SHOP EAT

EXPERIENCEFORMARTINE’S…

SET IN STUNNING WOODLAND,DISCOVER THE RICH SIGHTS, TASTESAND SOUND OF THE HEART OFABERDEENSHIRE

If you are interested in Formartine's After Hours,please sign up to our events mailing list! Send a blankemail to: contactus@formartines.com.

See you soon!

SHOPThe food hall is packed with the best artisan products from local suppliers, including their very own Smokehouse.Browse jars of award-winning preserves, sauces and oils or peruse the selection of gourmet biscuits and pastas. Thedeli counter is stocked with chilled meats, cheeses, olives and antipasti to please every palate and theknowledgeable staff will be able to guide you in your choices. The food hall also boasts a selection of gourmet readymeals prepared in the Formartine’s kitchen, using only carefully selected ingredients and seasonal produce. Not justfor food, the shop also stocks a beautiful range of gifts and homewares, and toys and games for the kids.

EATThe eatery promises the best in local and seasonal ingredients cooked by Matt and the talented kitchen team. Enjoybreakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea or just relax with a coffee and cake after a walk in the woods. Sit in thestunning eatery or go al fresco with a glass of wine and deli-board on the deck. You could grab a favourite fromthe Smokehouse or you may be lucky enough to enjoy some of their own Haddo venison. An ever-changing andexciting menu awaits, showcasing the very best of seasonal and local produce. It’s great value for quality food! Tastethe best that Scotland has to offer, in a relaxed family environment offering excellent value, quality and friendlyservice. Enjoy a cracking good Sunday roast from noon on Sundays. Local beef and pork, cooked to perfection withroasted rooster tatties, root veg and Yorkshire puds. Lots of specials, soups and freshly baked cakes. No need tobook, but sometimes a short wait is necessary.

WALKPerfectly located in the heart of Aberdeenshire’s rich countryside with a backdrop of woodlands, guests areencouraged to explore at their leisure some picturesque walks through stunning woodland and around the HaddoTrout Lake. Stroll through the inviting landscape with plenty to discover at every turn in the rich diversity of trees andwildlife, including red squirrels, herons, osprey and deer. Guests can pick up a picnic from the shop and relish theoutdoors for as long as they please. You are even encouraged to report any wildlife sightings, interesting plants andfungi so they can be recorded in the wildlife diary.

PLAYIt is almost unfortunate there is a closing time, as children will want to stay outside until all hours on the woodlandtrails and outdoor adventure playground. The trails are inviting in rain or shine – just be sure to bring the wellies –and Formartine's provides a great space for children to explore and learn. The playground allows children to climb,jump, swing and explore to their heart’s content. The secure play area features a treehouse with a telescope andperiscope – all accessible by rock wall or ladder, slides and monkey bars. The little ones will also adore the funkytyre swings, made in animal shapes. If you look hard enough, there are lots to play on in the woods as well.

WALK PLAYOpen 7 days a week - 9.30am to 5.30pm

Nr. Tarves on the B999, Aberdeenshire AB41 7NUE:contactus@formartines.com | T: 01651 851123

www.formartines.com

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Tomato and Chilli JamThis tomato jam is like a grown-up version of tomato ketchup, but so much better!Great for using up a tomato glut and makes a lovely homemade present too.It’s perfect with some cheese and biscuits.

Method

1: Sterilise the jars by washing in very hot water or on the hot cycle of a dishwasher. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.

2: Place the jars upside down on a baking tray and dry in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

3: Heat the red onion and chopped tomatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat.

4: Add the chillies, ginger, star anise, vinegar and sugar. Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes

or until very thick and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan so that it leaves a channel behind it

that does not immediately fill with liquid.

5: Add the fish sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes, then spoon into sterilised jars.

Ingredients

• 2 red onions, finely chopped • 400g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved • 400g ripe plum tomatoes, quartered • 3 large mild

red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped • 5cm piece fresh root ginger, grated • 1 star anise • 250ml white wine vinegar

• 300g soft light brown sugar • 2 tsp fish sauce (substitute soy sauce for vegetarians)

Welcome to

savour contactsissuu.com/savour

A celebration of north-east food and drinkISSUE 03, 2014

Summer and picnics go together and there’snothing quite as much fun as a picnic in thesunshine. Food always seems to taste sogood when eaten outdoors. It’s a time forvibrant salads and light main meals, all besteaten al fresco. Not forgetting, of course, thebarbecue! But this year, ditch the sausagesand supermarket burgers and try a dazzlingarray of fish, veggies and mouth-wateringmeats. Your local farmers’ market canprovide all the produce you’ll need for agreat picnic or sizzling barbecue. Speakingof which, check out The Food Guru’s pageinside with some great barbecue productsthat are a little bit different and also a veryhealthy option. We also have some greatsummer picnic and barbecue recipes insidefor you to try at home. Read about life in the

bakery with the hugely successful team atJ.G. Ross, Inverurie, and catch-up with myrants from the allotment where slugs, bugsand birds are causing mayhem.

Our front cover and main story features thepopular Aussie and MasterChef judge, JohnTorode, whilst, nearer home, Julie McNeiltalks of life in her new eatery, The MerchantBistro. Our ‘Breakaway’ choice in this issue isthe beautiful banks of Loch Lomond, wherewe feature two outstanding and verydifferent venues.

It’s a great time of year to dine and drinkoutdoors in Aberdeen and the surroundingtowns, so get those shorts on and enjoy thegreat local produce we have on ourdoorstep. Have a great summer!

FROM THE EDITOR

savourIssue 03 2014

05

Savour is produced by

Mackintosh Media Ltd.,

PO Box 11966

Westhill

AB32 9AL

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Steve MacKintosh

T: +44 (0) 7967106803

E: steve@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL

Eric Farquharson

T: +44 (0) 7730133036

E: eric@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

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@SavourMag

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Veggie Bean Burger for Kids

Method1: Adult’s job: Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

2: Kid’s job: Mash the beans or chickpeas as much as you can, either with a potato masher in a bowl or with a hand mixer (supervised). Alternatively, you could make the mix in a food processor, if you have one.

3: Kid’s job: Add the mashed vegetables and garlic and any herbs, spices or tahini that you want to use.

4: Kid’s job: Mix well and the kids can taste and add lemon juice, spices or pepper to their taste.

5: Kid’s job: The mixture then needs to be rolled into four burger-sized balls with wet hands, or make 12 smaller ‘falafels’ kids have the perfect sized hands for this. Flatten the balls slightly. If you like, you can coat them with sesame seeds, crushed crackers or breadcrumbs for extra crunch.

6: Kid’s job: Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on a baking tray and place the ‘falafels’ or bean burgers on top, and then turn them all over so that they have a coating of a little oil on each side.

7: Adult’s job: Place the baking tray in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, turning the burgers over midway through cooking. Allow to cool a little before serving.

Ingredients• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas or beans such as borlotti, kidney or butterbeans, drained and rinsed • 300g cooked, mashedvegetables such as carrot, squash, potato, sweet potato or parsnip • 1 garlic clove, crushed by an adult or using a garlicpress • 1 tbsp sunflower, vegetable or olive oil • squeeze of lemon juice • a pinch of ground cumin, coriander or paprika,mild chilli flakes, to taste • freshly ground black pepper • 1 tbsp tahini (optional) • 4 tbsp sesame seeds, breadcrumbs orcrushed crackers, for coating (optional)

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A celebration of north-east food and drinkISSUE 03, 2014

CONTENT

ingredients

Farmers’ Markets p14/15What’s Fresh in Our LocalFarmers’ Markets

A Fly-On-The-Wall Interview withAward-Winning Bakery

Rhubarb Patch p18/19More Rants fromthe Rhubarb Patch

Summer Breeze p25

Fancy a Piece p16/17

Wine Suggestions Uncorkedwith Carol Brown

A Clear View p40/41Peter Sangster Airs HisViews on Ardoe

Wynd Your Way p44/45Change of Career Was CorrectChoice for Julie

Breakaway p52/53Auchrannie Resort andBoath House

32 36 50

12

28 40

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NewsBites...

Michelin Star Chef takesover Mither Tap Restaurant

“I can see it before I do it” is howGraham Campbell describes hisexperimental approach to cuisine. “Ican even smell if a dish needs salt.” Asrecently appointed executive chef atthe newly overhauled Mither TapRestaurant at Pittodrie House Hotel,Graham has the opportunity to givefull rein to his uniquely creative, if notradical, take on Scottish produce.

Graham comes to Pittodrie House aftera stellar career both in Scotland andsouth of the border. After starting outat the Caledonian Hotel in his nativeOban at 16, he was thrown in at thedeep end at Andrew Nutter’s restaurantin Rochdale before joining PaulHeathcote’s team near Preston. A spellat the Ballachulish Hotel in 2008 led tohim becoming the youngest ever chefto be awarded a Michelin star. Stints atThe Lake of Menteith Hotel and theMonastery in Manchester followed,sealing his reputation as one ofBritain’s most interesting younggastronomic talents. As you mightexpect from someone who hascollected accolades so relatively earlyin their career, and in such a

competitive arena, he is hugely

focused and doesn’t mince his words.

“It doesn’t really matter what I like, it’s

what the customer likes that matters. I

don’t have a favourite ingredient, I will

work with anything, seafood, all meats,

anything. As long as it is good quality,

I’ll find a way to bring something new

to it. I suppose that’s why my cooking

has been dubbed ‘weird science’; I take

traditional ingredients and create the

unexpected.”

Under Campbell’s leadership, the

kitchen at Pittodrie House Hotel has

just won the two AA Rosette award in

recognition of its fine dining and

quality of service. The appointment of

Graham Campbell offers diners in the

North East the chance to sample

gastronomic excellence in one of

Aberdeenshire’s most breathtaking

locations. “Two Rosettes is an

achievement, but it’s only the start,”

says Graham. “I’m not one for chasing

recognition – if it comes, it comes.

What matters to me is that we create a

one-of-a-kind restaurant hotel where

people come to enjoy superb food.”

Actress Daniela Nardini was back on stagefor her most unusual role - collecting thetrophy for Scotland’s best new restaurant.

The This Life and Waterloo Road TV starreceived the Best Restaurant Newcomerprize at the Catering in ScotlandExcellence Awards on behalf of husband,Ivan Stein, co-owner of Glasgowrestaurant, The Gannet.

While more than 520 guests celebrated atthe hospitality industry’s big night out atGlasgow’s Hilton Hotel, Stein had toremain at work at The Gannet, which heand fellow chef, Peter McKenna openedlast October after transforming it from aderelict tenement in Finnieston.

“There’s no secret to winning the awardand getting good reviews - just hard workfrom morning to night,” said McKenna,whose wife, Chala, joined Nardini onstage.

He added: “Ivan and I share the sameethos - simple, solid French-style cookeryusing great Scottish-sourced ingredients.But it takes a lot of techniques to get tothe end product.”

Daniela’s husband’srestaurant gets starbilling

NewsBites

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Paul LovesLocalOatcakesNorth-east oatcake connoisseurs will

already know about the merits of

Mitchells wholesome products, which

have been further enhanced by an

appearance on an episode of BBC

One’s Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Puds.

Viewers saw the oatcakes being

traditionally hand-baked on an open

girdle at their premises in Inverurie

followed by owner, Judy Whyte,

making an easy cranachan in the

studio, while Paul made a cranachan

cheesecake using Mitchells oatcakes

as a base.

The delicious oatcakes are made with

locally grown oats and a splash of

Mitchells milk, from a recipe first used

by Great Granny Mitchell in the

1920s. Simply delicious with honey,

jam, your favourite cheese or stovies,

they can be bought in the shop or

online at

www.mitchells-scotland.com

An Aberdeenshire restaurant has recentlycompleted a five-figure refurbishment ofits award-winning bistro.

