• This topic has 95 replies, 31 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by juan.
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  • Is Scottish cooking really that bad……
  • SteveTheBarbarian
    Free Member

    Cheers for advice, but it’s all kinda set. We’re booked in at Braemar, and Kingusie, so need to get between. Also, support crew are a consideration, and making it a enjoyable day for them. I am aware that I/we may not be doing the sensible, easy, or even best option – but I do look forward to doing it. We are going over Mount Keen too, so I guess we’ll qualify as ‘Munro Baggers’?

    SteveTheBarbarian
    Free Member

    See, how could I miss that?

    That’s the pic I remember druidh, awesome!

    🙂

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    the alternative is

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    ..and

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    .. and no deep fried shit in sight

    WTF
    Free Member

    I think I can see a deep fried pizza about a mile to the left.
    Or is it a sheep turd ? pretty much the same tbh 🙂

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    never tried either – but thanks for the info though

    SteveTheBarbarian
    Free Member

    The alternative looks great also -you’re making me wish I was there now. The English C2C that I did last year was definitely 4 of the best days of my life. I think the Scottish is going to trump it though.

    AndyP
    Free Member

    what’s the name of that famous english salmon river?
    Which one? The Eden? The Ribble? The Tweed?

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    I can see the attraction in the train thing but it does kinda detract from what is otherwise a real wilderness experience 😉

    Also, you’re really travelling in the wrong direction to get the best out of the Gorms and so the Loch Avon / Coire Raibert ascent is a sh1t load of grief with a bike to descend off what is basically the highest vehicle track in the country. No disrepect Druidh but it’s p1sh imo apart from the view. Feshies a good call in that direction but as you’ve made plans to rendezvous further the East the Lairig an Laoigh offers a much better riding proposition than your intended route – nip up to Loch Avon for a swim then double back? I’d also change the meeting place to Glenmore Lodge which this trail spits you right out at. This is where real mountain men hang out;-) Seriously though it has lots more to interest you / walls lined with climbing memorabilia etc, great food, good beers and stonking views out over the Gorms.

    Its ‘the Hutchy hut’ in Coire Etchachan btw

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    Oh, and Scotland has fantastic food – dont know why it’s even being questioned

    mysterymurdoch
    Free Member

    Regarding the michelin stars:

    72 michelin restaurants in England. Half of these are in Mayfair, most of those are French restaurants. About 1.4 restaurants per million population.

    14 Michelin restaurants in Scotland, all spread out over the country, ALL of these serve SCOTTISH menus. About 2.7 restaurants per million population.

    SO, in summary, scotland has more top-class restaurants serving more local food than England. Can we forget this debate, let the English go back to munching their intestine-filled white and black puds and chips and let the scots continue roaming the glens and eating wild lamb and salmon… 😉

    uplink
    Free Member

    Half of these are in Mayfair

    You need to get your sock & shoes off & count it again

    http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Observer/documents/2009/01/17/michelin2009.pdf

    donald
    Free Member

    StB – The Braemar Lodge is a good stop for cyclists. We stayed there last year on a “Tours des Cairngorms”. The food is good and they have a washing machine and drying room you can use.

    mysterymurdoch
    Free Member

    You need to get your sock & shoes off & count it again

    http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Observer/documents/2009/01/17/michelin2009.pdf

    Here’s an idea…you take your sandals and socks off, count it for me, and present the numbers in the same format I did previously. Are the overall proportions going to be very different?

    Typical, average, STW pedant!

    gonefishin
    Free Member

    You know that list is a bit surprising. First off I’m surprised that there aren’t any starred restaurants in Glasgow as it’s the largest city. The second surprise is that The Three Chimneys isn’t on the list.

    mysterymurdoch
    Free Member

    They don’t have a michelin star gonefishin. That’s key to the restaurants on the list! 😉 It’s a nice place though. I personally don’t pay for restaurants of that standard because I don’t feel I get value and would sooner spend money on really good ingredients and do it at home. That way you get whatever size of portion you want and it’s usually nicer (assuming you’re a good chef!).

    AndyP
    Free Member

    Typical, average, STW pedant!
    I wouldn’t say that’s anything to do with pedantry.
    It’s just someone pointing out that someone else is trying to argue a case whilst using incorrect data.

    uplink
    Free Member

    ……….. Are the overall proportions going to be very different?

    given that your quoted figure of 72 is around 100% out – probably

    mysterymurdoch
    Free Member

    The numbers may be out becuase I used a different source http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009/01/18/306085/top-michelin-rated-restaurants.html but the outcome is the same. More local top restaurants per capita in scotland. Agree? Do the maths for me and show me the results to support any argument against this please.

    gonefishin
    Free Member

    They don’t have a michelin star gonefishin. That’s key to the restaurants on the list!

