I have thought long and hard about writing this blog; veal comes – or rather used to come – surrounded by much in the way of controversy and not without good reason.  Much like foie gras, the cruelty associated with rearing veal calves put off even the most avid of …

Spring has finally sprung – sort of! The lambs are there, gambolling in the fields but up to now they’ve been wrapped in wee jackets to protect them from the beast from the east and all of his stormy followers.   Of course, in restaurant land new season lamb is beginning …

Mother Nature is a wonderful woman and I am reminded of this every year at this time; after the long, hard winter there is nothing more thrilling than things finally beginning to show signs of green! Here in Perthshire, this often means the first small shoots of wild garlic dotted …

Chocolate! Just that one simple word is enough to set my mouth watering – and I’m certainly not alone. The average brit eats around 11kg of the wonderful stuff every year, a figure that places us top of the choc-loving-pops amidst our European cousins. After January’s purge the celebration of …

When it comes to Christmas Dinner, I don’t think anyone would argue that tradition is at the heart of our menu planning.  If, as a child, your Mum cooked Scotch Broth, Prawn Cocktail, Turkey and Trifle then I’m willing to bet that your kids eat exactly that! You will probably …

Any dish that has the magical ability to repair skint knees, mend broken hearts and raise a smile that makes anything seem possible is worth its weight in gold!  For me, this is soup. It started when I was wee; once you’d stayed out long enough to catch the start …

It will come as no surprise to you that as a chef, I follow the changing of seasons with more interest than most.  It’s fair to say that my year doesn’t really work around the traditional system of 12 months, but rather follows the emergence of my family of ingredients …

For me, beetroot was more of a punishment growing up than the wonderful earthy reward that it is today.  All kids in the 80’s knew that beetroot was something that grew in jars far, far away. If you were posh your mum would buy the crinkle slices and it served …

These days it seems that life is just a little more hectic; we’re all working harder and stressing more. It’s at times like this that I look for some simple, old fashioned comfort which for me will always take the form of my favourite foods. In winter I’ll always go …

I love this time of year – what chef doesn’t? Every corner of the kitchen garden is brimming with fresh, seasonal produce and for a few short months Scotland comes into its own with an abundant harvest of berries.   Now, I could do the predictable thing here and go strawberry …