Spread upon the water

“Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it. But we hae meat and we can eat And sae the Lord be thankit”

It’s more than 300 years since those words were first spoken. Although attributed to Robert Burns the Selkirk Grace, as it has become known, was around for at least a century before Scotland’s national poet made it globally famous.

And, today more than ever, those words couldn’t be more accurate. Scotland’s larder is teeming with produce unrivalled anywhere else in the world.

Forget the negative stereotypes of Scots living on a diet of porridge, haggis and deep fried Mars Bars because the truth couldn’t be any further from the fiction. Scotland’s food and drink sector is booming! Home grown consumers and overseas connoisseurs continue to demand world-class Scottish produce on menus.

Gordon Howe

Sales of Scottish products are now worth more than £15billion year to the economy and the sector is now the country’s biggest employer.

Everybody knows about the success of Scotch whisky but fewer people realise that the country’ second biggest export is its seafood.

From shellfish to whitefish Scotland’s marine harvest is exported to more than 100 countries and is worth almost £1billion annually - double what it was just a decade ago. Salmon is both Scotland’s and the UK’s top food export with growing demand

Scottish beef, venison and other red meat products are renowned around the world for their quality. Top restaurants from London to New York and Paris to Tokyo seek out Saltire labeled products because they have a reputation for being among the very the best.

“I’ve worked all over the world but Scottish produce is amazing. Nothing can really touch it!,” said Gordon Howe, alias Chef in a Kilt.

The 50-year-old award winning chef is passionate about creating fine dining dishes using the best locally sourced Scottish ingredients.

When he’s not catering for domestic international guests on the award-winning Majestic Line luxury cruise company Gordon works as a private chef for the likes of Dame Judi Dench, the Duchess of Northumberland and many other dignitaries.

Brought up in Glasgow, where his father and mother had an Italian bistro, food played a major role in his life from an early age.

“By the time I was 14 I could cook the full Italian menu,” said Gordon, who, after a spell in the military as a medic, became a fully trained chef, working in numerous top venues around the UK and Europe creating classic Scottish, French, Italian and Japanese dishes.

Dame Judi Dench shows her appreciation

“My father’s family came from Sicily and my mother’s family from South Uist where many of my relatives were fishermen. Most of my childhood holidays were spent in the Western Isles. Fish was a staple, as was all the other local produce. That’s when I learned to appreciate everything Scotland has to offer.”

As a chef on the Majestic Line Gordon gets to sample a range of delicacies from the Highlands and islands which he puts to good use on the boat.

“I use as much home-grown produce as possible to give our guests a true taste of Scotland, whether it’s using Argyll smokies, Gigha halibut, Mull cheddar, Harris gin or another delicious locally sourced ingredient.

“I love experimenting with cooking styles and cultures to make dining an experience. I use only the best organic produce, West Coast of Scotland seafood, prime hung meats, poultry and game and nurtured fruit and vegetables infused with herbs and spices.

“Being able to source, buy, prepare then cook Scotland’s amazing produce is exhilarating. The country has an abundance of talented producers, culinary artisans and purveyors of fine foods.

“My mission is to get the message about Scottish produce out there. The more interest there is the more sustainable the industry becomes for small, independent producers.”

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