Fennel Restaurant, which is based inInverurie, has invested £15,000 totransform its ground floor restaurant,offering customers a more relaxed andsocial dining experience.

The top floor of Fennel Restaurant, whichwas launched in 2007, remains tailoredfor more formal dining, whilst downstairswill serve Fennel’s signature dishes andcocktails in an informal atmosphere.

The renovation includes two bespokebooths and two seating areas withexclusive champagne tables. There arealso two large bench tables to cater forlarge parties, with stylish, modern tartanfabrics throughout to remain true to theScottish ethos of the restaurant, whilstenhancing the overall décor of therestaurant.

The refurbishment took 12 weeks tocomplete and further complements therestaurant’s character and its passion tosupport local businesses. Inverurie-basedinterior designer Ashley Wilson consultedon the project, which was created byWill’s Restoration.

Owner of Fennel Restaurant, William Bird,

said: “Following several customerrequests and comments, we noticed thatmany people were looking for an area tosimply enjoy a few drinks and nibbleswith their friends and family, so wewanted to create a space where theycould do this.

“With large tables and bespoke booths,people can come in for a less formal styleof dining but still enjoy and shareFennel’s delicious food and cocktails. Weare also planning to host afternoon teas,so the larger tables will be great for thistype of occasion, and we can now offermore flexibility for larger parties. Theareas also allows dinner guests to enjoysome aperitifs and after dinner drinks.”

The restaurant, which is renowned for itsmodern twist on Scottish food, is alreadyreceiving positive feedback fromcustomers and the booths already have awaiting list for the next few weekends.

Fennel Restaurant, which has 25employees, is open six days a week, andalso offers bespoke outside catering foroffices, private celebrations and corporateevents.

To find out more about Fennel Restaurantor to book a table, call (01467) 670065 orvisit www.fennelrestaurant.co.uk

A north-east restaurant cooks up anew look for its customers

Meet the Big Green Egg®, the most unique barbecueproduct on the market, with unmatched flexibility andcapabilities that surpass all other conventional cookerscombined.

It’s a smoker, a grill, an oven and a pizza oven – you canliterally cook any food you choose at any time of the year inany weather. No more rusty one-year-old barbecues, nomore flare-ups – just compliments on how good everythingtastes!

You shouldn't think of an Egg in terms of surface area; youneed to consider its volume. Because it cooks like an oven,you can accommodate large amounts of food under thedome: The large Egg can cook five whole chickens toperfection at one time. You will soon have a new approachabout what you can cook on your barbecue.

Once you have one, you will find that all your mates wantto come round to your garden to cook at your place. Simplychoose what you want to eat and the Egg does the rest. Youcan pull off culinary tricks blindfolded because of how easyit is to use – although we don't recommend blindfolds! Bethe first on your street to have a Big Green Egg®.

One load of charcoal will burn for over 12 hours - the sameamount of charcoal that in a normal metal grill might lastfor 45 minutes, if you're lucky. This is one of the best secretsof the Egg; saving you money and also giving youunprecedented results - appealing, delicious and succulentfood every time you cook. Your food will not dehydratethrough excessive heat loss and flare-ups; instead cookingwith the lid shut controls the burn with amazing efficiency.

The choice of five convenient sizes means thereis a Big Green Egg® to suit everyone's needsand lifestyle. From mini to extra large, justdecide how much food you may wantto cook at one time and where you aregoing to put it. Many of ourdedicated ‘Egg-heads’ buy morethan one! It is one of the mostversatile barbecue and outdoorovens you can buy.

The Egg lights in less than 12

minutes because of its patented airflow draft system - muchlike a wood burner. Using all-natural lump charcoal and firestarters – never use lighter fluid – ensures that your foodisn't tainted by nasty chemicals. It couldn't be simpler to setup and start cooking. A full set of instructions is provided forlighting and controlling the temperature of your Egg. Don'tworry about wasting your charcoal; you can snuff it out afteruse and any unused charcoal can be used the next time youcook.

The Egg will provide you with unrivalled moisture whencooking anything – from steaks to a whole leg of lamb orfillets of fish to mouth-watering roast chicken. You'll belicking your lips in no time! This is because the insulatedceramic hull, efficient airflow control and precisely sustainedtemperature all work together with astounding results. Yourfood will never dry out, even if you leave it on too long.

If you think you know how to barbecue on a typical metalbarbecue, you will be absolutely blown away by what youcan cook on a Big Green Egg®. There is no doubt you willsoon be addicted and will want to cook in your Egg at everypossible opportunity - come rain or shine!

Cooking on open flame is back - nothing beats the flavourof natural wood-fire smoke. For a Big Green Egg® there areseveral varieties of woodchips available, each offering aunique flavour note. Because you cook with the lid shut,your woodchips will not ignite and burn your food. Insteadthey give you delicious results. These trends are being seenin the best restaurants around the country – using smokingto cure and cook food adds unprecedented flavour.

The Big Green Egg® is redefining the Britishbarbecue. Simply put, you can cook so many

things you would never contemplatecooking on a barbecue before. It is

simple, tidy and easy. If you can cook itinside, you can cook it outside in yourEgg - often with better results andflavour. When we say 'cook', thisincludes grilling, searing, baking,roasting and smoking. Othertraditional grills cannot make thisclaim.

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July

Salads and mackerel couscous travel well; plump cherries and luscious

peaches are a fail-safe dessert.

• BEETROOT • CHERRY • CHICORY • COURGETTE • CRAB

• CUCUMBER • FENNEL • FRENCH BEANS • GLOBE ARTICHOKE

• KOHLRABI • LAMB • MACKEREL • NECTARINEN • PEAS

• PEACH • RADISH • RASPBERRY

August

It’s summer, that amazing time of year

when fresh produce abounds. Despite

the changeable weather, one thing is

certain – some fruit and vegetables really

come into their own during July and

August. Indulge in some kitchen therapy

and conjure up some light and luscious

dishes or pack up a picnic and escape to

the country.

in season

Make August meals al fresco. Start with delicate scallops, then fire up the

grill and barbecue sea bass or homemade burgers. Finish with a simple

plate of apricots.

• FRENCH BEANS • GREY MULLET • KOHLRABI • LAMB

• MARROW • PEPPER • RADISH • RASPBERRY •ROCKET

• RUNNER BEANS • SARDINE • SCALLOP • SEA BASS

Like Marmite, fennel is something

that you either love or hate; its

strong aniseed flavour leaves no

room for the middle ground. From

the same family as the herb and

seed of the same name, it's also

known as Florence fennel.

Finocchio or sweet fennel is very

popular in Italian cookery and has

a bulb-like shape that looks a little

like a heavy-bottomed celery.

When eaten raw, the texture is

crisp and the flavour is quite

assertive and aniseed-y, but when

cooked, it is softer and mellower.

Availability:

All year round, but it's best from

the start of June to the end of

September.

Choose the best:

If possible, go for the smaller,

young bulbs, as they're more

tender. They should look white

with no blemishes and feel heavy

for their size. The feathery green

tops should be fresh and bright

with no yellowing.

Prepare it:

Wash, then trim off the green tops

– they can be used as a garnish.

Slice off the shoots and root, and

peel off the tougher outer layer (if

the bulb is particularly young and

tender, you can leave this layer

on). To cook it whole, cut out the

tough central core from the

bottom, leaving a cone-shaped

cavity, or slice if you prefer.

Alternatively, chop into quarters

and remove the core from each

one – but not too much or the

quarters will fall apart.

Store it:

Fresh cut fennel should be

wrapped in damp kitchen paper,

placed in a perforated bag and

stored in the fridge. It will last for

up to three days.

Cook it:

Cut into very thin slices for salads

– a mandolin is good for this. Boil

or steam – up to 20 minutes for a

whole head or up to 12 minutes

for wedges. Roast – 40-50

minutes.

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savourIssue 03 2014

Banchory Farmers’ MarketBanchory Farmers’ Market is a well-established fixture on the Aberdeenshire circuit, due in large measure to the excellent range of

local food producers found there. Top-notch meat suppliers such as Ingram's Homecure, Wark Farm, Mortlach Game and The Store

are complemented by a rich diversity of food producers, including Devenick Dairy, Granite City Fish, Kincardine Castle Kitchen,

Letty’s Preserves, Ola Oils and The Crannach bakery. Other producers include Shirley’s Jams and Preserves and ‘Have your cake’

scones and traybakes. There is also a regular community stall to promote community initiatives and local charities.

Banchory market runs on the third Saturday of the month from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. As Scott Skinner Square - the market’s

traditional location - is currently under development, Banchory market will be based for at least the next six months at Bellfield

Car Park. For further information check www.banchory.org/farmers_market

Featured Producer – Ola OilsOla Oils is a family business run by husband and wife, John and Connie Sorrie, son and daughter, John and Chloe, and their

partners, Ellie and James. Founded in 2008, Ola Oils produces cold-pressed rapeseed oil – the ideal Scottish alternative to olive oil

– on the family farm in Inverurie. Ola grows all its seed on the farm to allow close monitoring of the production process from the

sowing of the seed right through to the finished product. Rapeseed has been grown on the farm for decades. As an alternative to

selling to a grain merchant, John decided to diversify and cold-press the seed on-site to create a healthy, nutritious oil. Ola was

born and the company has never looked back since! Ola now produces a wide range of products and runs the Green Grocer shop

in Inverurie. Find out more at www.olaoils.co.uk

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Farmers’ Markets can be found at:ABERDEEN last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

BANCHORY 3rd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

HUNTLY 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

INVERURIE 2nd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

MACDUFF Last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

PETERHEAD 1st Saturday of the month 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

STONEHAVEN 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

TORPHINS Every Wednesday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

TURRIFF 3rd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

WESTHILL 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Ola OilCereal Bars

Method

1: Put the oil and syrup into a saucepan and gently heat, mixing with a wooden spoon

2: Stir in the oats and other ingredients.

3: Spread the mixture into a swiss roll tin.

4: Press mixture down firmly and evenly into tin.

5: Cook for approximately 15 minutes at 180ºC until the mixture is evenly browned.

6: Cut the bars while still warm and remove from tin when cool.

Breakfast bars, high in omega 3, 6 and 9 and

vitamin E. Serves 16-20.

Ingredients• 200ml Ola Rapeseed Oil • 4 rounded tbsp of

golden syrup/honey • 300g porridge oats • 100g

sultanas (or any combination of dried fruit/nuts)

• 1 level tsp mixed spice • 1 level tsp cinnamon

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savourIssue 03 2014

Q: Wow! It’s been a superb year forJ.G. Ross. Can you tell us about someof your successes and awards?

A: We are delighted to have won anumber of awards over the past year. Ithink it is great for everyone that workswith J.G. Ross to see their efforts formallyrecognised. Just over 12 months ago wewon the local supplier of the year awardfrom Tesco and, when you consider howmany local suppliers Tesco has across thewhole of the UK, that was a fantasticachievement. We picked up a number ofawards at the Grampian Food ForumInnovation Awards in March this year,including Investment in SkillsDevelopment and Entrepreneur of theYear, and two gluten-free products wemake for our gluten-free partners, Angelic

Gluten Free Cookies and PulsettaBreadcrumbs, won category awards inFood Service. At the Scottish Baker of theYear awards, we won a national goldaward for our Ola Oatcakes and a regionalbronze for our cherry oven scones, andwe were first runner up for Scottish Bakerof the Year. We were also asked to enterthe national baker awards. This is our firsttime entering so it will be interesting tosee how we get on. Judging takes placefrom June to August, with awards inOctober.

Q: One of Aberdeenshire’s mostfamous products is the buttery. Whatmakes yours so special?

