Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa breathe fresh ‘Liv’ into rum

A new range of Scottish spirits offers no rum deal as far as Peter Ranscombe is concerned. PAUL Rutasikwa may have just restored my faith in liqueurs. While most of our so-called “gin liqueurs” in Scotland fall flat on their faces because the other flavours mask the juniper – the taste of which is the…

Read More

Rum distillery prepares to release summer liqueurs

PAUL and Jacine Rutasikwa, the husband-and-wife team behind Matugga Distillers in Livingston, are getting ready to launch a pair of rum liqueurs. Their honey and lavender and raspberry and hibiscus flavours will go on sale next month. They’ll join the navy strength, pot distilled and black spiced rums in the company’s Liv range, which was…

Read More

City businesses create ‘We miss you, Glasgow’ video

GLASGOW’s hospitality businesses have created an online video to tell their customers “We miss you”. Famous faces from restaurants including The Gannet, Gamba and El Perro Negro took part in the recording, along with venues such as Fore Play Crazy Golf, Clydeside Distillery and Mackintosh At The Willow. Peter McKenna, owner of The Gannet, said: “What…

Read More

Highland food producers gather for online discussion

A SECOND online panel discussion organised by the newly-launched Highland Food & Drink Club (HFDC) is due to take place on Thursday at 2pm on Zoom. John Murray, who launched the HFDC in April, said this week’s session for Highland food producers will include a look at new markets, shopping trends and recovery planning. This…

Read More

One Year No Beer: a lockdown lifeline

Looking to change your relationship with alcohol? Peter Ranscombe reports on a Scottish firm’s online programme. FOR so many of us who have been staying safe at home with no exposure to the coronavirus, it’s been a lockdown of memes. Memes about face coverings, memes about zoom quizzes, memes about TikTok challenges. One set of…

Read More

Seafood restaurant nets covid bank loan

ONDINE, one of Edinburgh’s best-known seafood restaurants, has landed a £50,000 bounce back loan from the UK Government. The loans, which were unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on 27 April, are designed to help businesses to recover from the coronavirus lockdowns. The 80-seat restaurant has continued to serve local customers through its “Ondine At Home”…

Read More

Morningside’s holy corner gets foodie makeover

HOLY corner in Edinburgh’s Morningside district has been transformed into a marketplace for foodies thanks to one of the area’s newest arrivals. Food and drink venue McLarens on the Corner opened in a former bank just weeks before the lockdown began. Now, the site has teamed up with its siblings from pub chain Signature Group…

Read More

Louis Latour looks beyond Burgundy for promising pinot

With the price of making wine in Burgundy continuing to rise, Peter Ranscombe finds out why one producer is turning to other regions. FEW names are as synonymous with Burgundy as Louis Latour – the wine producer traces its roots in the prestigious French region back to 1768, when Jean Latour planted vines at Aloxe, continuing…

Read More

Furloughed foodies flock to support local food and drink

More than 3,500 people have supported Scottish food and drink businesses by searching for produce in the supportlocal.scot online directory during lockdown, according to the latest figures. Nearly 300 suppliers are promoting their wares through the website, which was created by industry body Scotland Food & Drink. Demand for Scottish produce has risen during the…

Read More