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NEW NORTH BERWICK RESTAURANT, THE LAWN, TO PUT EAST LOTHIAN DINING ON THE MAP

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A new restaurant with stunning coastal views is set to open in one of Scotland’s most picturesque waterside towns this summer. The Lawn, which will open as part of the Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts collection at Marine North Berwick, will be accompanied by a stylish, laid-back bar and lounge, The Bass Rock.

MasterChef: The Professionals’ Chris Niven, previously executive chef at The Fairmont, St Andrews and The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh, will head up The Lawn restaurant. With an approachable, seasonal menu de-signed around flavour and simplicity, the focus will be on the very best ingredients from East Lothian and the surrounding area, served in a relaxed setting.

In 2020, Niven reached the semi-finals of National Chef of The Year; in 2017 he made his TV debut in Mas-terChef: The Professionals, again reaching the semi-final round and he is currently down to the semi-finals of the inaugural Tasting Spoon Chef of The Year Award.

In addition to his wealth of experience, Niven brings with him a passion for Scotland’s larder; diners can expect to see lobster fresh off the Seacliff fishing boat from Seacliff Harbour, fish smoked locally at Belhaven, as well as vegetables grown minutes from the hotel by Phantassie Organic and game from West Lothian’s Castle Game.

Taking centre stage at the hotel, the informal restaurant overlooks the green lawns from which it takes its name, and has expansive views across the walled garden, down to the coast towards Fife. The Lawn will offer an all-day, seasonal, à la carte menu, as well as a set lunch menu that will change daily with dishes such as Whole plaice for two with seaweed, lemon & capers and Niven’s take on a classic Cranachan.

As well as The Lawn, Niven will also oversee the menus for the hotel’s bar and lounge, The Bass Rock. There will be a range of small and large dishes to choose from: delicate Loch Fyne oysters, Mackerel pâté and a flavourful Steak and bone marrow burger. The bar offers unrivalled views of its namesake which sits

majestically in the Firth of Forth and will serve cocktails, international wines, award winning whiskies and local spirits, together with Scottish craft beers and ales. The bar’s signature serves include The Bass Rock Manhattan made using Buffalo Trace bourbon and the Tantallon, which takes inspiration from the East Lo-thian castle’s red sandstone exterior. It will also host the hotel’s afternoon teas. Niven has a passion for pastry, which is set to make Marine North Berwick an afternoon tea destination with a real sense of occasion.

The Victorian-era Marine North Berwick is considered a jewel in the crown of Scotland’s Golf Coast. Occupy-ing a prominent position in the much-loved seaside spot, it has hosted generations of golfers and holiday-makers since 1876 who came for the fresh air and water. Now, revamped as part of the Marine & Lawn collection of distinct hotels, the landmark has been restored to its former glory, with a sophisticated gran-deur for the 21st century.

Chris Niven comments, “I am thrilled to be launching the dining concepts for such an iconic property like Marine North Berwick. I have been championing Scottish produce for 20 years now, so getting to work with the fantastic local suppliers around East Lothian is a really exciting prospect. The menu is being created around the very best ingredients. Dishes will not be complicated; the flavours of the produce will really shine through. North Berwick is such a beautiful location with a real sense of community. It is not too far from Edinburgh as well, making it the perfect escape from the city.”

The Lawn and Bass Rock Bar and Lounge at Marine North Berwick will be developed and operated by White Rabbit Projects, whose hospitality portfolio includes Lina Stores, Kricket and Island Poké.

Part of the Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts collection, which is owned by Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, Marine North Berwick will be joined by two additional Scottish golf properties: Rusacks St Andrews in July 2021 and Marine Troon when it relaunches and joins the collection in spring 2022.

To find out more about the new food and drink offering at Marine North Berwick coming this summer, please visit www.lawnrestaurant.co.uk and follow Instagram @thelawnrestaurant, Twitter, and Facebook. For more information about Marine & Lawn, please visit marineandlawn.com or follow Instagram @marine-andlawn.

Marine North Berwick, Cromwell Road, North Berwick EH39 4LZ

NICK NAIRN OPENS NICK’S AT PORT OF MENTEITH, STIRLINGSHIRE

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Nick and Julia Nairn will open an exciting new restaurant with a focus on outdoor dining at Port of Menteith in Stirlingshire this week.