A: The buttery is one of the most iconicproducts of the North East. The buttery is

and always has been a handmadeproduct. To maintain its essentialcharacteristics, we have continued tomake them in small batches andincreased the number of batches asvolume has increased rather than increasethe batch size. There are a lot ofmisconceptions about the buttery. If yougoogle it, you will probably find peoplenow living away from the North Eastlonging for a buttery and also discussionsregarding its calorific content.www.myfitnesspal.com quotes a butteryas having 274 calories. Ours are certainlynowhere near that. Our standard butteryhas 174 calories, our veggie butteryslightly less at 164 and our Banffshirebuttery, which has reduced fat, reducedsalt and contains oats has only 154calories. Our weekend speciality buttery

J.G. Ross (Bakers) Limited needs no introduction to the people of the North East. They have been servicing the bakery

needs of the area since it all began back in 1962. Now their takeaway bakers’ and coffee shops are dotted around the

region, serving local favourites such as classic meat pies, sausage rolls and, of course, the famous buttery. Over a cup

of tea and the obligatory yum yum, Savour’s editor chatted with Graeme Ross (pictured above), commercial director

at this award-winning bakery.

Fancy a Piece from thisAward-Winning Baker?

Pictured from left to right: Graeme Ross, commercial director; Cameron Ross,production director;George Ross, founder and executive chairman

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savourIssue 03 2014

has proved very popular and a greattalking point on social media. We havemade a number of different flavours,including haggis, black pudding,cranachan, cheese, cheese and bacon,bacon, cheese and marmite and, mypersonal favourite, chocolate and chilli.

Q: The Pulsetta range has become areal winner and has really come to thefore recently. Tell us about this gluten-free range.

A: Gluten-free is an area we have beenconsidering for some time, so when wewere approached by two businesses,Pulsetta and Angelic, two years ago toassist them in developing their concepts,we jumped at the chance. Working withboth these businesses and developingour own range with the assistance oflocal food writer, Liz Ashworth, we madethe decision to invest £350,000 in ourPortsoy bakery to convert it into adedicated gluten-free site. We have wonthree national Great Taste awards for ourgluten-free biscuits, and both Angelic andPulsetta have also won Great TasteAwards. The nature of the ingredients andalso the controls and systems necessaryto manufacture gluten-free productsbrought a number of new challenges,particularly as we wanted to offer thesame standards of taste, quality andfreshness as we do in our main bakeryrange. I have to say we are very pleasedwith the results so far. Angelic cookies arealready in Canada and Malaysia as well ascloser to home. Pulsetta has caught theattention of many retailers, food serviceoutlets and manufacturers due to its veryunique proposition. Pulsetta products arepatent protected, which is just as wellgiven the development time invested.Pulsetta is the first brand that has made arange of products using pulses. Threebiscuits were launched recently andbreadcrumbs are available. Work iscurrently underway to upscalebreadcrumb production and also finalisePulsetta bread and rolls. So – some veryexciting times ahead.

Q: Your restaurant in Inverurie, openevery day, offers much more than teaand cakes, so what can we expectfrom the menu?

A: When we built our new bakery in 2007,we wanted to include a coffee shop to

help promote our business and its values.As a family business, we wanted it to befamily friendly, so of course we have akids’ menu, a kids’ area inside and also aplay area with swings, climbing frameand picnic benches outside. The food isall made on-site. Some comes from thebakery but most is made on the premisesdaily. This also allows us to quicklychange menus to reflect customer needs.Due to the large car park, it is popularboth for takeaway and sit down custom.The most popular lines include stoviesand macaroni and cheese, as well aspaninis, sandwiches, homemade soups,pies, of course, and cakes. Ourhomemade burgers are also proving verypopular. We offer daily specials too,which could be almost anything,including homemade steak pie, fish pie,chilli or curry, to name but a few.

Q: You have scones, muffins,doughnuts, yum yums, fruit slices andan array of traditional biscuits. What’sthe most popular nibble with a ‘flycup’?

A: We offer a very large range of cakesand ‘fancy pieces’. The most popularindividually purchased line is our yumyum. Due to its success, we haveextended this to include a caramel yumyum, cream yum yum and, most recently,a custard yum yum. Traditional tea breadlines are still very well liked, althoughmore are bought to take home ratherthan purchased individually to eat on the

go. Our American pancakes and fruit ovenscones are very popular, too.

Q: It seems local traders in Inveruriehave a very close relationship andwork together to enhance theproducts available and the profile ofthe town. Is this something J.G. Rossembraces?

A: As a family business, being part of thelocal community is in our DNA. We havebeen members of Inverurie BusinessAssociation for very many years and havebeen chairman and vice chairman.Inverurie has so much to offer, whether itis shopping, work, recreation or property.It is a very vibrant area and I strongly feelthat the co-operative spirit and supportthat exists within the population and thebusiness community greatly contributesto that.

Q: Have you had any new launchesrecently or can we expect to seeanother delicious product rolling ofthe production line soon?

A: We regularly review our product rangeand bring out new lines. We recently didsome work with Hazlehead Academy,which has led to the development of ahealthy nutritious breakfast bar that welaunched at Taste of Grampian. A largecustard cream – a bit like granny wouldhave made – and multi-seeded rolls areall coming out soon. After that … well,we will keep everyone posted both onsocial media and through our shops.

MayIt’s time to get Taggart out of retirement ‘cause: ‘There’s been a murder!’ In factthere’ve been several, but it doesn’t require a detective’s skills to find the culprit. JackFrost has broken into our polytunnel with his icy fingers and strangled our tomatoes.Despite purchasing a super-duper polytunnel to protect our young tomato plants, weunzip one morning in early May to find devastation. Feeling like a Lib Dem M.P. at anelection, we vow to carry on and in no time our grow bags are replenished. This is thetrouble with allotment gardening in Scotland. One minute you’re exposing yourwobbly bits to the world as temperatures soar and the next wrapping everythingtighter than an Aberdonian’s wallet. Perhaps our enthusiasm needs to be tempered alittle and more attention paid to the weatherman.

Despite the fluctuating temperatures things are looking good! The overwinteredcabbage is thriving, lettuce forming hearts and broad beans stretching. Tattie shawsare beginning to appear, so they’re quickly earthed up and even the fruit canes I hadlong ago dismissed as a bad buy have sprung to life. Unfortunately, however, thefastest rate of growth we have to date is the vast amount of weeds that are thriving

on our patch. Why is it you give a fledgling plant such care and attention tobe rewarded by eradication and yet, despite hoeing, howking, pounding andpoisoning, the weeds flourish?

As I watched Alex and Ed, with envy, win the Big Allotment Challenge, Iwondered if they had to deal with weeds and pests or did a team of gnomesappear between filming to give them a hand! It would be in the floral displaybit I’d come undone. I’m not sure where I’d stick a gladiolus, but -putting itin a floral arrangement isn’t for me! (Sorry all you gladioli lovers!) But who amI kidding? I’d not even get that far!

Back on the allotment, my wife’s enthusiasm never wanes and she tends toour crop on a near daily basis. Friends, family and neighbours havestarted to taste the benefits … although, hang on; shouldn’t we betaking some home for ourselves??

JuneAt last it’s warming up a bit – or at least the rain isn’t so cold! Nowthat the worry of frost is gone, there are other hazards to look out for.Greedy, slimy little slugs are feasting on our crops! We’ve tried moretraps and contraptions than in a James Bond movie, but still the littleblighters keep knawing away. We’ve now resorted to beer, whichapparently does the trick. I’m not sure what the theory is. Does itpoison them or do they get so p***ed they fall off the plant and die??Pigeons, a bird I’ve always quite liked, have joined in too, causing usto invest in more nets than Ena Sharples. (Younger readers will nothave a clue what I’m on about!) It seems that everything other thanonions, garlic and celery are at their mercy. I say let’s forget the veggrowing and go for pigeon pie!

I have to say life within our gated compound is good. There’s a greatcamaraderie at this time of year as stories of successes and failures areexchanged along with any excesses from one’s plot. Cabbages areswapped for broccoli, strawberries exchanged for cucumbers. There is suchharmony in our little group, I can’t help thinking politicians could learn athing or two by going back to basics and picking up a few tips from ourcommunity.

It’s not just a growing area either. Fuelled by a few beers and glasses of wine,we’ve kindled up the barbecue and spent many a pleasant evening suckingon a spare rib and chomping on a sizzling burger, accompanied, ofcourse, with fresh greens straight from the ground. (And I swear thepigeons remained untouched!)

Speaking of wine, which I think I was, a rather sickly looking vine Iplanted months ago is now competing with Mo Farah as to who cancover the most distance fastest. From a stick in the ground, it haserupted into lush foliage with each day producing noticeable growth.But, alas, I think any chance of a glass of Pinot Noir will have to waituntil another year.

Staggering your planting to avoid a glut of one product is the way togo so, as we enjoy the fruits of our labour, some of our beds becomenaked again and ready for more planting to give us autumn andwinter crops. (It’s all very technical!) So we’re off again planting moreturnips, leeks, beetroot and beans to harvest later in the year.

We’re lucky in that we can cycle to our allotment in ten minutes. I’min the process of ‘pimping’ our bikes to ensure we can carry themaximum vegetation home, so if you see an odd couple looking likea cross between an Onion Johnny and a Chinese street peddler giveus a wave!

21

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It’s CreamiliciousIsn’t it rather ironic that Scottish

people are really good at making ice

cream and, despite a climate

notorious for inclement weather, we

can’t get enough of this smooth,

creamy, chilled delight? There are

some well-known brands in Scotland

but you have to travel to Inverurie to

find a real nugget.

Mitchells ice cream is made using

Aberdeenshire-grown ingredients in

partnership with Rizza’s of Huntly,

who produce and distribute

Mitchells own-recipe ice creams. In

further support of local producers,

Mitchells ice cream contains their

own brand of milk and cream and,

for the fruit flavours, berries from

Barra Berries and Castleton. Delicious

all year round, on its own or as part

of a dessert, it’s available in three

flavours – Luxury Dairy, Crannachan

and Blueberries & Cream – and is a

great example of local family

businesses working together to

produce fantastic tasting products.

Mitchells ice cream is suitable for

vegetarians and is gluten free.

Available from Mitchells own shop in

Inverurie and selected outlets in a

range of sizes – from individual

120ml spoon-in-lid to 5l catering,

Mitchells ice cream is a great

addition to any freezer. If you’d like

to stock Mitchells ice cream or find

out more, please telephone (01467)

621389.

Always had room in your heart for an AGA, but never enough space in thekitchen? Well, now you have. The electric AGA City60 is everything youwould expect from an AGA, but wrapped up in a smaller package. At just60cm wide – the same size as a slot-in cooker or a standard kitchen unit,it’s perfect for smaller spaces.

There are two ovens, offering roasting, baking and simmering functions,and a hotplate which allows you to boil and simmer. Both the ovens andhotplates can be switched on when you need them and off when you don’t.Plus, with programmability, you can time the roasting/baking oven to beready when you are.

What’s more, if you place your AGA City60 order and pay a deposit before30 September 2014 you will receive a ‘Getting you started’ cookware packworth over £500.

To learn more about the AGA City60 or other AGA models, call or visit AGAAberdeen, Unit 2, 12b Back Wynd, Aberdeen, AB10 1JN.

01224 647441 | AgaLiving.com

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23

With the arrival of summer sunshine,

hundreds of barbecues throughout the

area will be wheeled out from the garage

or shed to take pride of place in the back

garden. However, barbecues are no

longer just a summer activity. With the

appearance of some really innovative

new cookware, such as the Big Green

Egg® and Tefal Optigrill, barbecues are

now a 365-day-a-year event, indoors or

outdoors.