    Okay let me rephrase my second sentance for the “hard of thinking”

    “I’m surprised that The Three Chimneys, a restaurant that has previously featured in the the 50 best in the world list, doesn’t have a michelin star.”

    Edit: I don’t know the code for smilies and they don’t show up on IE5

    mysterymurdoch
    Free Member

    A “;” followed by a “)” for a wink, colon for a genuine heart-felt smile! I guess the 3 chimneys not having a star is down to them perhaps not chasing one, or not meeting the critera for the examiners. It may be in the top 50 for the customers, but the michelin examiners are more stringent and want slightly different things to the average punter.

    Barney_McGrew
    Free Member

    As with all these types of competitions there is a application stage, menu design and submission, heats, quarters, semis and final prior to going on to the ‘British’ part of the competition.
    Most chefs are very busy, not all have their own restaurant, nor do they all want to get on the telly. Many are happy with rosettes and stars or just can’t get the time to get away from work. The comps to win are the industry recognised ones as Tom Kitchin has in the past and, as it happens, my cousin’s husband won this year. There is a HUGE amount of work in comps….just to add fuel to the fire…He’s a NZ national 😀
    Tom Kitchin is actively pursuing a ‘TV chef’ career so he was always going to be in the mix and with his talent it would have been surprising not to see him in the final.
    The opportunities are limited and as such the way for up and coming chef’s to make their mark is to start their own place, a very pricey option. The talent is here, the big money isn’t hence the migration south of the border. It’s a shame really. That’s not to say that the food up here is disappointing, far from it!

    Cheers

    Paul.

    hels
    Free Member

    PORRIDGE.

    Best food ever invented. End of argument, you can all get back to work now.

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    what’s the name of that famous english salmon river?
    Which one? The Eden? The Ribble? The Tweed?

    These are famous for their salmon are they? Well if I ever hear of them again, I’ll try and remember that.

    RudeBoy
    Free Member

    What’s Michelin stars got to do with good food? S’just a mark of exclusivity, really. An ‘award’ given on the strength of reviews by poncy food critics, and that system is surely awash with backhanders and doing yer mates a favour, anyway.

    I don’t need to know if a place has a stupid star; I’ll judge it on what food I get. Service is always secondary. And it’s sooo subjective; surely, a Full English, following a heavy night, can taste just as good, if not better, than some ponced-up bits of Patagonian Ptmarmigan with quince jelly and wild nettles…

    Goes without saying, that a city like London (or Edinbugger) will have a greater variety, but many of the more remote places will be very heavily dependent on their reputation, to ensure future trade, so may make more effort. A bad eaterie does not in any way survive long, in the Wild.

    I’d love to come up to Scotland, and sample the cuisine of these fine places. Doubt I can afford it, mind…

    rightplacerighttime
    Free Member

    What I found a bit depressing when staying in a B&B near Ullapool was that the owners had a fishing boat but sent their ENTIRE catch of langustines to Spain as “there is no local market”

    In my experience (only a few weeks worth on various jaunts up there) it is pretty difficult to find good quality pub/ cheaper restaurant food.

    mysterymurdoch
    Free Member

    Did you try the white hotel on the right on the way into Ullapool? I found their steaks to be the best I have tasted to date. The pub on the corner at the Harbour does great pub food. There are many gems in amongst the regular places…try the Inn at Plockton, or the Bosville in Portree, not to mention the Applecross Inn – the best seafood-based pub in the UK.

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    On a recent visit to Applecross, I visited the Applecross Inn and had the langoustines. They were huge and delicious. When I asked where they came from, the waiter pointed out into the bay.
    But it’s true, most of the seafood goes overseas.

    RudeBoy – thanks for that, I always appreciate you giving us the benefit of your inexperience.

    sootyandjim
    Free Member

    BigButSlimmerBloke – Not wishing to get drawn into a tit-for-tat Scottish/English debate as I have family allegiances both sides of the border (unlike that plastic Scot who normally turns up in any thread remotely associated with Scotland) but my take on the ‘Tay Salmon’ thing is this. In a country that has seen its industries ravaged by both government meddling and an inability to compete against the far-east Scotland has rightly fallen back on marketing anything it can to turn a profit and ‘Tay Salmon’ is a fine example of this. Its a catch-all (excuse the fishing pun) term thats used both for line caught samlon as well as by those selling cage reared, intensively farmed salmon. Its not nessessarily a mark of quality, just a mark of geography. Be proud of Scotland’s magnificent line caught salmon and the rivers its caught from but don’t be fooled into thinking a geographical tag adds quality. There are many factories surrounding a certain town in Lincolnshire churning out mass-produced meat pies but only geography makes them Melton Mowbray, not nessessarily quality.