With a relaxed indoor area and large garden, Nick’s at Port of Menteith is on the site of the Nick Nairn Cookschool on the shores of Lake of Menteith in the heart of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.

With Nick himself often in the kitchen, the menu will change daily focusing on the availability of seasonal produce: from langoustines and lobster to perfectly aged beef. Seafood will be sourced from acclaimed fishmonger Willie Little in nearby Crieff with the best catch of the day featuring in dishes. Other suppliers include Leckie Farm’s eggs and Fife’s Buffalo Farm mozzarella & ice cream.

In addition, specialist pizza chef, Paul Hughes, will take the helm at the pizza oven. Paul, who has focused on pizza cookery with Nick Nairn for five years, will serve up a range of Roma-style pizzas made using five-day aged dough. Toppings include Great Glen venison salami, Campbells haggis, Katy Rodger’s crowdie, and a North African-inspired speciality with Chicken Shwarma, rose harissa, chermoula, toasted pine nuts, brandy-soaked raisins and pomegranate.

Nick’s at Port of Menteith will seat 40 inside the light-filled dining room, with glass doors opening onto a further 100 covers outside under a stretch tent, and a series of pergolas clad with festoon lights. The space has been landscaped with new raised beds and is likely to be popular for families, with youngsters able to explore the gardens overlooking open fields.

Interiors have been a labour of love for Julia who had felt, for some time, that the building was too corporate, she used local designer Iona Crawford’s designs to transform the space. A new lifestyle store features a range of cookware classics, cookery books, carefully selected tableware and interiors items; from locally made lighting (Jaggy Thistle Crafts) and textiles (Amy Britten) to glassware and candles, honey from nearby hives (Callander honey) and beers (Harviestoun), alongside Nick’s own gin. Lockdown has given Nick and Julia a newfound passion for gardening and this is reflected not only in the garden and shop but throughout the building.

Nick Nairn said:
“This has been an incredibly tumultuous year for our family and our business so Nick’s at Port of Menteith heralds an exciting moment for the whole team. We’ve developed things that we, and many others, have taken pleasure from during lockdown – from outdoor eating in beautiful natural surroundings to the simplicity of enjoying really great food and drink in a relaxed setting. I’m really looking forward to sharing this special place and being able to develop dishes from the best ingredients I can source on a daily basis.”

Nick’s at Port of Menteith is a 50-minute car journey from Glasgow, Edinburgh and their associated airports, or a short 25-minute drive from Stirling train station.

Nick’s at Port of Menteith is open from Friday 25th June (Thurs – Sat 12 noon – 8.30pn and Sun 12 noon – 6pm). Reservations can be made by calling 01877 389900.

NQ64 IS SET TO OPEN IN EDINBURGH THIS SUMMER-AN ARCADE BAR THAT TAKES RETRO GAMING AS SERIOUSLY AS ITS BOOZE OFFERING

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One of the UK’s top arcade bar brands, NQ64, is set to make its debut in Scotland when it opens on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road this summer. The former Badabing bar will be transformed into a signature NQ64 neon graffiti-splattered, gaming and drinking den. Serving up craft beers and game-themed cocktails alongside a selection of retro arcade machines and classic consoles.

The eclectic mix of old-school arcade games, many of which have been sourced from across the pond, but some here in the UK, have been lovingly restored to their former glory. Visitors can expect fan favourites and cult classics such as Time Crisis 2, Guitar Hero, Pac-Man and Mario Kart – as well as pinball machines and classic consoles including Game Boy, MegaDrive, Gamecube and PlayStations. All arcades and pinball machines operate on tokens which can be bought from the bar, and consoles are free to play.

The drinks menu will feature a selection of craft beers and spirits, sodas and game-themed cocktails, using a range of local breweries and distillers. If anyone feels peckish there’ll be a selection of retro crisps to accompany those beers and cocktails.

Before opening, NQ64 would like to invite the people of Edinburgh to come in to test the games and sample the drinks – all they need to do is follow their Instagram account on @nq64edinburgh and look out for the upcoming post (which will appear in the coming weeks) inviting them down. Anyone interested in being the first to hear more about NQ64 Edinburgh’s opening can sign up over at nq64.co.uk

NQ64’s founder, Matt Robson, has said,

“We can’t wait to get our Edinburgh site open. I love the city, and I hope people are going to love our new bar. We’re grafting behind the scenes to get the venue, our retro games and a banging booze selection ready!”