Whether you opt for the latest models or

you own a more humble piece of

apparatus, your barbecue can only

succeed if you have the best food

possible. Enter Andrew Gordon! Andrew

has introduced his Fresh Food Guru

healthy eating range through his website,

offering low-calorie, low-fat options at

amazing prices. For example, the 200g

chicken breast fillet burgers and steak

burgers are all at a new low price of only

£3.00 each and the standard lean steak

burger 100% beef is only £1.50. All

handmade using premium chicken fillet

and lean meats, not packed with extra

rusk or bread – otherwise known as fillers,

it’s all about the meat with Fresh Food

Guru by Andrew Gordon.

Andrew has also introduced the new

Gordonian Range, which includes

delicious luxury aged burgers and chilli

aged burgers with some of the classic

Aberdeen Angus fat left in for a juicy

sizzle and great flavour. They’ll impress

your friends and neighbours sizzling on

the barbecue grill!

The Fresh Food Guru has also obtained

exclusive rights for pure Piedmontese

beef, which is both low in saturated fat

and cholesterol. This ‘leaner than chicken’

meat is ideal for the barbecue with its

naturally high moisture level, and there

are some amazing steak burgers, such as

Bourbon, Chipotle, Memphis, and the

pure Piedmontese beef with nothing

added is as natural as the day is long.

Perhaps you’re brave enough to try ‘Fork

in Hell’, infused with front loaded chillies.

There’s a really impressive chicken breast

fillet burger range with choices of sweet

chillies, jalapeño and lime, garlic and

cayenne, smokey barbecue or the aptly

named Louisiana-style burger.

Perhaps you’re celebrating a special

occasion or planning a corporate day out

with the office team or clients. If so, you’ll

be sure to impress with a sizzling hog

roast from Fresh Food Guru Hog Roasts.

Delicious Aberdeenshire-bred pork served

in a brioche bun, with sage and onion

stuffing, Bramley apple sauce and fresh

coleslaw. Add to the experience with a

selection of canapés, salads, baked

potatoes with delicious fillings and

desserts. Professional and friendly staff

will work with you and ensure your

guests have a memorable time.

Raising the Steaks

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The active and lost whisky distilleriesdotted around Aberdeenshire have beenbrought together for the first time. Thecounty’s rich but under-recognisedwhisky heritage is being showcased withAberdeenshire council’s Secret Malts ofAberdeenshire guide.

The council’s economic developmentteam has been working with local whiskyproducers to highlight the hidden rangeof small distilleries all within an hour’sdrive of Aberdeen.

Targeting the tourism markets, whiskyconnoisseurs, local people and historians,The Secret Malts of Aberdeenshirehighlights the fascinating history of eightworking distilleries. It also details thearea’s ‘lost’, or non-operational,distilleries, with a guide to whisky tastingand some specialist whisky retail outlets.

Of the eight working distilleries featured,most are relatively small but each has itsown distinctive history, style and taste.Four of them have small visitor centresand shops offering regular tours led byknowledgeable guides.

Copies will be available free at each of thedistilleries and local visitor informationcentres.

Whisky trail unveils SecretMalts of Aberdeenshire

Assistant manager, Alex Lawrence, atOrchid Bar in Aberdeen, has won the UKLa Hechicera Bartender competition, heldearlier this spring at MASH London. Alex,23, from Edinburgh, won the prestigiousWanderlust Columbia Challenge with asmooth drink called Lady Colombia,beating cocktail makers from The Ritz,The Dorchester and leading bars inBrighton and Edinburgh.

As the competition was a brandawareness exercise run by La HechiceraRum, a spirit only released into the UKmarket in 2012, Alex’s drink was basedaround a personification of Colombia,with each ingredient having an attributethat said something about the country.He prepared a sophisticated mix of rum,Martini extra dry vermouth, Mozart darkchocolate liqueur, maple syrup, sea saltand a blend of bitters for a panel ofindustry experts.

Alex says: “It is not just about the tasteand drink itself. There’s a hugeimportance placed on what you say andhow you look, too. You’ve got to keep itsmooth, keep your body at right angleswhen you pour things out. It always looksnice if you can make things flow. I hadshaky hands but I had a few rums so thatsorted it out. I was in shock after I wonthough.”

The standard required to win the event is

indicative of where the bar andhospitality sector is at today. “I wouldn’tsay it is quite like cooking, but there is animmense amount of studying involved incocktails now and the industry takes itselfseriously. You really do have to masterevery spirit, but also the small details ofthe cocktail experience – like mood,lighting, does the customer have enoughwater, is the music right…”

For Orchid’s owner, Ben Iravani, Alex’swin is a win for Aberdeen. “Alex wasn’tjust representing us; he was representingthe city too. When people think ofhospitality, we want them to think ofAberdeen. Our ambition is to get moredrinks specialists to come to the city andshow them that it’s on a par with, if notbetter, than London. We’ve had somegreats guys come through Orchid and bereally successful in the drinks industryand Alex is a shining example of that.”

Alex’s win means he’s now promotingAberdeen’s take on cocktail mixology inSouth America, with a sponsored month-long trip in August, teaching Columbianbartenders about their native brand.Plans for his return mean taking a breakfrom the competition scene. “I really wantto focus on taking the bar further than it’sever been before, so that we can pushbartending not just in the North East, butin the whole of the UK.”

Cocktail Win Raises the BarDrinkNews Bites...

At a champagne tasting last night, as we were trying adelicious Ruinart Rosé Brut NV, one of the tasters said tome: “I could just see myself sitting in the garden in thesunshine enjoying this.” So as thoughts turn to dining alfresco – even if it is with the aid of a patio heater andfire pit, what do you imagine drinking?

On the white side, for me it has to be zippy andrefreshing. I’m thinking a Vinho Verde from Portugal orperhaps a Greek Assyrtiko. A Chablis or Sancerrewouldn’t go amiss either. Check out the lively whites ofItaly for lightly nutty Arneis, citrus-y Verdicchio and theapples and white flowers of Vermentino.

Salad dressings need a wine with acidity to match, andsimply prepared shellfish and fish won’t be overpowered.

Whilst I am of the opinion that rosé can and should bedrunk all year round, when the sun shines it really doesfit the bill. I head to Italy, southern Rhône, the South ofFrance, and the Spanish regions of Navarra and Rioja fordry styles with some body and attitude, which work sowell with the multitude of vibrant flavours of sharingfoods like tapas, antipasto and mezze.

The intensity that chargrilling gives to food sits wellagainst really fruity red wines and those with smokyhints. Go for the juicy red fruitiness of New Zealand PinotNoir, soft easy drinking Chilean Merlot or spice it up a bitwith Australian Shiraz.

Lighter styles of red such as Beaujolais, Valpolicella andunoaked Rioja can also be slightly chilled as summer

temperatures rise. Trial and error may be involved to getthe wine as you like it, but the general guidelines forchilling red wines are to make sure that tannins are lowand that the wine is young, soft and fruity, and not tooheady on the alcohol.

Bring on the sunshine!Tried and tasted:

McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2011,California, USA

Pure berry scents, liquorice spice and glug-able fruitcakeand cherry flavours demand a gourmet burger.(Fountainhall Wines)

Wittman 100 Hills Pinot Blanc 2011,Germany

An expressive, zingy, d ry glassful of apples and melonsmakes this lovely Pinot Blanc perfect for simply sipping.It was a firm fave at a recent wine club tasting. (Oddbins,Aberdeen)

Tesco Finest Picpoul de Pinet 2012,Languedoc Roussillon France

So very Picpoul - zingy and dry with a green applefreshness, another for sipping in the sunshine.

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Method1: Put eight of the eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, cook for five minutes, then quickly lift out of the pan

and plunge in a big bowl of cold water to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel.

2: While the eggs cool, put the oil, onions and garlic in a frying pan. Fry very gently until really soft and just starting to

turn golden. Add the spices and fry for a few minutes more. Tip into a food processor and whizz to a paste, then add

the chickpeas and coriander leaves, and pulse until finely chopped but not pasty. Stir in the wholemeal breadcrumbs,

flour and final egg – beaten first with a fork, with a good amount of seasoning.

3: Divide the mixture into eight. Take a portion at a time and flatten between your hands (rub your hands with a little

more oil if it’s sticking to your fingers too much). Roll one of your peeled eggs in a little flour, shake to remove the

excess, then wrap the falafel mixture around it, moulding it to completely cover the egg and squishing it together at

the joins to seal. Repeat to cover all the eggs. Tip the panko or dried breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix in the sesame

seeds. Roll each egg in it to coat. Can be made one day ahead, loosely covered with cling film and chilled.

4: Get a large, deep saucepan and half-fill it with oil, or use a deep-fat fryer. Heat until a bit of bread browns in about 30

seconds. Add a couple of eggs at a time and fry, turning, until really golden and crisp – about two minutes. Lift onto

kitchen paper to drain while you cook the rest of the eggs in batches. Season with a little more salt and eat warm or

cold.

Ingredients• 9 large eggs • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rolling • 2 large onions, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbsp ground

cumin • 1 tbsp ground coriander • 400g can chickpeas, drained • ½ small pack coriander, leaves only • 200g wholemeal

breadcrumbs • 5 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting • 25g panko or dried breadcrumbs • 3 tbsp sesame seeds

• sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

Falafel Scotch Eggs

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Talking toTorode

John Torode started his career as a chef. Having moved from Australiain the early 1990s, he began his UK career with the Conran Group.Passion and talent saw him rise quickly through the ranks and, in lessthan five years, he was promoted to the position of head chef.

Torode's Australian background has played a large part in his career.He has been credited as one of the main players to bring qualityAustralian cuisine to the UK. His uncomplicated fusion cookingproduces dishes that are full of flavour. Apart from introducing thisexciting blend of multicultural cuisine, he is well known for being anenthusiast of organic food and the farming process.

Torode is author of a set of successful cookbooks and has had columnsin the Daily Mail and Olive.

His highest-profile role, however, has to be that of TV presenter.Torode has been on numerous programmes, including four years asresident chef on ITV with Richard and Judy to hosting and co-judgingduties on MasterChef with Gregg Wallace.

His latest series, John Torode’s Australia, aired on TV in March thisyear.

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29Q: You have an amazing rapport with Gregg Wallace on screen yet you

have never been to each other’s homes. Is this a choice you both

made?

A: It's just turned out that way. We both have busy lives and we live a long

way from each other, and so it's just never happened.

Life is a bit like that; things just happen without even contemplating them.

Q: Are there times during MasterChef filming when the cameras stop

rolling because things get too chaotic or a contestant breaks down?

A: This never happens; everything that takes place in the kitchen is filmed.

Q: Has there ever been an occasion when you or Gregg have looked at

a dish and thought: “I really can’t eat this”?

A: Many a time, but the person has cooked it and you must pay them the

compliment of eating it. As long as it is not going to make you ill!

Q: Do you get a chance to chat to the contestants before or after the

show, or is it straight down to business?

A: Our relationship with all the contestants is kept fairly distant, as it should

be between judge and contestant. They walk in ... we introduce ourselves ...

set the task and away we go.

Q: You’ve now sold your stake in Smiths of Smithfield; so do you have

your finger in any other pies (so to speak!)?

A: Oh, I do, but I am enjoying a little down time. Soon though!

Q: Viewers have been enjoying your Good Food Channel series John

Torode’s Australia where you retraced the flavours of your childhood.

Was there a slight temptation to think of moving back to your native

land or were you comfortable to return home to the streets of Balham?

A: No, no, no! I love Australia, but my life is here, as are my family and my

friends.

Q: You’ve been known to comment you don’t particularly enjoy

pretentious food, so what’s cooking in the Torode home?

A: Last night it was roast chicken and Yorkshire puddings, and who knows

what tonight will bring. But breakfast will be bacon and eggs on toast.

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Two North East Scotland College studentshave lifted the gold and silver awards inthe inaugural Taste of Grampian AspiringYoung Chef competition.

