Dram delights: Scotland’s new whiskies

Alice Grundon takes a look at some of Scotland’s new expressions…   Glenmorangie Rich and deliciously decadent, Glenmorangie Pommard Cask Finish is the result of one of the Glenmorangie’ first experiments with prestigious Pommard red wine casks.  A smooth, soft Glenmorangie, aged more than 10 years in bourbon casks was transferred into Pommard Casks for…

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Wild venison: Healthy, sustainable and affordable

Sponsored Content – Croots Country Store   Cowal provides some of the best deer stalking in Scotland. So it’s natural that hunter, estate manager, shooting guide and farm shop owner Joe Croot has turned his expertise to spreading the virtues of eating wild venison.  ‘In every metric you can think of, eating wild venison is…

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National Black Pudding Championship: Wemyss Bay butcher crowned winner

It’s made using the Scottish oatmeal, Aberdeen Angus beef fat and the finest quality spices from around the world. But the winner of Scotland’s National Black Pudding Championship said he can’t give away any more secrets about his coveted recipe. Nigel Ovens, owner of McCaskie’s Butchers in Wemyss Bay has retained the title for 2024,…

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Review: Cromlix House

Cromlix House is a building that I used to know well but haven’t visited for several years, so it was great to find my way back there recently. Ten years after the Murrays opened it, the most obvious thing is how completely yet sympathetically it’s been updated. Significant amounts of tennis winnings have conspicuously been…

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Review: Sanja By Sagar Massey at The Kirkhouse Inn

He might only be 25-years-old, but Sagar Massey already has a career enviable by chefs twice his age. Raised near New Delhi in India, until leaving for Scotland in 2014, he is renowned for using the spices of his homeland to embolden Scottish fine dining.  A finalist in the BBC’s Masterchef – The Professionals in…

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In a nutshell, Chef Gary Townsend: ‘I’d be a Scientist if I wasn’t a chef. I am  fascinated with how things work’

Gary Townsend has had an illustrious career spanning 20 years working in some of the UK’s top kitchens. Townsend recently announced that he will be opening his own fine dining restaurant, Elements in Bearsden, Glasgow.   What’s the closest thing you have to a signature dish: I love Scottish seafood and langoustines always feature on…

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Review: The Spanish Butcher, Edinburgh

I’ve always struggled to correctly identify the streets that flow North from Princes Street over George Street in the capital, so I’m marching in what I hope is the right direction to locate the newly opened The Spanish Butcher. I’m reassured when I see the horizontal yellow and red stripes of the Spanish flag wafting…

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