Top Perth Restaurant makes Rugby Peace Offer
63 Tay Street, one of Perth’s top restaurants, is helping kick off this season’s Six Nations rugby tournament with a French tasting menu the day before Scotland tackle France in Paris.
The £45 per head four course menu on Friday 4 February will include a glass of wine from a different French region with each course, introduced by restaurant manager Marc Behringer. Chef-Patron Graeme Pallister (pictured), who will be on hand to explain the ingredients and preparation, said: “The Auld Alliance is always under threat when Scotland play France at rugby so I’m playing my part in restoring friendship by highlighting some of the best French-style food I can create, complemented by suitable wines.”
Guests will also receive a voucher giving them 20% off a future meal.
Graeme Pallister was voted Scotland’s Executive Chef of 2010 and his restaurant is one of only 13 in Scotland to have achieved the Gold standard awarded by VisitScotland’s food and drink arm, EatScotland. 63 Tay Street Restaurant is also offering a five course ‘surprise’ dinner menu from Tuesdays to Fridays inclusive until 26 February for £25 per person. The menu will be created each day “and will involve fun for diners as well as mouthwatering dishes,” Pallister added.
Tables must be pre-booked by calling 01738-441451 or reserving on-line at www.63taystreet.com.
Congratulations to The Torridon – AA 3 Rosettes
The AA has awarded 3 rosettes to The Torridon Hotel in Wester Ross. Last week 13 establishments were honoured with three AA rosettes. Among the winners are a mix of newcomers and existing operators including six establishments in London, six in England and The Torridon in Scotland. The three-rosette-status rewards outstanding restaurants demanding recognition well beyond their local area.
As stated on The Torridon’s web site top restaurateurs from London and the continent would be very envious of the fresh fish and shellfish, beef, lamb, wild boar and succulent fruit and vegetables on offer – all sourced for maximum freshness and as locally as possible. Chef Bruno Birkbeck produces a wide range of dishes with local flavour including hand-dived Loch Ewe scallops, local wild boar and Highland venison from the neighbouring Coulin Estate.
The Burns Night Foodie Box
If you can’t get to a Burns Night Celebration then think about choosing a Burns Night Foodie Box. Packed with a true taste of Scotland in the form of haggis, shortbread, Scottish cheeses, smoked salmon and more, this is could be a fun way to celebrate with family or a few friends.
The Burns Night Box is just one of many combinations on offer from the The Foodie Company, launched by young entrepreneur Peter McLean in November 2007. Peter’s aim is to reinvigorate traditional hampers and support young Scottish food manufacturing companies. With a real passion for locally sourced food, Foodie Company have a fantastic range of pre-selected Foodie Boxes for different occasions. You can also make your very own bespoke hamper and if you want special something added to your Foodie Box then don’t hold back! Get in touch with The Foodie Company and they will help make your order something very special.
The Alma launches Robert Burns Celebration Week
The Alma Pub in Islington has decided Scottish Fare deserves more than just one night of celebration. They are exploring all that is wonderful from the Scotland’s larder and have a week of themed events ending with Burns Night.
Events starts on 20th January with a ‘Five Whisky Tasting’ including 1 Highland, 1 Lowland, 1 Isle of Islay, 1 Speyside & a blended whisky. Starts 7.30pm, tickets £15 and only 24 places. There’s also a Scottish Themed Monday Quiz Night with Scottish ale on the 24th January and the main event on Burns Night 25th January. A range of Scottish ‘delicacies’ will be on the menu including Deuchars Caledonian Ale & Atholl Brose, Haggis, Black & White Puddings, Square Sausage, Homemade Tablet, Selkirk Bannock, Millionaires Shortbread. (Better get that gym membership!)
Celebrating Burns Night at The Albannach in London
The Albannach is one of London’s most famous Scottish restaurants and, as you might expect, The Albannach ensures their Burns Night is something really special.
After a welcoming whisky cocktail or glass of Champagne on arrival, guests will enjoy a five course gourmet feast including loin of venison, pan fried sea bass, smoked Scottish salmon and butternut squash torte with sour cream. Highlights will include the toasting, and serving of the haggis pipped in by a Scottish piper. Ceilidh music and dancing will complete a memorable evening at The Albannach.
The AA Celebrates Burns Night
As someone who travels a lot throughout Scotland I have always been impressed at the service from those motoring associations who provide roadside assistance. I was particularly impressed with this offering from the AA – a celebration of Robert Burns and Burns Night which included a short history of Burns Night, notes on whisky and the history of the haggis plus links to sites containing the running order for a typical Burns Night. There was also a tasty offer for prime Scottish steaks from Donald Russell for AA members. Thank you AA.
New Year Resolutions for Hoteliers and Restaurateurs
How long did your New Year Resolutions last this year?
Most New Year resolutions tend to fade into the background as we settle back into our working routines after the festivities. Pressure of work, deadlines and a natural tendency to follow old patterns make it difficult to focus on and implement new ideas in our business.
Here’s a snappy communication from some colleagues in New York. Yes, it’s a different market and there’s a different culture in terms of marketing and branding. But there are some nuggets of wisdom that might just set the heather on fire this year … for those brave enough to take a chance on new online trends.
Hotelier’s 2011 Top Ten Internet Marketing Resolutions
While 2010 was not quite the tough year the industry feared it would be, hoteliers still grappled with a number of challenging issues: a slowly recovering economy, the ever-changing world of social media and the mobile Web, mobile-obsessed consumers and customer review enthusiasts, and significant revenue leakage from hotels to OTAs in the form of abnormally high merchant commissions. Continue Reading >>
Hot Chocolate Finish for Burns Night?
Here’s a unique suggestion for the perfect finish to any Burns Supper, a box of 24 handmade mixed chocolates from Edinburgh based chocolatier hotchocolates.biz. Each box includes their famous Highland Mist and Sonsie Face chocolates (Drambuie soaked oats and honey). And I wonder what Burns would have thought about their new range Mortlach single malt chocolates? A devilish combo of 16 year old malt whisky and dark chocolate.
Killiecrankie Wins a César!
Killiecrankie House Hotel has been awarded a coveted Cesar by The Good Hotel Guide for Scottish Hotel of the Year 2011. The Cesar is given to only 10 hotels in Britain each year and, known as the Oscar of hotel-keeping, is undoubtedly the accolade most hotels want to win. Henrietta Ferguson, director at Killicrankie, is quoted as saying: “We are so proud of our achievement. We want to shout it from the rooftops!” Continue Reading >>