The four finalists in the award, supportedby Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), Nativeby Nick Nairn and North East ScotlandCollege Hospitality Team, battled it out intwo cook-offs, which took place at theTaste of Grampian event at Thainstone.

The overall winner was Brogan Tilney,who impressed the judges with herexceptional dishes. Her starter was filletsof herring, served on a warm salad of newpotatoes, fennel and capers, dressed withlemon-infused rapeseed oil followed by amain of rib-eye of Scotch beef, butteredcabbage and bacon, and glazed potatoesaccompanied with a white onion sauce.

She will be given two weeks of workexperience, courtesy of Nick Nairn, and

£200 for the purchase of foodpreparation equipment. One of thejudging team, Lady Claire Macdonald,said she had been extremely impressedwith the skills and determination shownby the four young finalists.

Lady Claire said the Taste of GrampianAspiring Young Chef competition wasvery close with only seven pointsbetween the finalists.

Runner-up was Louise Lee with her starterof tian of salmon and crab, topped withcrème fraîche and garnished with wildrocket, and main course of herb-crustedpavé of lamb, minted pea purée,rosemary potatoes, red wine and garlicsauce. Louise will also receive a chequefor £200 for the purchase of foodpreparation equipment courtesy ofQuality Meat Scotland.

The other finalists were Kipras Preidys of

the Scottish Lighthouse Museum andBetsy Pepper, a pupil at MintlawAcademy. The award has beenestablished to encourage young peopleto consider a culinary career and to kindlea real passion for top quality localproduce among chefs of the future.

The competition attracted a strong fieldof entrants and was open to all youngpeople, aged 16 to 19, with a passion forfood – from those working as commischefs to college students and schoolpupils. Competitors were required todevise a menu and recipes consisting oftheir chosen starter and main course. Inkeeping with the Taste of Grampianevent’s ethos, the menu had to showcaseseasonal Grampian produce, wherepossible sourced from local suppliers.Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or SpeciallySelected Pork plus a local seafoodproduct were also included in the menus.

The entrants were also asked to stronglyreflect the theme of ‘Homecoming’ intheir menu choice by considering whatvisitors to the area would want toexperience when sampling local Scottishfood.

The competition was also strong in theTaste of Grampian Primary Schoolscompetition.

Supported by Quality Meat Scotland, thecompetition encourages teams of pupilsto devise a healthy, nutritious packedlunch. Kintore Primary School was theoverall winner and also lifted the best artand design award for the writtensubmission. Runner-up was FoveranPrimary School, which also lifted theaward for the best researched writtensubmission and, in third place, was UdnyGreen Primary School.

It’s a Win forBrilliant Brogan

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Spicy lambburgers withcoriander,tomato andyoghurt relishThese tasty burgers with a quick

tomato relish are perfect for the

barbecue.

Serve with pitta bread or burger buns.

Method1: Place the minced lamb in a large mixing bowl and add the garlic, onion, mango chutney, ginger, chopped chilli,

turmeric, crushed coriander and cumin. Season well with salt and pepper and mix by hand until combined. The burgers

can be briefly mixed in a food processor until just starting to hold together, but be careful not to overwork the mixture.

2: Divide and shape the mixture into 8-10 burgers. If you want to check the flavour, fry a small burger in a drop of oil

before shaping the rest and, if necessary, add extra flavourings or seasoning.

3: Place the burgers on a cling film-covered tray and keep them in the fridge to relax for at least 30 minutes. They're ideally

made the day before cooking.

4: To prevent the burgers from sticking, brush with a little oil before barbecuing over medium-hot coals for about 5-6

minutes each side.

5: Mix together the tomatoes, yoghurt, coriander, onion and lemon or lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with the burgers, either inside the bun or as a dipping sauce.

6: For a change, use diced, seeded cucumber instead of tomatoes, and try mint instead of coriander.

IngredientsFor the burgers: • 1kg minced lamb (it's best not to use extra-lean mince as the fat will help bind the burgers and keep

them juicy when cooked) • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 medium onion, finely chopped • 1-2 tbsp mango chutney • 3cm

piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated • 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped • ¼ tsp ground turmeric • 1 tsp

coriander seeds, crushed • 1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • oil, for brushin

flat bread, pitta bread or burger buns, to serve.

For the relish: • 6 ripe tomatoes, quartered, de-seeded and diced • 200g tub of Greek yoghurt • bunch of fresh coriander,

roughly chopped • 1 small red onion, finely chopped • squeeze of lemon or lime juice

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33

Ola Ensures ChesterHotel is Best Dressed

Ola Oils of Inverurie, Scotland's original

producers of cold-pressed rapeseed oil,

have recently launched a range of new

products. Adding to the extensive range

of oils, salad dressings and condiments,

Ola teamed up with The Chester Hotel on

Queens Road, Aberdeen to produce The

Chester Hotel House Dressing. Executive

chef at The Chester, Kevin Dalgleish, uses

Ola to make the house salad dressing at

the hotel and the collaboration has seen

the dressing bottled and offered for sale.

In addition, Ola have launched a range of

gift packs, offering a selection of three

types of Ola Oil in 100ml bottles. James

Ogg of Ola Oils said: "The gift packs have

been really popular since we launched

them and we hope that they'll sell well as

Christmas gifts and also as part of

hampers." Finally, Ola unveiled their one-

litre sized bottle, now available for retail

sale. The company have been supplying

the catering sector with one-litre bottles

for almost two years but with customers

increasingly buying multiple 500ml

bottles, the decision was taken to launch

the one-litre size. James added: "We now

have an 18-month shelf life on all our oils

and this was a key factor in launching the

one-litre size."

To find out more, visit www.olaoils.co.uk

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homegrown produceessential for local chef

Since opening in 2010, The Courtyard hasgone through a vast evolution. It hasgone from being a formal, fine diningvenue to a relaxed food-centricexperience where the food is centrestage.

Your experience begins when your areseated and presented with the dailyselection of homemade breads and thenleads into exploring the menu of seasonalproduce presented by the culinary teamat the helm.

The team at The Courtyard work togetherwith the best Scottish suppliers to bringyou the freshest seasonal produce andpresent it elegantly, ensuring a uniquetaste experience.

Earlier this year, executive chef and ownerof The Courtyard, Chris Tonner, securedthe talents of new head chef, AndrewManson. Originally from Shetland, the 30-year-old well-travelled chef studied atAberdeen University and Robert GordonUniversity. He has a long-standing workrelationship with Chris Tonner as heworked in La Stella (now the AdelphiKitchen) before leaving Aberdeen six

years ago to travel to Spain. Andrew hasworked in some of the most prestigiousrestaurants across Europe, includingAdams in Birmingham, The Kitchin inEdinburgh, and Claridge’s in London. Healso worked in Pollen Street Social inLondon and Simply Foss in Majorca. Backin Aberdeen since May this year, Andrewis keen to make his mark in the area’sdining circles.

He said: “Aberdeen is not short ofrestaurants, it’s a vibrant city and I’mhappy to be back ‘home’. At TheCourtyard, we are working hard to refineour menu and create something veryspecial – something that Aberdeen hasn’thad before.

“Everyone talks about using localproduce and, of course, that’s extremelyimportant, but it’s seasonal producewhich is the key. Nature should bedeciding for us what goes on our plates.”

Travelling around Europe, Andrew hascollected an immense amount ofknowledge and skills. “Some might say itdoesn’t look good on a CV to have threemonths here and three months there, but

35

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it worked for me. The experiences I havehad in some of the best kitchens aroundEurope have been amazing.”

These highly commended and award-winning restaurants have allowedAndrew to build up a vast experience,which he has now brought to the kitchenat 1 Alford Lane.

Andrew feels that the ambience of TheCourtyard is very suited to his style ofcooking – presenting the best of localand seasonal food in a modern way. Heaims to make The Courtyard the bestrestaurant in Aberdeen and feels that thisis highly achievable with the perfect teamin place.

Cooking for Andrew is much more avocation that a career choice. He likens itto an addiction and, even on his day off,he is researching ingredients and recipes,always thinking how he can improve onthe work he is doing.

He loves to share his knowledge andskills with the team and is comfortable intraining up-and-coming chefs to furthertheir skills and experience, andencourages them to establish their ownpersonal style.

While the main restaurant in TheCourtyard seats 50, there is a furtherprivate dining room nestled upstairs thatcan accommodate 35.

Whether you want an intimate meal for

two or have a celebration for morepeople, The Courtyard private diningroom is a perfect choice.

The team at The Courtyard will work withyou to provide a perfect menu for youroccasion, guiding you with both theirculinary experience but also theknowledge of what is seasonally at itsbest to provide you with a fresh diningexperience for your party.

They offer a completely flexible menu –whether you want a bespoke menudesigned with canapés and bubbly onarrival or something completely different,they will always make every effort tomake your dining experience unlikeanything else.

They cater for all occasions – fromgraduations to weddings, officegatherings to birthdays.

There are also some very special eventslined up at The Courtyard. In August theyhost a 1950s’ Paris Champagne TastingEvent in tribute to Joseph PerrierChampagne.

With a five-course tasting menu chosenspecifically for the evening and glasses ofchampagne for every course, diners willalso hear from Malcolm Ogilvie of WineImporters and Martin Gamman of JosephPerrier. Tickets are limited and can bebooked by calling (01224) 589109 oremailing info@wearebeetroot.co.uk

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Method1: Using a pestle and mortar, bash and bruise the bay, rosemary and thyme with the garlic, olive oil and one tablespoon of the vinegar, plus some seasoning. Smear the mixture all over the meat to marinate. This can be done up to 24 hours ahead.

2: Set aside the fennel fronds and sliced spring onions, and toss the rest of the vegetables in one tablespoon of the olive oil and some seasoning. Build your barbecue so that there is a higher pile of coals on one side and a lower pile on the other. Light the barbecue and, when the coals are ashen, grill the vegetables until lightly charred and wilted (be careful that the asparagus and spring onions do not fall through the bars). Scoop them into a dish and dress with the rest of the olive oil and the lemon juice, then scatter with the fennel fronds and sliced spring onions, and set aside.

3: Now cook the pork. It needs to sizzle for one hour over a fairly low heat – the coals should be grey but, to ensure they don’t go out halfway through cooking, you may need to keep adding occasional coals. Lay the pork on the coolest side of the barbecue, fat-side down, and brown for about 20 minutes until well charred (if you have a kettle barbecue, cover with the lid). Use tongs to flip the meat and continue to cook slowly for about one hour more, turning and moving the meat occasionally, until the thickest part is very firm when prodded, or when the juices show no sign of pink when pierced with a skewer. If you have a digital cooking thermometer, it should read 65ºC or more when inserted in the thickest part. (If the pork is organic, it’s fine if it’s a tiny bit pink, but you certainly don’t want it raw.)

4: When the pork is cooked, place on a dish, scatter with parsley, drizzle over the rest of the vinegar and leave to rest somewhere warm for 15 minutes. Carve the pork into thin slices on a board and serve with the just-warm vegetables and vinegary resting juices.

Ingredients• handful bay leaves • handful rosemary sprigs • handful thyme sprigs • 4 garlic cloves • 3 tbsp olive oil • 4 tbsp cider

vinegar • 2-3kg boneless, skinless pork leg, butterflied into 1 piece • handful parsley leaves, chopped

For the vegetables: • 2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges, fronds picked and kept separate • bunch spring onions - green

parts finely sliced and kept separate; whites trimmed but left whole • 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks

• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks • 3 courgettes, cut on an angle into long slices • 2 tbsp olive oil

• juice of ½ lemon

Barbecuedleg of porkwith grilledsummervegetables

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AECC ReceiveHealthyliving Award

Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference

Centre (AECC) has announced that the

venue has once again achieved the

healthyliving award, through the scheme

run by NHS Health Scotland and funded

by the Scottish Government. Only

businesses which are committed to

preparing and serving food according to

the specific award conditions can display

the healthyliving award logo and

certificate. This means that healthier

ingredients and cooking methods are

used to keep salt, sugar and fat to a

minimum; and healthy options such as

water, low-fat dairy products, fruit and

vegetables are always available.

