passing by, all colour-coded to avoid pricing confusion and each one offering delicious content. From popcorn shrimp tempura to chicken yakisoba, the kids will love it – but watch they don’t chose something just a little too hot!! www.yosushi.com Speaking of the above restaurants, there is no shortage of kids’ eating places in Union Square. Giraffe, Zizzi, Las Iguanas, Nando’s, TGI Friday, Chiquito, Ask Italian, Frankie and Benny’s, Pizza Hut and Prezzo all cater for kids. Pop in before you take the little darlings to view the latest kids’ movie at Cineworld! www.unionsquareaberdeen.com/dining Staying with Union Square, but on the ground floor, is the acclaimed pan-Asian restaurant, Cosmo. This is great for kids as they can help themselves to authentic dishes from any of the nine countries represented - China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam and India. They can eat what they like and it’s tremendous value, but best to book in advance. www.cosmo-restaurants.co.uk Out of town and a little less exotic but still worth a visit is the Wynford Farm Playbarn.

As it is literally on a farm, the food is wholesome and mostly made on the premises.

They offer their own home-made mini burgers and mini pies plus a great selection of sandwiches and baked potatoes. Probably even more enticing, the kids can let off steam on the play frame while you relax in the quiet, bright and comfortable café. It’s a winner with me!! www.wynfordfarm.com You’ll really love a trip out to Touched by Scotland in Oyne and so will the kids. Gadie’s restaurant has a ‘little menu’ bulging with great food for the little ones. From roast chicken breast and hand-cut chips, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast to little sticky toffee puddings and a huge selection of milk shakes, the kids will adore it ... and you’ll enjoy the peace and quiet! www.touchedbyscotland.com

savour

Issue 02 2014