March 2020. What a month. Like most you reading this the initial shock of lockdown hit me hard. Ever since my first job in a kitchen, 17 years ago, I longest I’ve been away from a stove and a hard morning’s prep is about nine days! And even then, my …
The Scottish strawberry; aka the finest example of natural perfection known to man. I’m a Blairgowrie boy and I grew up surrounded by the mighty berry fields o’ Blair. Picking strawberries as in the early eighties was a huge part of my childhood – you wore your cuts and stains …
Easter Sunday was always a day for the family getting together when I was growing up, and it’s still an occasion when you’re guaranteed to find a few generations of my nearest and dearest all in one place at one time. When it comes to food, eggs are, of course, …
Like so many modern families, my wife and I both work while raising our teenage children. Life is a whirl of school, friends, and what seems like an endless stream of activities. Trying to balance all of this with our jobs and the small matter of feeding them nutritious meals …
When it comes to the heroes of the food world there are few mightier than the humble egg. For me, the egg is a wonderful gift from Mother Nature –the perfect size for a quick snack, super versatile for both the home cook and professional chef, and ready-wrapped in its …
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 …