Cringletie’s Chef embraces the Seasons
Last week I was lucky enough to meet up with Craig Gibb, executive chef at Cringletie. I say lucky because it was so refreshing to meet a young chef so enthusiastic about his food and in particular the seasonal produce available at his restaurant in the Scottish Borders.
Chef Craig has been in charge of the kitchens at Cringletie for three years during which time the restaurant has gained a strong following of diners keen to savour Craig’s dishes – some innovative and some classic.
One of the first Scottish chefs to elevate the less popular meat cuts to the fine dining table, Craig’s medley of Peelham Farm pork belly, loin and cheek are established favourites on Cringletie Hotels menus. Another classic is Craig’s Turbot with salsify and seasonal vegetables. Continue Reading >>
Scotland Shines at London’s Speciality Food Show
Scottish food and drink producers were out in force promoting their food products at this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. The Scottish grouping dominated the entrance area with a very visual presence.
The event coincided nicely with Scotland’s Food and Drink Fortnight. This year the Scottish section was the largest ever with over 30 premium fish producers, artisan cheese companies, bakeries and breweries all looking to attract new buyers.
Scottish cheese continues to thrive with Connage Cheese reporting substantial interest from Harrods and other top stores. Regional consortia attending the show included Taste of Arran and Taste of Bute.
It was refreshing to see new products such as Handmade Porridge Oatcakes from the Your Piece Bakery investing in a stand and swelling the Scottish contingent.
Farmer Janet Hill from Plan Farm Smokehouse said: “Having farmed beef and lamb for over 15 years we wanted to find a way to deliver quality, home-bred produce direct to our customers. We launched our Plan Farm Smokehouse range at Scotland’s Speciality Fair in January and, as well as winning a range of awards, we have had enormous interest from the Scottish marketplace. It is now time to take the next step and we are very excited about introducing London buyers to our island produce.”
The Scottish Food & Drink stand was very impressive. Against a colourful backdrop of over 30 Scottish products they provided three promotional tables which were offered in rotation to Scottish food producers who each got several hours a day to promote their wares.
Paul McLaughlin, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, said: “Scotland produces an abundance of high-quality, premium brands and products and the Speciality & Fine Foods Fair offers the opportunity to promote them. This year, Scotland Food & Drink has the second biggest area in the pavilion so we are expecting a real buzz surrounding the products being showcased.”
At Taste-of-Scotland.com we are always on the look out for new Scottish Products so please send details to news@taste-of-scotland.com.
Mussel Power = Brain Power at Partner’s Bistro
The Partner’s Bistro in Bearsden is on a mission to boost the nutritional value of children’s restaurant meals with an innovative addition to their kid’s menu…wee sea beasties.
Mussels are rarely seen as a kid’s option while dining out but acclaimed North Glasgow eatery, The Partner’s Bistro, is championing healthy eating by offering fresh Scottish mussels on their children’s menu.
This initiative has been spurred on by a series of studies that confirm children benefit significantly from eating more seafood, especially mussels, as they contain essential Omega 3 oils vital for brain growth and development. Mussels contain as much as eight times more iron as green vegetables which is a crucial mineral in preventing childhood anaemia and boosting red blood cell production.
With the new school year about to start, there is an added incentive to give children nutritional meals that stimulate their mental abilities and allow them to continue to learn effectively in the classroom and beyond. At Partner’s they see mussels as the perfect way to introduce children to eating seafood in a fun and exciting way whilst providing vital nutrients for their development i.e mussel power = brain power.
According to Bistro owner Andy Hull: “This experiment has been a great success, the kids love the novelty of eating the mussels from their shells and of course dipping the bread! We are delighted to see children trying something different and are proud to be promoting responsible eating habits for the next generation.”
Imagine the kids of tomorrow knocking up a quick moules mariniere with some tasty Scottish mussels instead of popping a pizza in the oven … stranger things have happened.
World’s Largest Recorded Venison Haggis comes to Edinburgh’s Farmers’ Market
Saturday 4th September is the second annual ‘Eat Scottish Venison’ Day. To mark this event Fletchers of Auchtermuchty, Scotland’s longest established deer farm and venison retailer will be creating the largest recorded Venison Haggis.
This Seriously Good Haggis can be seen and sampled at Edinburgh Farmers’ Market on Saturday 4th. Each Saturday for six months Fletchers have been serving hot venison haggis at the market with great success. (NB: venison haggis predates sheep haggis and has to be one of the best expressions of authentic Scottish food.)
Fletchers won the coveted Good Housekeeping/Slow Food Award this year for Best Small Meat Producer in the UK. They supply all their range of venison cuts including the haggis through farmers’ markets in Edinburgh, Perth and Fife as well as from their farm shop in Auchtermuchty. Fletchers also provide a mail order service throughout Britain.
Dr John Fletcher points out that: ‘Because people have been eating venison for much longer than the meat of domestic animals they have evolved to assimilate this low fat meat and all its constituents. If venison was to become our staple meat there would be much less obesity, diabetes, heart disease and iron deficiency as well as a reduction in many cancers’.
For more information, recipes or photographs, or to order venison to be delivered to your home, visit our website at www.seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk
Editor: Apparently a refusal by the Scottish government to support long established Scottish deer farmers has created a shortage of Scottish venison in the marketplace and much venison in our supermarkets originates from either New Zealand, Ireland or England.