    RudeBoy
    Free Member

    RudeBoy – thanks for that, I always appreciate you giving us the benefit of your inexperience.

    What on Earth are you on about now? Drop the vendetta- s’just making you look bitter.

    Oh, and FYI; I’ve eaten in all sorts of places. Michelin star places, and tatty cafes. In the middle of town, and right out in the middle of nowhere. As much ‘inexperience’ as most people, I’d say. And I’ve eaten in places Michelin woon’t even look down their poncy noses at, but have been excellent.

    I’d like to try some proper Scottish beef; you know, the stuff they send to Japan. The really spensive stuff.

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    Tay Salmon’ is a fine example of this. Its a catch-all (excuse the fishing pun) term thats used both for line caught samlon as well as by those selling cage reared, intensively farmed salmon

    To the best of my knowledge, there are no salmon farms on the Tay, so Tay salmon are line or net caught. the Tay is one of, if ot the longest river in Britain, and as such, provides more river caught salmon to restaurant tables than any other. I’m not sure that any other rivers support commercial salmon fisheries (as in catching to sell rather than catching as sport). This means that the geographical statement is a statement of quality, simply because it means the fish were not farmed.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    i almost posted the same thing about RB

    I always appreciate you giving us the benefit of your inexperience

    …he never lets his lack of knowledge , experience or facts get in the way of his soap boxing does he?

    What’s Michelin stars got to do with good food? S’just a mark of exclusivity, really. An ‘award’ given on the strength of reviews by poncy food critics, and that system is surely awash with backhanders and doing yer mates a favour, anyway.

    Any real evidence of this ? or just your own [vast] culinary experience?

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    I’d like to try some proper Scottish beef; you know, the stuff they send to Japan. The really spensive stuff.

    To quote you

    What on Earth are you on about now?

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    or just your own [vast] culinary experience?

    <edit> should read
    or just your own [vast] imagination?

    I take it the schools are closed today?

    sootyandjim
    Free Member

    BBSB – I’m afraid the “la la la, I can’t hear you” approach to ignoring facts was out-ruled by the 1982 ‘Now now children’ Act. Try a Google search for ‘Tay caged salmon’ and as well as a site called ‘Salmon Farm Monitor’ which has articles on large scale escapes of farm salmon into the waters controlled by the Tay Fisheries Authority you’ll also find that Loch Tay has a large number of caged salmon farms, all of which can be legally sold as Tay salmon, unlike line caught salmon which is illegal to sell.

    RudeBoy
    Free Member

    Well, seeing as eating is an incredibly subjective thing, being ‘objective’ about it is surely impossible.

    And the Michelin bods tend to go to the ‘best’ restaurants, whilst praps missing the hidden gems. And someone mentioned that half the starred restaurants in London are French, or something. Considering the vast diversity of cuisines available, I find that surprising, as this ‘mark of quality’ does not in any way really seem to reflect on all what’s on offer. IE; why is there not a kebab shop, or ‘greasy spoon’, on Michelin’s list?

    I really do feel, based on my experience of eating in different places, that there is a great snobbishness attached to eating out. Sure, it’s sometimes nice, to ave a really posh meal, in a nice restaurant, with proper tablecloths and lots of spoons, but it can be an equally pleasant sperience, eating somewhere a lot less pretentious, as well. Just ‘cos you’re paying more, does not in any way necessarily mean it will taste any better, surely?

    My point is, that you shoon’t just rely on the subjective opinion of others; the proof of the pudding, is most definitely in the eating.

    Last Saturday, I had fish and chips in a small riverside pub in Limehouse, the grapes. A place well-known locally, and highly regarded. Nowt fancy, just simple grub.

    T’was absolutely delicious. The reputation was well deserved. Perfectly fried fish (pretty fresh, as they get their stuff from Billingsgate market, less than a mile away), and the chips were just right. Lovely. Service was top-notch too.

    About £7/8. Proving that good food needunt cost the Earth.

    MrNutt
    Free Member

    Druidh is that a scottish onion? 😆

    sootyandjim
    Free Member

    Still, at least the Haggis farmers look likely to have bumper herds this season. Apparently the hills are awash with the little blighters, so much so they’re having to install anti-haggis fencing alongside the Fort Bill DH course, though only down one side of course.

    RudeBoy
    Free Member

    Druidh is that a scottish onion?

    LOL!

    And LOL! Too, @ djg!

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