AECC’s catering general manager, David

McDonald commented: “By providing

healthy snack options, such as fresh fruit,

salads, and seed and nut snack packs in

our Café Concourse, as well as using

nourishing, locally sourced ingredients,

we are ensuring that all visitors to the

venue, whether they attend for a small

meeting in the café right up to a dinner

dance for 1,400, are being provided with

delicious and nutritious meals. The

preparation is also key and our dedicated

in-house chefs and kitchen brigade

successfully deliver wholesome meals to

over 300,000 visitors at the venue each

year.”

Food and drink businesses around the Highlands &Islands and Cairngorms National Park area havefinally discovered whether they’ve made it to thenext stage of the industry’s most prestigious awards,as organisers of the Highlands & Islands Food & DrinkAwards (HIFDA) announced the 41 shortlistedfinalists.

Over the past few months, the 14 judges have readtheir way through dozens of written submissions,sampled a variety of the best of Scottish produce –ranging from buffalo, goat and salmon, saladdressings, biscuits and cheese to ice creams, cordials,whiskies and craft beers – and deliberated theirconclusions at length, until the winning businesseswere agreed upon.

Shortlisted businesses for the 12 awards come fromall corners of the region, from Keith to Kiltarlity, fromShetland to Skye, from Forres to Fort William andfrom Dalwhinnie to Dornoch and Dunoon – apromising sign for the continuing breadth of talentin the industry.

This year, the judging panel was chaired by StephenRankin, director of UK Sales at the Awards’ headlinesponsor, Gordon & MacPhail. The judges comprisedexperienced individuals from all sectors of the foodand drink industry, including head chef Charlie

Lockley of the Michelin-starred Boath House nearNairn, and representatives from industry organisationScotland Food & Drink, and Highlands and IslandsEnterprise (HIE).

The Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awardscomplement the work of the Highlands and IslandsFood & Drink Forum and are supported by Highlandsand Islands Enterprise. They celebrate excellence andachievement in the industry and recognise industryplayers at the top of their game.

Shortlisted finalists have been announced in 12categories including Best Drink, Export, IndependentFood & Drink Retailer, New Product and Restaurantof the Year. The winners of two additional categoriesnot open for general entry, namely Ambassador ofthe Year and the Judges’ Award, will be made at thediscretion of the judges and revealed at the AwardsCeremony.

The winners of all the awards will be announced atthe Awards Dinner and Ceremony at the KingsmillsHotel, Inverness on Friday, 24 October. The evening’sproceedings will be hosted by popular presenter andcomedian, Fred MacAulay – back by populardemand! Tickets cost £75 + VAT and can bepurchased online at www.hifoodanddrink.co.uk

LIST OF SHORTLISTED WINNERSBEST DRINK AWARD:

Sponsored by JBT Distribution & ParcelinQ

Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William

Single Cask Matured in Port Wood 10 Years Old; Single CaskMatured in Port Wood 21 Years Old

Cairngorm Brewery, Aviemore

Range of 12 bottled beers

Highland Cordials, Kiltarlity

Raspberry & Mint, Nettle & Ginger, Elderberry

Lerwick Brewery, Shetland

60° North

Loch Ness Brewery, Drumnadrochit

Range of 6 bottled beers

Tomintoul Distillery, Glenlivet

Tomintoul Speyside Glenlivet Oloroso Sherry Cask FinishSingle Malt Scotch Whisky aged 12 years @ 40%; 10 Year Old

‘Old Ballantruan’ Speyside Glenlivet Single Malt ScotchWhisky @ 50%

BEST MARKETING INITIATIVE AWARD:

Sponsored by Cairngorms National Park Authority

Dalwhinnie Distillery, Dalwhinnie

Good Highland Food, Moy, Inverness-shire

The Scottish Salmon Company, Isle of Lewis

ENVIRONMENT AWARD: Sponsored by TIO Ltd

Isle of Eriska Hotel and Restaurant

Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company, Isle of Skye

Ninth Wave Restaurant, Isle of Mull

HEALTHIER FOOD & DRINK AWARD:

Sponsored by The University of Aberdeen RowettInstitute of Nutrition and Health

Buth Bheag, Kyle of Lochalsh

Loch Duart Ltd, Lairg

The Scottish Goat Meat Company, Keith

EXPORT AWARD: Sponsored by Norbert Dentressangle

Brewmeister Brewery, Keith

FAO27, Avoch

Loch Duart Ltd, Lairg

MacLean’s Highland Bakery, Forres

The Scottish Salmon Company, Isle of Lewis

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS GROWTH 2014:Sponsored by Johnston Carmichael

Brewmeister Brewery, Keith

FAO27, Avoch

The Island Smokery, Orkney

INDEPENDENT FOOD & DRINKRETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD:

Allarburn Farm Shop, Elgin

Buth Bheag, Kyle of Lochalsh

Skye Farm Shop, Isle of Skye

NEW BUSINESS AWARD: Sponsored by Bank of Scotland

Black Isle Dairy, Daviot

Mr C’s Bar, Thurso

Orkney Buffalo, Orkney

Skye Farm Shop, Isle of Skye

West Coast Delicatessen, Ullapool

NEW PRODUCT AWARD:Sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink

Black Isle Dairy, Daviot – Dairy Ice Cream Range

Coast & Glen, Inverness – Coast & Glen Fishbox

Saladworx Ltd, Dornoch – Special edition HomecomingScotland 2014 Whisky & Thistle dressing/marinade/dip

Shetland Cheese Ltd, Shetland – St Ninian’s Soft Cheese

The Argyll Smokery, Dunoon – Kiln Roasted Smoked Trout

Tomintoul Distillery, Glenlivet – Tomintoul Tri-pack featuringone 5cl bottle of Tomintoul 10, 16 & 25 years

BEST EATERY AWARD:Sponsored by Swansons Fruit Company & Nessgro

Bandstand Bar & Restaurant, Nairn

Eilean Dubh, Fortrose

Frankie’s Fish & Chip Shop, Café & Take Away, Shetland

The Bothy, Burghead

The Pier Café, Lairg

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR AWARD:Sponsored by Think Local

Corrour Station House Restaurant, Fort William

Isle of Eriska Hotel, Isle of Eriska

Kylesku Hotel, Kylesku

Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, Cairndow, Argyll

The Lovat Loch Ness, Fort Augustus

YOUNG SHINING STAR AWARD:Sponsored by Ecosse Professional Services Ltd

Annie Body, Annie’s Bakery, Wick

Tammy Rendall, Associated Seafoods Ltd, Buckie

AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR AWARD:Sponsored by North Highland Initiative

Award to be announced at the Awards ceremony

JUDGES’ AWARD: Sponsored by Gordon & MacPhail

Award to be announced at the Awards ceremony

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The four-star Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe

House Hotel, with its grand

architecture, stunning location and

excellent food, is a favourite

destination for locals, businesspeople,

holidaymakers and, of course,

romantic brides. Savour’s editor chats

with hotel manager, Peter Sangster,

who is justifiably proud of his

establishment and staff.

Q: Can you enlighten us a little about

Peter Sangster? What brought you to

Ardoe House?

A: I suppose unfinished business. I had

been at the hotel for six years when it

was owned by Macdonald Hotels and the

chance to come back as general manager

with Accor at such an exciting time was

too good to turn down. We have come a

long way in recent years and, with the

support of my excellent team, we

continue to go above and beyond for our

customers. It’s a business I love and truly

feel we are all part of building something

special.

Q: Ardoe House is a name becoming

synonymous with good food awards.

Tell us about your kitchen brigade and

their successes.

A: I couldn’t be happier with the passion

and dedication of our kitchen team under

the leadership of our executive chef,

Richard Yearnshire. He has been able to

A Clear View ofArdoe House

savourIssue 03 2014

41

strengthen his team and provide much

needed stability, which enables us to

grow our offering and improve the guest

experience. We invest a lot of time and

resources into developing the team and

seek out opportunities for them to learn

and develop, at the same time providing

our customers with an ever-changing

selection, while ensuring we use the best

possible local produce along the way.

Q: How would you describe the hotel’s

award-winning Blairs restaurant since

its recent re-launch?

A: Richard and the team have gone to

great lengths to present a contemporary

yet refined dining experience, showcasing

some of the finest produce available

locally and throughout Scotland, and

delivering them in such a way that

respects the various components while

delivering stunning flavour combinations.

We are very proud of what Blairs now

stands for, and we have also developed a

fantastic Sunday offering to include

Sunday Lunch, High Tea and also our

stunning new Afternoon Tea selection.

Q: What can we expect to see on the

menu at Soapie’s Lounge Bar?

A: Again, we aim to respect locality

throughout our more relaxed choices

from Soapie’s menu: Some fantastic new

dishes, along with the old favourites, as

well as a comprehensive children’s menu.

It really does deliver something for

everyone and has recently been awarded

one AA rosette.

Q: There is regular discussion about

the architecture of Ardoe House. Was

it really inspired by Balmoral Castle?

A: Yes, Ardoe House was built in 1878 by

Alexander Milne Ogston in the then

popular and fashionable Scottish Baronial

style. Ardoe House is an excellent

example of this architectural form. The

architect was James Matthews and the

mason was Alexander Henderson. Ardoe

House was converted into a hotel in 1947

and has been sympathetically extended

in more recent times.

Q: What’s on offer for the health

enthusiast staying at the hotel?

A: Guests can relax in our Spa Naturel

Fitness, which includes a health and

fitness suite and a spa. Our team are

experts in relaxation, whether it be a

rejuvenating spa day or a more regular

spa beauty membership. The fully

equipped gym features tennis courts,

regular fitness classes, a café area,

thermal suite and an 18-metre swimming

pool. We have created a range of

memberships packages with fantastic

incentives.

Q: I expect running such a vast

complex is a bit like the Forth Bridge

and requires constant upkeep. What

can we expect in the hotel’s future

plans?

A: It really is an exciting time for us all.

Having completely revamped all of our

public areas in recent years, we will turn

our attention to an extensive

refurbishment of our bedrooms in the

coming year and also carry out some

work to other areas of the hotel as part of

a continual improvement plan,

culminating in some exciting plans for

2015. As you would expect, we invest

heavily in the maintenance and upkeep

of the hotel and currently have a team of

full-time maintenance engineers as well

as three gardeners.

savourIssue 03 2014

43

The final of this year’s Grampian Chef of

the Year competition took place at the

end of May at Aberdeen College where

36 of Aberdeen’s top chefs took part in a

cook-off, to identify the winners from the

five competition categories: Grampian

Chef of the Year, Grampian Young Chef of

the Year, Grampian Contract Chef of the

Year, Grampian Seafood Chef of the Year,

and Grampian Pastry Chef of the Year.

Four finalists were selected from each

category to be judged by means of an

unannounced visit to the finalist’s

establishment. Karen Black, Hospitality

Training, said: “It was a pleasure and a

privilege to have Michelin-starred chef,

Bruce Sangster, and UK MasterChef Jeff

Purves to help judge these categories.

They have an encyclopaedic knowledge

of food and know what it takes to run a

successful food business.”

The winner of Grampian Hotel Restaurant

of the Year was The Chester Hotel,

Aberdeen’s newest city-centre venue. The

winner of Grampian Restaurant of the

Year was Fusion Bar + Bistro, Aberdeen,

and the winner of the Bar Food Award,

No 1 Bar/Grill Aberdeen.

For the first time in its long history, an

overall winner was announced whom the

panel agreed produced the most

outstanding meal from all of the

categories seen over the two days of the

competition.

