Heritage and sustainability. Two closely linked words. After all, if diets hadn’t been sustainable, they would not have survived as heritage surely? Culinary skills and
I’d heard so much about the Border Union Show however I confess to never having been, so when I was invited to run the Cookery
The Border Union Show has a great line up for you not to be missed. The Scottish Borders is a bonnie part of the world,
Many years ago I was working at a London event, presenting cookery shows promoting Scottish produce. Every morning, I would catch a red London bus
How Authentic is our Food? It’s a pretty wild world at the moment. Between tariffs and taxes, bureaucracy and legislation, life can seem a tightrope
The one and only of its kind, The Scottish Bread Championship, sponsored by The Edinburgh Bakers Trust Scottish Food Guide and Scotland The Bread brings
I hope your 2025 is going to plan. Are your resolutions still on track? Is your barn/ shed/greenhouse roof still intact? I do hope so.
Does anyone else recall singing this cheery ditty to their weans? One day, we shall be explaining to our grandchildren what a chimney is, given
After the storms, the sun shone as we set off northward bound for Orkney. Passing a flurry of snow by Aviemore, the Cromarty Firth sparkled
We had the joy of visiting Skye on our Scottish Food Guide travels this month. Talk about destination dining! We left Fife after a brief
Scotland is really bonnie at harvest time, with bountiful supplies of local fruits and vegetables. Tractors – even a few heavy horses – are bringing
Food tourism and service providers have been at the forefront of July for us; both as suppliers and recipients, highlighting the immense importance of establishing
Borders are fascinating: geographically, historically and food culturally. As I flicked through May’s diary entries I saw a common thread of borderlands I decided to
Yet another newspaper with an article on the villainy of meat. How dare they indulge their favoured journalists, repeatedly giving them an influential platform to
Two very different Championships with much in common. The IGCAT European Young Chef 2023 was held last autumn, hosted by European Region of Gastronomy 2023,
It’s a wrap. The Scottish Bread Championship was held at Bowhouse in Fife, this last weekend in February, during Real Bread week. The one and
Shetland may have the unwelcome distinction of being the archipelago most likely to be parked off Aberdeen on ill-mannered maps but during the year they
The Scottish Bread Championship 2024 will be held at Bowhouse in Fife during Real Bread Week, and is sponsored by The Edinburgh Bakers Trust Scotland
[Including excerpts from “Meadows: The Swedish Farmer & The Scottish Cook”] Describing certain traditional specialities can be challenging: my Dad once described oatcakes as porridge
Happy New Year to you all. It’s time to consider your entries for the Scottish Bread Championship – you knead to complete your entry forms
When we flitted from Edinburgh and renovated our wee seaside retreat for full time living, our architect had a specific brief to follow: an antique
As the seasons unfold, different delicacies take to the fore: artisan cheese after summer grazing; new season’s crab; North Ronaldsay sheep come new year and
Written in 1955 by Pete Seager with a little help from a traditional Cossack folk song and an Irish melody, this famous song was listed
September marks a turn of the seasons and bountiful harvests: feasts for the table and surplus for preserving to savour over the winter months. Our
The world food system is not in good shape. Where there’s determination and a driving force, it can be repaired and there are many who
Since last I wrote, I’ve presented in a zoom lecture followed by a live event at Hadrian’s Wall on Roman Influence on British Cuisine –
Food tourism is nothing new: the Grand Tour on the canals of Venice or the sparkling Côte d’Azure, experiencing fritto misto di mare and salade
In Scotland the gorse is blooming adding scents of coconut to the air, birds are nesting and ramsons are flourishing. On a gloriously sunny –
Loving families exist in all shapes and sizes, whether perfect circles or rickety rhomboids. Some are tiny like my ‘side’ of the family, others extended
This week we were invited to the tenth birthday celebration of Nourish where we met old friends and new, with the conversation (rising above some
The Scottish Bread Championship 2023 has moved and will be held at Bowhouse in the East Neuk of Fife during Real Bread Week (18th to 26th February
Another year whizzes by with still little sign of stability in the economy however I hope you and your loved ones are in good health
Sometimes we wonder why we do what we do, particularly in this challenging world we live in, yet from little acorns grow mighty oaks and
Many years ago at a formal meeting a Scottish official, who should have known better, said to me, We’re not all red-haired in tartan like
2022. Scottish Food Guide & Scottish Cheese Trail celebrate 20 years. It seems only yesterday I started with a blank sheet of paper and the
Well the Royal Highland Show is a wrap for another year and I for one am delighted we didn’t have this sweltering heat! It was
It’s been a while…too long… since our last newsletter but we have certainly not been idle and have news to share. There have been three
Having recently returned from the Slow Food Scotland AGM, hosted at Errichel, home to SF Cooks Alliance member Paul Newman, his wife Becky, and the
Mull is certainly a mighty isle. With its mountainous landscape, high cliffs and wide valleys it’s no wonder it is popular with tourers and wildlife
As we commence 2022 I expect you, like me, are onto your new diary whether it be digital or old school, filled with good intentions
In the words of the song, All I Want for Christmas is…. what? Probably an end to this perpetual pandemic would be top of all