Those looking to be first in the know should make sure to follow the @nq64edinburgh Instagram account or sign up via the Edinburgh location page at nq64.co.uk.

NQ64, 25 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2DJ

Instagram : @nq64edinburgh

Website : http://www.nq64.co.uk

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO UNIQUE EDINBURGH TEA COMPANIES

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In a deal that will see £20,000 worth of tea traded annually, two Edinburgh tea companies have developed a partnership that will see heritage brand Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company sell a range of specialist tea blender, PekoeTea’s pyramid tea bags to their hospitality clients.

PekoeTea’s biodegradable pyramid tea bags will be available to Edinburgh Tea and Coffee customers in an initial range of seven flavours: Scottish summer fruits, Peppermint, Chamomile, Lemongrass and ginger, Chai black, Cloud catcher, and Jade tips. The PekoeTea flavours are a premium addition to Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company’s existing loose-leaf range.

Kevin Moore, Managing Director of Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company said:

“Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company is delighted to be collaborating with our long-time friends at PekoeTea. We are super excited to be bringing our customers a range of high quality teas in pyramid bag format for the first time. The knowledge and experience the PekoeTea team possesses gives us real confidence that our customers will see the benefits of local companies working together in this way.”

With a history dating back to 1812, Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company is one Scotland’s largest commercial tea blenders and artisan coffee roasters. The company is based in Edinburgh’s Portobello.

Esther Kungu Cooper, co-owner of PekoeTea said:

“As hospitality has started to reopen, we’ve seen a resurgence of interest and strong sales for our premium teas. While lockdown saw a spike in sales from consumers looking for really good tea to drink at home, we’re now seeing interest from a greater range of hospitality businesses than ever before. This partnership with Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company compounds this and combines their heritage brand with our uniquely blended teas.”

PekoeTea opened in 2010 and works directly with tea growers from Scotland to Sri Lanka, Kenya to China, to source the finest single-estate teas and create unique handcrafted blends. It is the only company in Scotland to specialise in such blending techniques rather than relying on pre-flavoured teas. Owners, Jon and Esther Kungu Cooper produce a range of teas: from black, white and green teas, to oolong, fruit and herbal blends. A selection of five whisky teas have also been specially blended by hand and flavoured with real Scotch single malt whisky.

In addition to selling direct to the public, PekoeTea is already stocked in outlets like Glasgow’s Mackintosh at The Willow, The Royal Yacht Britannia and Edinburgh’s Waldorf Astoria. Bespoke blends can be created privately for customers, and seasonal flavours like a comforting Christmas blend with flavours of apple, cinnamon, cloves, and orange or a summery Orange Blossom Oolong are also available at certain times of year. All PekoeTeas are loose leaf and many are also available in biodegradable pyramid teabags.

Last month, PekoeTea announced a move from its current Edinburgh store to a specially developed Tea Studio on the city’s Leith Walk, which is set to open in late summer 2021.

PekoeTea takes a comprehensively ethical approach to trading: from sourcing to selling teas. It is an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer.

Find out more about PekoeTea or order online at www.pekoetea.co.uk.

NEW KITCHENPRESS RELEASE: MACEDONIA BY KATERINA NITSOU

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Macedonia – Recipes and Stories from the Balkans is Katerina Nitsou’s love letter to the Macedonian culture of her family and community. In her first book, the chef and food writer shares over 100 recipes that reveal a cuisine deeply rooted in its land and traditions.

Katerina shares the authentic flavours and wisdom her family brought from the mountainous villages of North Macedonia, recreated and adapted for western kitchens. Coupled with beautiful photography of the food, people, and landscapes of the region, this cookbook captures the country’s essence and belongs on the kitchen shelf of every food lover.

The cuisine of Macedonia is a rich mosaic of influences from the Mediterranean and Middle East, as well as Kosovo to the north, Bulgaria to the east and Greece to the south. Known for its opulent family meals, the regional dishes play important symbolic roles in local traditions and family celebrations.