The overall winner of the Grampian Chef

of the Year Event, and the winner of the

Grampian Contract Chef of the Year, was

David Matheson, Entiér. His winning

menu consisted of:

Citrus and shellfish consommé,langoustine, tortellini, cucumber,

shimiji and fennel

Loin of lamb, crispy sweetbread,shallot, white asparagus, morels and

truffle

Chocolate and peanut butter fondant,crumbs and cherry

Grampian Hotel/Restaurant Chef of the

Year was won by Ryan Paterson of the

Cock & Bull and Grampian Young Chef of

the Year was won by Matthew Lobban,

The Chester Hotel.

Grampian Seafood Chef was won for the

second time by Bob Miller, The Milton

Brasserie, and Grampian Pastry Chef was

won by Sam Ritchie, Raemoir House

Hotel.

The competition is organised by

Hospitality Training, Scotland’s only

industry-specific Group Training

Association. Karen Black, general

manager, said: “The competition has

been a great success. Year on year the

chefs improve and continue to impress.

This is the culmination of months of

planning and it has been wonderful to

see everything come together for the

competitors. Everyone did extremely well,

but our congratulations go to the

winners, who produced some inspiring

dishes.”

Grampian Chef and Restaurant of the Year 2014 Winners

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savourIssue 03 2014

Q: To set the scene, can you tell us a

bit about yourself and what prompted

you to launch the Merchant Bistro?

A: I worked in hospitality at the

beginning of my working life and loved

every minute of it. When family came

along it was more difficult because of

shifts and so on, so I retrained and went

into HR and training. I then became an

assessor and went back into the

hospitality sector working with young

people. I have always felt happy in

hospitality; it was definitely the correct

career path for me. It was a dream to own

a wee place and I searched for nearly

three years for the right one.

Q: You seem to attach a high degree

of importance to healthy, vegetarian

and allergy-tolerant food. Is this to

attract a different customer or

something you feel passionately

about?

A: There are lots of good eating places in

Aberdeen. However, with two future

daughters-in-law, one a vegetarian and

one gluten intolerant, we found it really

difficult to find somewhere we could all

eat as a family. There are lots of people

who have allergies, intolerances or, as

part of their lifestyle, choose to eliminate

things from their diet. We think it's

important to offer everyone good, fresh

food at an affordable price so everyone

can eat together and enjoy food.

Q: The Merchant Bistro is a fairly

young venture, so to those who have

not yet dined with you, how would

you describe the style of cooking and

the menu you have created?

A: We are only six months old so, yes, we

are fairly new. The style of cooking is

good, fresh, locally sourced produce,

prepared with a twist at an affordable

price. The menu is changed on a regular

basis to reflect the seasons and we

usually have specials on the board in

addition to the main menu.

In November last year, an excited Julie McNeil opened her doors to reveal the bright green

walls of Aberdeen’s newest eatery in Correction Wynd. However, much more was revealed as

Julie quickly gained a reputation for exciting menus and clever use of local produce. In her

stylish bistro, Julie and her team prepare delicious lunches and dinners, and already have

diners clamouring for tables. So how did this lady, after changing her career path, venture so

successfully into the tough domain of restaurant ownership?

Wynd your way tothe Merchant

savourIssue 03 2014

45Q: By and large, you have great online

reviews. Are such reviews important

to you or do you take them with a

pinch of salt?

A: Review sites are important for future

business; there is no getting away from

that. If I visit a city I am not familiar with,

then I go to a trusted review site to check

which local restaurant or hotel I should

visit. We can't get away from the Internet

– it is here to stay, and so are the review

sites.

Q: Can you book the restaurant for a

family occasion or special event?

A: The Bistro can indeed be booked for

private or larger parties; we can hold up

to 50 guests. If a party of over 15 people

wanted to book, we would like to have a

consultation first, gathering information

on what the budget per head might be

and what type of food they would prefer.

Chef will then work with that information

and come up with a menu that suits the

occasion. A popular theme at the

moment is afternoon tea for large hen

parties. These are usually good fun. We

have yet to have our first wedding meal,

but we are only a stone’s throw from the

Registrars, so who knows.

Q: Some restaurants have a pre-

theatre or pre-event menu. Is this

something on offer at the Merchant?

A: Certainly. If you are seated before 6.30

p.m., you can order from our set price

menu. Both two-course and three-course

options are available at lunchtime and

before 6.30 p.m.

Q: If you were to book a table in any

Scottish restaurant, where would it

be?

A: It would have to be The Kitchin. Tom

Kitchin does wonderful things with

quality ingredients. He started with zero

customers then earned a Michelin star

within six months at the age of 29. Now

that is an amazing achievement.

Get Your Bake On! will see Pauldemonstrate recipes, reveal some of thesecrets of being a TV chef and take theaudience on a journey through his life inbaking. The show will culminate with fourlucky, randomly chosen audiencemembers coming on stage to bake withPaul.

Audience members will get a real insightinto Paul’s life and career, which has seen

him become a household name. Fromthe story of how his father persuaded himto ditch his path as a trained sculptor andjoin the family baking business; tales ofhis time as head baker at some of theworld’s most exclusive hotels, which ledto him becoming one of the country’sfinest artisan bakers; to anecdotes fromhis time filming The Great British Bake Off.Paul will demonstrate up to four of hisfavourite recipes during the show and

four lucky audience members, chosen atrandom, will be invited to take part inone baking challenge live on stage.

Audience members will also been giventhe opportunity to put their ownquestions to Paul in an open Q & A.Tickets are on sale now, so don’t miss thisopportunity to see one of the biggestnames in TV baking up close and live onhis first UK tour.

Paul Hollywood LiveGet Your Bake On!

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savourIssue 03 2014

NewsBites...

Music to the Ears ofFestival Goers

An inaugural craft beer festival is set to

brew up a storm in Inverness this

summer.

North Hop, which is taking place at the

city’s Eden Court on 29 and 30 August,

has been officially launched. The two-

day event, set to boast over 20

exhibitors and around 30 live music

acts, will celebrate craft beer, artisan

gins, creative cocktails, independent

music and a selection of street food

vendors from around Scotland.

It is the first large scale craft beer

festival to be held in Inverness, and

organisers aim to raise awareness of

the craft beer industry and showcase a

great range of food and drink products,

produced across the Highlands and

Scotland.

Festival organiser, Michelle Russell, of

Snow Marketing, said: “North Hop is an

exciting new addition to the festival

calendar in Inverness which will bring a

fresh buzz to the city, while celebrating

the diversity of food and drink

products we have across Scotland,

particularly on the craft brewery

scene.”

Craft breweries, drinks companies and

food producers from across Scotland

have already secured space at the

event, but there are still a few exhibitor

spaces available.

North Hop will run from 4 p.m. until

midnight on Friday, 29 August, and

from 12 noon until 12 midnight on

Saturday, 30 August.

Tickets are priced at £15 + booking fee

for the Friday session, £20 + booking

fee for the Saturday session and £30 +

booking fee for a two-day pass for

both days.

The event is strictly over-18s and

tickets for the festival are now available

via the North Hop website.

For more information, visit the website

www.northhop.co.uk or call the

booking office at Eden Court on

(01463) 234234.

Huge congratulations to the Cock & Bull

at Balmedie for winning the Pub

Excellence category at the recent Catering

in Scotland Excellence Awards. Two of

Scotland’s top Michelin-star chefs lost out

on their first pub food title to the Cock &

Bull, after their Edinburgh restaurant was

pipped by the former coaching inn. Tom

Kitchin and Dominic Jack, respectively

behind The Kitchin and Castle Terrace

restaurants, launched their Scran & Scallie

gastropub in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge last

year, but had to accept being runners-up.

The Cock & Bull was described by the

judges as “a quintessential gastropub, a

bustling hostelry, popular with locals and

whose fame has spread. It offers great

service, natural ambience and lovely,

genuine warmth with superb food and a

menu brimming with local produce.”

Cock O’ Scotland

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47

World’s LeadingPudding SupplierRecent research released by leadingglobal information and measurementcompany Nielsen shows that Buckie-based fine meats manufacturer,Speyside Specialities, is the world’sleading supermarket supplier ofoatmeal-based white puddings.

David Lawson, managing director ofSpeyside Specialities, comments:“Our oatmeal-based white puddinghas always been a favourite sellerfrom our traditional Scottish productrange. However, when we got ourstatistics back, we were delighted tobe able to confirm we are top of theworld market.

“Our development team has workedhard to refine the savoury oatmealpudding with only the very bestScottish oats, beef dripping and asecret blend of seasoning. This goesto show that we have got a recipe tobe very proud of, and we aredelighted to be flying the flag fortraditional Scottish produce.”

White pudding or mealie, as it isknown locally, is a traditional Scottishaccompaniment to a roast dinner,but it is also commonly used as astuffing, is most popular with minceand tatties, and is known to be anaccompaniment to eggs and bacon.

For more information on SpeysideSpecialities and to view the completeproduct range, visit www.spey-sidespecialities.co.uk

A north-east property development and

office leasing company has recently

invested a six-figure sum in its office

development to create on-site catering

facilities.

Waterloo Quay Properties, which is based

at the city’s harbour side, has launched a

new £200,000 on-site coffee shop,

Caboose in the Courtyard, to cater for the

tenants and clients of its fully serviced

office complex.

Caboose in the Courtyard, which is

directly linked to the firm’s new £1.9m

grade-A office facility, Provender House,

offers tenants, staff and clients fresh

healthy food and refreshments

throughout the day, as well as the

opportunity to host informal meetings

with business acquaintances and guests.

The large coffee shop has also created

three new full-time jobs for a catering

manager – to run the day-to-day

operations, an assistant catering manager

and a full-time chef. Due to demand, nine

part-time students have since been

employed to assist with the smooth

running of the new facility. Managing

director of Waterloo Quay Properties,

Anna-Marie Eardley, said: “Since opening

Provender House, the requirement to

further enhance the services and facilities

on-site increased, and a catering facility

has been top of the list for the majority of

our tenants. We felt it was important that

our tenants and their clients had

somewhere to grab a coffee or some

lunch, without having to get in their car

and drive elsewhere for some food.

“Caboose in the Courtyard gives its

customers a place to escape from the

busy office environment, without having

to go too far, and makes them

invigorated for the rest of the day.

Workers are also able to place orders in

advance, and we have also set up a

subsidised lunch scheme which some of

the employers are using to their

advantage. Catering is also provided for

client meetings and events, and our aim

is to take the Caboose concept to other

office complexes.”

Cut Loose inCaboose

To diners in the Central Belt, it may have come as a bit of a shock tohear Michelin-star chef Tom Kitchin and his business partner, theequally impressive Dominic Jack had to settle for second place in therecent finals of the Catering in Scotland (CIS) Excellence Awards. Nosurprise, however, to the folks of the North East, who are wellaware of the delights of the winning chef whose innovative anddelicious dishes flow from the kitchen at the Cock & Bull in Balmedie.But then head chef Ryan Paterson is no stranger to awards. He hasjust won the Grampian Hotel/Restaurant Chef of the Year 2014award for the third time with the highest honour, a gold medal,awarded by the Federation of Chefs Scotland.

For the uninitiated, The Cock & Bull oozes authentic character andserves honest, locally sourced food created by Ryan and his kitchenbrigade. Ryan and partner, Victoria Campbell have recently takenover the reins and have been unfolding their ambitious plans for this

unique inn for the past ten months. Victoria has established a casualdining experience with great food served in a relaxed atmosphere.Ryan endorses a simplified approach to cooking with a traditional pubmenu focusing on Scottish and local produce, such as delicious steaksand haggis. Clearly this recipe works!

