Herb crusted cod is such a tasty dish

Scottish Field speaks to Paul Grant, executive chef at Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course in Aberdeenshire about his future plans for the restaurant and the importance of seasonal foods.

What’s your background?

I’ve been at Meldrum House for around six months now. Before that I was the executive chef at Thainstone House, which is another local hotel on the other side of Inverurie. Previously I was at Ardoe Hose in South Deeside as a senior sous chef, where I worked for ten years.

Tell us about the restaurant at Meldrum House?

Meldrum House is relaxed dining, our menu has some fine dining dishes as well as steaks and burgers. The restaurant itself has been fairly recently refurbished and has a fresh look with an open fireplace. We usually seat about 60 people but can do up to around 90 on busy days, so its relativity high volume.

Paul Grant at Meldrum House

What changes have you brought to the menu since starting?

The same format is there with the menu, but I have overhauled all the dishes. When I arrived I also made sure that the bread would be made on-site every day to a very high quality – that’s one of my passions. I’ve also been correcting the seasonality of the dishes, which I think is very important.

How important is sourcing ingredients locally?

Where possible we source locally. At the moment I’ve got pork belly a starter, which I get from the local butcher in Old Meldrum and it’s of very high quality.

What are your upcoming plans for the menu?

I am hoping to use spring lamb from Aberdeenshire to replace my venison dish – braised lettuce and slow cooked lamb shoulder. Ill also be hoping to do a pigeon dish, which will be sourced from Monymusk Estate and will come with braised puy lentils and an onion tarte tartin.