Macedonia – Recipes and Stories from the Balkans is a celebration of a unique culture, taking readers on a culinary journey into a cuisine that is modest and simple, yet bountiful. The recipes, from the spicy grilled peppers that grace every table to cool cucumber Tarator (cucumber) soup; hearty pork rib and butterbean stew to chicken pillar; coiled filled pastries and breads to pear strudel, are contained in chapters comprising:

· Mezze: small plates like Leek Pancakes; Roast Aubergine Dip; and Courgette Fritters

· Salads: using ingredients from watermelon to wheat berries

· Soups: like Chilled Cucumber Soup; and Chicken and Rice Soup with Egg and Lemon

· Meats: including dishes like Pork Rib and Butter Bean stew; and Meat Pie

· Poultry: with dishes like Stuffed Chicken with Leeks and Rice

· Fish: recipes adapted from the fresh water fish dishes of the landlocked region, including Baked Fish & Potatoes; and Grilled, Marinated Fish Skewers

· Vegetables and Side Dishes: like Stewed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Roasted Red Peppers; or even breakfast dishes like Pepper and Tomato Scrambled Eggs

· Breads: marking the central role bread plays in Macedonian culture, this chapter includes Pogacha, a rich braided bread that marks traditional feasts alongside Polneti Kiflichki, crescent rolls stuffed with feta and ricotta.

· Sweets: dishes including Yogurt Cake, Almond Cookies, and Syrup Doughnuts

· Preserves: pickled and preserved fruits and vegetables, as well as recipes for Fig Jam; and Dried Tomatoes

Growing up in a large Macedonian community in Toronto, Katarina spent her childhood in the kitchen helping her grandmother, mother, and aunts prepare family meals using fresh herbs and vegetables from the family’s prized garden. She was immersed in Macedonian culture through language, dance, and celebrations, and the book reveals the story of her family’s emigration to Canada, and the way they retained their heritage through the food and recipes they brought with them.

Katarina began writing about traditional Macedonian cuisine long before she completed her training at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. She honed her recipe writing skills in the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen and developed her cooking style working as a food stylist, caterer, and private chef in California. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and two young children, whom she is teaching to cook.

Katerina Nitsou said:

“I’ve always felt connected to my family and my ancestry simply because I was preparing food that they had been making for centuries. I wanted there to be a Macedonian cookbook that is on par with the quality of cookbooks from other countries published today: a book that non-Macedonians can really connect to and enjoy cooking from, while learning about the Macedonian cuisine and culture. My philosophy on Macedonian food is to simply use really fresh ingredients and let those ingredients be the star of the dish!”

With photography throughout the book by her husband Oliver Fitzgerald, including those taken on family holidays to the region, Macedonia – Recipes and Stories will be published in hardback by Kitchen Press on 17th August 2021 and will be available nationwide, priced at £20.

Kitchen Press titles are distributed by BookSource. www.kitchenpress.co.uk

“This is a book written straight from the heart. Katerina’s stories and recipes are an affectionate celebration of her Macedonian heritage, transporting you right to her family table, enjoying dishes that are respectful of tradition and yet accessible to everyone.”

Irina Georgescu, author of Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania

PEKOETEA TO LAUNCH NEW TEA STUDIO IN EDINBURGH

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Renowned Edinburgh tea blenders, PekoeTea are expanding and launching a new Edinburgh Tea Studio this summer.

After eleven years at the vanguard of the Scottish tea world, Esther Kungu-Cooper and Jon Cooper are moving PekoeTea from its Leven Street store on Edinburgh’s south side to a striking new base on the city’s Leith Walk.

The specially designed PekoeTea Studio will continue to offer a space for customers to taste and browse the extensive range of teas; as well as the opportunity for private blending experiences and events that help share the team’s knowledge and love of teas from across the world. The Studio also allows the team to provide specialist training for wholesale clients and produce online workshops that can be used to spread the word to the company’s increasingly global audience. With an increased focus on their digital presence, the PekoeTea Studio also provides a useful creative space to facilitate product design and photography, alongside blend development.

Co-owner, Esther said:

“We’re delighted to announce this move. Over the last few years, PekoeTea has been consistently recognised for its knowledge and stand-out tea blends. Our new Tea Studio is more than double the size of our existing store and will allow our customers to attend special events and taste more teas than ever before. With Covid 19 there has been a big move away from traditional retail and our new studio allows us to further enhance our digital presence, ensuring that our brand is recognised further afield.