But the experience doesn’t stop there. The Cock & Bull offers bed-and-breakfast rooms in the Blairton Cottage, situated near therestaurant. Tuck into a hearty breakfast in the morning beforeheading home or continuing to explore the delights of the GraniteCity. Look out too as plans unfold to hold barbecues and marqueeevents in the summer months.

It’s time to judge for yourself and visit this authentic, award-winningeatery. The food is excellent and at affordable prices. Head along tothe Cock & Bull. It’s everything a country inn should be!

RYAN’S REWARDANOTHER AWARD!

WWW.THECOCKANDBULL.CO.UK

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Perfect Placefor Parties

Hopefully, by now, you’ve tasted the

delights on the menu of one of

Aberdeen’s newest and best eateries.

Merchant Bistro in Correction Wynd is

perfect for lunch, dinner with family or

friends, a romantic rendezvous or simply

a quick bite and an opportunity to escape

the hubbub of city life.

As owner Julie McNeil is passionate about

local seasonal produce, you’ll find her

dishes are about to change and a new

summer menu introduced. As she insists

vegetarians and vegans should not have

to settle for a boring limited menu, you

can be sure they, and those with food

allergies and intolerances, will be well

looked after.

However, you perhaps did not know that

parties of 30-50 can have exclusive use of

the bistro! Birthdays, wedding meals,

family get-togethers or any other

celebration can be catered for. Business

events are also welcome. Organisers of

groups with over 20 guests are invited to

the restaurant for an initial consultation

with the chef to discuss the budget and

theme. The menu preparation and wine

selection can be decided with any food

allergies and intolerances taken into

consideration. If you’d still like to have

great food and a brilliant time, but have

less than 20 guests, you can book your

tables and select delicious dishes from

the main menu to suit your budget.

Whether you’re a party of two or forty-

two, you can be sure of a warm welcome

and the delights of a seasonal changing

menu with only the very best ingredients

used. So best book now and impress your

guests with mouth-watering food and

amazing service in one of the Merchant

Quarter’s most stylish bistros.

Read more of Julie’s story on pages 44 &

45.

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Method1: Bring out the juices: Wash the fruit and gently dry on kitchen paper, keeping the strawberries separate. Put the sugar and three tablespoons water into a large pan. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring a few times. Bring to the boil for one minute, then tip in the fruit (except the strawberries). Cook for three minutes over a low heat, stirring two-three times. The fruit will be softened, mostly intact and surrounded by dark red juice. Put a sieve over a bowl and tip in the fruit and juice.

2: Prepare the bread: Line a 1.25-litre basin with cling film, as this will help you to turn out the pudding. Overlap two pieces in the middle of the bowl, as it’s easier than trying to get one sheet to stick to all of the curves. Let the edges overhang by about 15cm. Cut the crusts off the bread. Cut four pieces of bread in half, a little on an angle, to give two lopsided rectangles per piece. Cut two slices into four triangles each and leave the final piece whole.

3: Build the pud: Dip the whole piece of bread into the juice for a few seconds just to coat. Push this into the bottom of the basin. Now dip the wonky rectangular pieces one at a time and press around the basin’s sides so that they fit together neatly, alternately placing wide and narrow ends up. If you can’t quite fit the last piece of bread in it doesn’t matter, just trim into a triangle, dip in juice and slot in. Now spoon in the softened fruit, adding the strawberries here and there as you go.

4: Let flavours mingle then serve: Dip the bread triangles in juice and place on top, trimming off any overhang with scissors. Keep the leftover juice for later. Bring the cling film up and loosely seal. Put a side plate on top and weight it down with cans. Chill for six hours or overnight. To serve, open out the cling film then put a serving plate upside-down on top and flip over. Serve with leftover juice, any extra berries and cream.

Ingredients

• 300g strawberries • 250g blackberries • 100g redcurrants • 500g raspberries or 1¼kg mixed berries and currants of your

choice• 175g golden caster sugar• 7 slices day-old white bread, from a square, medium-cut loaf

Classic Summer Pudding

The award-winning Eat on the Green restaurant, situated in the

picturesque village of Udny Green, is celebrating 10 years in

business with a full-circle approach to sourcing produce.

Thanks to a trusted partnership with north-east organics recycling

company, Keenan Recycling of New Deer, the restaurant is able to

reuse the organic waste it produces as environmentally friendly

compost.

Keenan Recycling collects all the organic waste from the restaurant

including leftovers from food prep, coffee grounds and paper

towels, and turns it into nutritious BSI-accredited soil improver.

Leading Scottish chef Craig Wilson, who runs Eat on the Green with

his wife, Lindsay, then uses the compost to grow herbs and

vegetables which form the basis of the mouth-watering dishes

served at the first-class restaurant.

The Kilted Chef said that being sustainable and using the best fresh,

local produce is at the heart of his business and cooking. Craig said:

“We are extremely lucky to have so many amazing ingredients

growing right on our doorstep. After sending our organic waste

such as food and paper to Keenan, it is turned into compost which

we use in our herb garden and is also used by a local farmer to

grow vegetables for the restaurant, so we really are going full circle.

It also supports our local economy by trading with businesses like

Keenan Recycling and local producers.”

Eat on the Green, situated in the heart of the rural north-east village

of Udny Green, is undergoing rapid expansion with the recent

launch of a chef’s table with a live kitchen video link, as well as an

exclusive, members-only Laurent-Perrier champagne lounge

overlooking the garden. Soon, Eat on the Green will add boutique

bedrooms for those who wish to spoil themselves for the whole

evening.

For more information and to book a table contact Eat on the

Green on (01651) 842337 or email enquiries@eatonthegreen.co.uk

Online bookings can be made at www.eatonthegreen.co.uk

Eat on the Green celebrates 10 years of ‘going green’

The current Boath House at Auldearn, near Nairn, wasbuilt around 1820. It replaces a building, which onhistorical maps from the mid-1500s, is denoted as atower called Both. The tower was apparently razed tothe ground for the current building, which wasdesigned by one of Scotland’s foremost architects ofthe time, Archibald Simpson, a name synonymouswith grand Aberdeenshire architecture.

Boath was purchased in the early nineties by Donand Wendy Matheson, the current owners, by whichtime it had fallen into acute disrepair and indeed waslisted by Historic Scotland as a ‘Building at Risk’. Therenovation estimates were eyewatering, so theMathesons – who had previously renovated twoperiod houses – decided to undertake the majority ofthe work themselves. Following a six-year renovation,the property was launched as a hotel and restaurantwithin 22 acres of grounds.

Wendy opened the kitchens in July 1997 and wasjoined by Charles Lockley the following year. Charliesoon took over the lead position and they workedtogether until Wendy decided to take a postgraduatedegree in Oxford in garden design and landscapingsome seven years ago. This decision had roots inWendy’s passion for gardening and Charlie’senthusiasm for fresh produce, locally sourced. Theone-acre walled garden had been slowly developedand the greenhouse rebuilt, but things took off with

great rapidity on Wendy’s return clutching herdiploma and bags of ideas. The grounds have alsobeen developed and the field next door purchasedso that the range of produce and the amount growncan be extended.

Boath’s success has been largely due to Charlie’scommitment and passion for food, along with Donand Wendy’s strong beliefs in the Slow Food ethos,supporting local food provenance and keepingflavours true and skilfully executed. The restauranthas now become widely acclaimed and has aworldwide reputation, gaining many accolades overthe years. Four AA rosettes have been achieved forthe past nine years and a Michelin star for sevenyears, and both the AA and The Good Hotel Guidehave voted Boath House Hotel of the Year in2010/2011 and 2013 respectively.

Added interests for guests are the varied pieces ofartwork displayed as gallery items throughout thehotel public areas. Many hanging works, along withsculpture, ceramics and jewellery, can be purchasedduring a visit. Plants for sale and sundry items canalso be purchased from the garden greenhouse.

In order to round off an experience at Boath, guestscan enjoy a treatment from an extensive list ofhands-on therapies, including Ayurvedic bodytreatments, facials, massage, and hand and nailtreatments.

Auchrannie Resort on the Isle of Arran has recentlyre-launched eighteen69 (previously fine dining) as aScottish tapas restaurant in time for the busy 2014season.

The restaurant has been known as a fine diningdestination since Auchrannie Resort first opened itsdoors back in 1988 but, following feedback fromguests and staff alike, it was decided that now wasthe time to refresh the offering and open somethingthat was both exciting and unique to the island.

The ‘small plates’, or tapas, concept allows diners tochoose a wider range of dishes than they might haveexperienced before during a single meal, allowingthem a mix of different styles, textures and flavours.

Gone is the traditional three-course meal, structuredaround starters and main course. In its place, dishesarrive from the kitchen as and when they are ready.

The new menu has been developed after extensiveresearch and sampling by head chef Craig Beedie,Scottish Hotel Awards Executive Chef of the Year2013, alongside the rest of the kitchen team.

With the strapline ‘it’s all about sharing’, eighteen69are telling customers it’s ok to get stuck in and sharetheir dining experience with friends and family.Tables are encouraged to order a wide range ofdishes and, (as the menu cheekily states) if they arestill hungry, then simply order some more!

The menu features over 30 savoury dishes split intovarious sections - fish plates, meat plates, cold platesand veggie plates. Local influences are evidentthroughout with inclusions such as potted Ayrshire

ham hock, Arran venison meatballs and Argyll hotsmoked salmon scotch egg.

Of course, head chef Craig hasn’t forgotten aboutthose with a sweet tooth; serving us such wonderfulcreations as Arran Gold chocolate bread and butterpudding, clootie dumpling with custard, and tipsylaird – all, of course, designed to be shared!

eighteen69’s drinks offering has also undergonesomewhat of a radical overhaul with a new wine list,featuring a range of wines with Scottish connections,as well as Scottish beers and locally inspiredcocktails.

Linda Johnston, executive director of AuchrannieResort, explained the thinking behind the radicalchange in direction for the restaurant: “eighteen69has always been known as a fine dining restaurant –somewhere people might visit for a special occasion– whereas what we actually wanted to create wassomewhere that people could visit for high quality,locally sourced produce in a more casualenvironment, and that’s exactly what we’ve done bychanging the concept.”

As well as a new food and drink offering, eighteen69has undergone an extensive redesign to create a newlook and feel for the product.

eighteen69 is open for dinner Thursday to Mondayand perfectly complements the resort’s other tworestaurants, Brambles Seafood + Grill and Cruize BarBrasserie.

For further information, visit:www.auchrannie.co.uk

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If you want to turn a meeting into a business lunch or want toadd a bit of pizzazz to your event, give Hudsons Catering a call.Suki and her team are well known for their mouth-wateringScottish food and their lunch platters are a sight to behold…and, of course, delicious. www.hudsonscatering.co.uk

From finger buffets to fine dining, Entiér never fail to impress.They create individual menus to match the style of locationand the sense of occasion. They’re always winning lots ofawards too so that has to be a good sign!www.entier-services.com

Smart Cuisine certainly live up to their name! I’ve used themfor a finger buffet recently and the menu is superb. Braisedsteak and ale pie, mini Aberdeen Angus burgers, tiger prawnsfocaccia and mini banoffi pies are just a few of the amazingitems they present. They also specialise in fine dining for bothprivate and corporate clients. www.smart-cuisine.co.uk

For great food at equally great prices, Harry Fraser CateringServices Ltd is hard to beat. Lunches are freshly prepared toorder each morning and delivered in refrigerated vehicles. What Ilove about this catering company is their flexibility. They’rehappy to let their executive chef prepare special menus justfor you. www.harryfraser.com

For inventiveness and fresh in-house prepared food, Itsy is thetotal package. They never use pre-made sandwich fillings andhave their own in-house roasted meats and handmade sides andpastries. They have an amazing range of mini sandwiches, cakesand mini cupcakes, and their petit fours are to die for!www.itsyworld.com