Red Onion wins Come Dine With Me: The Professionals

JOHN and Rosie Quigley’s Red Onion restaurant won last night’s Glasgow round of Channel 4 series Come Dine With Me: The Professionals.

The father and daught team beat fellow city centre eateries Calabash and Saffron to win a trophy and £1,000.

Red Onion served seared Barra scallops for its starter, followed by Gressingham duck breast as its main course, and vanilla cheesecake with salted passionfruit caramel as its dessert.

John said: “We had so many customers ‘tag’ us on social media to encourage us to enter that the programme’s production team got in touch directly to ask us to take part.

“While we weren’t sure to begin with, in the end we decided it would be good experience and a bit of a laugh – some light-hearted relief after the trials and tribulations of the [past] couple of years.

“It was a lot of pressure trying to cook and dish up under lighting and lots of people being in the kitchen that we just weren’t used to, but we both loved it and felt very natural.

“We work well as a team and as a family unit.”

John founded the restaurant in 2005 with his wife, Gillian.

He added: “It was never planned that Rosie would join the business but, after studying in Birmingham, she has been helping us out with the management side of the restaurant and really enjoyed it, helping us with new ideas and setting up the takeaway side of the business as a result of the pandemic.

“We were so excited to win – it’s been great getting to know the other contestants, our fellow restaurateurs here in Glasgow.

“We all come from completely different walks of life and cultures but suddenly we’re all pals and enjoying this unique experience together.”

Rosie said: “It was fantastic to take part in the programme and I think we both loved being in front of the camera.

“Part of me is glad to be back at my laptop again working away behind the scenes, but it was an unforgettable experience for us as a business and a family.”

Read more news and reviews on Scottish Field’s food and drink pages.

Plus, check out seafood recipes by Akshay Borges – better known as “The Shetland Chef” – in the August issue of Scottish Field magazine.