In a curious coincidence, the new studio is just a few doors down from what was originally a Melrose tea and coffee house, and there’s also a strong history of tea in Leith – it was once one of the UK’s most important centres of tea importation – so this feels like something of a homecoming.”

Working directly with tea growers from Scotland to Sri Lanka, Kenya to China, PekoeTea sources the finest single-estate teas, to create unique handcrafted blends: the only company in Scotland to specialise in such blending techniques rather than relying on pre-flavoured teas. Jon and Esther produce a range of teas: from black, white and green teas, to oolong, fruit and herbal blends. A selection of five whisky teas have also been specially blended by hand and flavoured with real Scotch single malt whisky; alongside a Whisky Fudge Tea.

Bespoke blends can be created privately for customers, and seasonal flavours like a comforting Christmas blend with flavours of apple, cinnamon, cloves, and orange or a summery Orange Blossom Oolong are also available at certain times of year.  All PekoeTeas are loose leaf and many are also available in biodegradable pyramid teabags.

PekoeTea is set to move from its current store by the end of July with the new Tea Studio set to open in late summer 2021. The existing PekoeTea store will continue to trade after reopening on 27th April until the new shop is ready.

PekoeTea takes a comprehensively ethical approach to trading: from sourcing to selling teas.  It is an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer.

Find out more about PekoeTea or order online at www.pekoetea.co.uk.

Bowhouse link: Local shopping service expanded to north Fife and Dundee

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Connecting People with Local Producers

In response to growing demand for local food and drink, Bowhouse Link is expanding its delivery service from 1st February to those in North Fife and Dundee.

Bowhouse Link brings together local food and drink producers on a virtual marketplace, allowing customers to select produce from small butchers, bakers, growers, brewers and other makers, for delivery or collection from the local hub.

The creation of Bowhouse Link has not only allowed small food businesses to continue trading during lockdown and avoid food waste but also ensured people across the region have access to high quality produce, meat, dairy and essentials such as eggs and flour.

The range of products available from Bowhouse Link changes weekly but includes: Organic beef, lamb, venison and pork from Butchery at Bowhouse, wholemeal organic flours from Scotland the Bread, organic vegetables and salads from East Neuk Market Garden, bread and sweet treats from Wild Hearth Bakery, condiments from Perthshire Preserves, craft spirits, beers and natural wines from Tayport Distillery and Futtle Organic Brewery, cheese from St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company and Strathearn Cheese Company.

The weekly online alternative market can be found on the Open Food Network and provides an opportunity for local producers who may not otherwise have an online shop, to sell direct to customers. Customers will be able to pre-order from Monday 1st February on Bowhouse Link, with deliveries and collections available on Saturday 6th February. The market will then be open for orders every subsequent Monday morning until Wednesday afternoon with deliveries and collections made on Saturdays.

Delivery is available to the following areas/postcodes including: KY10, KY9, KY8 KY16, KY15, DD3, DD4, DD5, DD6. East Neuk of Fife, Cupar, St Andrews, Leven, Cupar, Leuchars andDundee. Those who live out with these areas are asked to contact Bowhouse directly to lodge their interest.

Rosie Jack, Market Manager, said: “Since launching Bowhouse Link last spring, we’ve received an increasing number of queries from people looking for deliveries beyond the East Neuk, and now we look forward to being able to get their boxes out to them. Connecting people with the best local food and drink produced across Fife and Dundee is at the heart of what we do and we’d also be keen to hear from more local food and drink producers who may be interested in selling through Bowhouse Link. We know that as the service continues to grow, it will be useful during the difficult lockdown months but also feel strongly that this is something we can continue to build upon as life returns to normal in the future. ”

Local food and drink producers interested in selling their produce through Bowhouse Link should get in touch at market@bowhousefife.com. Find Bowhouse Link on Open Food Network at https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/bowhouse-link/shop

Find out more about Bowhouse at bowhousefife.com or on twitter, facebook or instagram.

Bowhouse Farm, St Monans, Anstruther, Fife, KY10 2DB

Cail Bruich chef Lorna McNee wins a star for Glasgow

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For the first time in 18 years a Glasgow restaurant, Cail Bruich has been awarded a coveted Michelin star. Scottish chef Lorna McNee brought the accolade home to the city just over five months into her first head chef role, making her the first solo* female chef to be awarded one in 20 years** and the first female chef to be awarded one in Scotland’s largest city.

