There is a saying, ‘Life is an adventure’, and it’s something Anne and Jim Anderson, who run The Anderson restaurant and hotel in Fortrose on the Black Isle, have totally taken to heart.
The couple upped sticks from their home in Philadelphia after Jim fell in love with the notion of owning a hotel in Scotland.
‘I had never even visited the UK before we pulled up in front of the hotel and took it over,’ laughs Anne. ‘Jim had been here previously and had fallen in love with the idea. So we sold our house, bought this place and came over.’
Although she had spent time in kitchens, most of Anne’s experience was in running front of house, so cooking was not part of her plan.
‘When we arrived we found the people available couldn’t actually cook; they could take things out of a freezer and drop them in a fryer, or put them in the microwave, but they had only basic cooking skills. So I took over in the kitchen.
‘My approach was: if these are the people I’ve got – staff who only know how to heat and serve – how can I make the most wonderful food that is just heat-and-serve? We put in a plain grill so the steaks could be grilled rather than fried, and we trained people to prep and cook meat and fish that way. I took on the soups, sauces and stews so it would all be very simple if properly reheated.’
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