REVIEW: Putting on a fine sprEHd

Peter Ranscombe tucks into a grazing box full of Scottish ingredients from delivery service sprEHd. WHEN you’re eating out, it’s the little things that matter – the butter being soft enough to spread, the lighting being bright enough to see your plate, the napkin being rough enough to stay put instead of sliding out of…

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We all scream for ice cream…

TWO Scottish ice cream companies are bringng a sweet splash of sunshine to the autumn. Mackie’s is going to give one fan a lifetime’s supply of ice cream, while Spar is stocking a further nine flavours made by Equi’s. The winner of Mackie’s “Simple Pleasures” draw will be named on Monday. They will get two-litre…

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Review: 111 by Modou

Elis Elliot is swept away by both the food and the heart-warming story at 111 by Modou in Glasgow. SELDOM have I dined in a place with such a heart-warming and life-affirming story as 111 by Modou in Glasgow’s Kelvinside. But I’ll come back to that in a little while, mainly because I am desperate…

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REVIEW: Cavens Country House

A trip to the south west of Scotland proved a welcome break from city life for Rosie Morton…  Carpe diem. Two words we’ve heard countless times, and yet they seem to resonate far more in 2020 than ever before. Having been on our starting blocks since the end of March, all the trips we’ve been…

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Ivy’s floral flourishes in Edinburgh and Glasgow

THE Ivy restaurant chain has brought a splash of colour to its outlets in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Ivy on the Square in Edinburgh has turned its terrace into “a magical greenhouse and garden”. Meanwhile, The Ivy Buchanan Street has brought “a touch of the jungle to Glasgow’s Style Mile”. The Glasgow branch has created…

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Outdoor venue for Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival

ORGANISERS have moved Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival from The Biscuit Factory to The Corn Exchange’s outside venue. The event, which is due to take place on 9 and 10 October, will feature Scottish breweries including Fierce, Vault City, 71 Brewing, and new kid on the block Newbarns. Foreign breweries sending beer to the festival include…

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NHS heroes enjoy weekend hotel stays

MORE than 380 health service workers and their families stayed at Crerar Hotels’ seven venues for free last weekend as part of the “Scottish Hospitality for NHS Heroes” initiative. Paddy Crerar, the company’s founder and chairman, took some guests on boat trips, while others tucked into locally-sourced food and drink. The chain spent more than…

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Beer fans enjoy more pints with Scottish barley

SCOTLAND’S craft brewers are poised to get more access to Scottish malted barley thanks to equipment that can handle smaller bags. Crisp Malt has spent £2 million installing a packaging line at its plant in Alloa. At the moment, craft brewers that can’t buy large quantities of malt either need to buy Scottish malt that’s…

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‘Blockchain’ helps keep oats gluten-free

SHOPPERS will soon be able to check that their oats are gluten-free thanks to six Scottish farmers and “blockchain” technology. Although oats are naturally gluten-free, many of the facilities in which they are processed handle gluten and so contamination is an issue. Six Scottish farmers have been created a gluten-free oat supply chain, so customers…

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‘Drive through’ afternoon teas are here to stay

A HOTEL that launched “drive through” afternoon teas during the coronavirus lockdown has decided to keep running them because they proved so popular. The Stair Arms Hotel at Pathhead in Midlothian transformed an old shipping container into a hatch from which to serve its teas. Customers can order their afternoon tea over the phone and…

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