Someone once told me a good blog should be 300 words – well I’ve blown that today however I hope you enjoy our travels as
There is much talk of food sovereignty, shortages, poverty, power and progress…or the lack of it. Which direction will it take? Well that depends on
It’s been a busy spell at Scottish Food Guide HQ and we’re itching to visit places again although also aware many establishments need to take
Beef, climate and COP26 are fast becoming the talk o’ the steamie [the Scottish communal wash-houses, steamies, had a well-founded reputation as hotbeds of blether]. Already a defining news
Last week the Scottish Bread Championship was held in the new Members’ Pavilion at Ingliston. For as long as I can remember, June is synonymous
Never was there a hardier wee breed than the North Ronaldsay sheep! One of the oldest sheep breeds in Northern Europe and among the most
As we emerge from lockdown we shall be able to travel the highways and byways again, visiting fabulous members, friends and family…making up for lost
To see Scottish Food Guide Charter please click here With a career in food and food tourism spanning over thirty years, certain things really stick
We grow vegetables in our little kitchen garden but we are also most definitely thankful for our local farm shops! Currently our lives consist of
This morning brings a new layer of chaos as we approach Christmas. What will historians write in years to come? What will I be writing
When seeking property, location location location is drilled into us. Now, in our new world, it is local being similarly touted. Of course there are those of
Women in Tourism Award I was absolutely delighted to receive some super news this week – the results of a public campaign to find the Top
Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre may not be happening in the usual way in Torino this year but no pandemic was ever
We emerge, traveling hopefully, optimistically; realistically acknowledging the world is different but forging on. Such is the hospitality industry. Right? Many of our friends have
I could rant about the recent litter-strewn beaches and countryside, the unmentionable trash and the resulting injured animals, or nurse my wrath at the handful
Food has never been more political. Well, perhaps an exaggeration when I think of the Irish potato famine and the French revolution…but nevertheless food is
Week 4 of #lockdown and where are we now? Some rushed off their feet through rapidly changing circumstances; others in impossible situations and trying to
Dear friends, fellow foodies and all those in hospitality business, an extended and diverse family indeed. Words cannot express the situation that most of us
Some of us are fortunate to take a wee pause just now, gather our thoughts and reflect with friends and family. Others are still on
Our latest addition to Scottish Food Guide is the Seasonal Offers link. Many Members offer wonderful seasonal offers and after Members’ feedback we thought what
When asked to organise food travel for a group of Slow Food Swedes the challenge is always to compress the exceptional into a manageable and
I count myself lucky indeed that the interests and pursuits I am most passionate about happen also to be how I earn my living: Good
Thanks to one and all! Hard to believe it’s over for another year and what an amazing time we had – thanks to chefs, cooks,
…with Scotland’s Royal Highland Show starting on Thursday. 190K visitors can’t be wrong! For months June has been marked on calendars on fridge doors and
The yellowhammer has a characteristic song with an “A little bit of bread and no cheese” rhythm. I remain to be convinced however I am certain
Home for us is Fife however in my line of work exploring Scotland is both a joy and a privilege. I am fortunate to be
When given the opportunity to have a Member Sponsored Exhibition, thanks to the support of Annabelle Ewing MSP, I enthusiastically accepted then the planning commenced! The
In a world of international cuisine, noodles and nachos, rice and cornmeal, it is refreshing to see a celebration of potatoes! Travel to Germany and
Wendy Barrie, Scottish Food Guide, will be presenting The Heritage Foods of Alba Exhibition at The Scottish Parliament on March 5th– 7th inclusive. This Member Sponsored Exhibition
After last year’s beast from the east one can never be sure, but our crocus bulbs think spring is near and among Perthshire’s birch trees
I am a firm believer in you are what you eat: the importance of sustainable healthy food and the enjoyment of cooking. I have long been a
Personally speaking, my travels to London are sufficiently infrequent to still be fun! My earliest memory is of going to ‘see the sights’ in the
Black pudding has long been a staple of the full Scottish breakfast but did you know how it began? Back in the days before trains,
Dumfries and Galloway is a stunning part of Scotland and oft overlooked in favour of Nessie or Glen Coe. Yet for those in the know
The Scottish Thistle Awards Regional Finals for the Central, Fife & Tayside, and Lothian & Borders took place at Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh on
Food is emotive. Food is political. Food is convivial. Food brings back fond memories of holidays, family, celebrations. Yet sadly food can also have negative
It was a pleasure and delight to visit Shetland again for their Taste of Shetland celebrations. OK so you need sea legs or a flight
Whether it is its proximity to Scandinavia or the friendly folk; the breathtaking views or the abundance of amazing produce, both Orkney and Shetland are
The Lynnfield Hotel is a wonderful place for foodies to hang their hat whilst visiting all these fabulous islands and produce. Not many folks can boast
There has been much talk recently of Food Tourism, something I have been devoted to for many years. Well, here it is in spades, as
I am sufficiently young to recall when there were only ferries to Skye! My very first holiday minus parents was youth hostelling in Kyle with