The last restaurant to hold a star in the city was Gordon Ramsay’s Amaryllis which closed in 2004. Cail Bruich, which also has three AA Rosettes, was opened in 2008 by brothers Chris and Paul Charalambous who ran the kitchen and front of house respectively. It was only early in 2020 that chef Chris decided to move away from the kitchen to focus on other aspects of the family run business (they also own Bar Brett and run Epicures).

Lorna was appointed head chef at Cail Bruich in August 2020, a step up from her previous role as sous chef at two Michelin starred Restaurant Andrew Fairlie where she had started her career as an apprentice. In 2019 she appeared on the BBC’s Great British Menu and was named “Champion of Champions”.

Lorna’s decision to join the 28-cover restaurant was influenced by its style of cooking; the strong front of house team, which is headed up by GM and ex Martin Wishart restaurant manager, Chris Donnachie and the opportunity it offered for her to make her own mark on the menu.

Lorna creates elegant plates of food that make the most of Scotland’s seasonally changing ingredients prepared with respect and a lightness of touch. Dishes on her most recent tasting menu included West coast crab, celeriac, citrus, apple, langoustine consommé, Exmoor caviar; Peterhead cod, baby gem, cornichon, squid, sourdough, beurre noisette and Anjou squab pigeon, braised chicory, roast onion, seared duck liver, preserved cherry. Since November Lorna has been preparing dishes for delivery and collection in Glasgow.

On her win Lorna commented:

“Winning a Michelin star has been a dream of mine since I became a chef. The feeling of achieving it is better than I could have ever imagined. The best feeling for me though, is seeing the happiness on my team members’ faces knowing that all our hard work and sacrifice has been worthwhile. It is amazing to share it with them. I’m so proud, it is a dream come true.”

Cail Bruich’s owners Paul and Chris Charalambous, added:

“We’re delighted and humbled to receive this accolade. A commitment to excellence in food and service has always been our ethos. To achieve Glasgow’s first star in 18 years, and in my home city is the dream of a lifetime. The award is for our team, suppliers and craftspeople who strive to provide the best possible experience for our guests.

“We wouldn’t have achieved this prestigious award without the support and loyalty shown by our guests. We hope that this recognition of excellence will put Glasgow firmly on the culinary map, where it undoubtedly should be.”

Glasgow is currently under tier 4 restrictions so Cail Bruich is offering delivery and collection only for its CB at Home menus. To order visit cailbruich.co.uk

Once restrictions are lifted it will be open for five and nine course tasting menus at lunch (Thursday – Saturday 12-1.30pm) and dinner (Wednesday – Saturday 6.30 – 9pm.)

Cail Bruich, 725 Great Western Rd, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G12 8QX

0141 334 6265

www.cailbruich.co.uk

info@cailbruich.co.uk

@CailBruich

Haggis, neeps and…tonic!

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Using neeps (swede) from her neighbour’s Aberdeenshire farm, Claire Rennie, founder of small-batch Scottish tonic water Walter Gregor’s* has created the world’s first neep tonic water in time for toasting Robert Burns on 31 January.

Claire explains how it came about:

“I love haggis but couldn’t find a suggested drink to pair with it that wasn’t whisky.  As neeps and tatties are the natural accompaniment for haggis, we started experimenting with Ogilivy Vodka, a potato vodka produced on another Scottish farm in Angus.  With some neeps from our neighbour’s farm, we discovered that the infused tonic had a delicious clear, crisp citrus flavour with an aroma of neep. Using  Ogilivy’s tattie vodka we created the ‘Neeps & Tatties Cocktail’.  We use an all-natural production process to create a softer bubble in our tonics which allows the flavours to sing. I think it makes the perfect Burns Night aperitif, served with a haggis bon-bon.”

The Scottish Neep Tonic is a limited edition and is only available on the Walter Gregor’s website for delivery in the month of January only.  It is made on site in Aberdeenshire and contains only natural ingredients including carbonated Scottish water, Scottish neep infusion, quinine and sugar from British grown sugar beet.

January boxes (available as part of a monthly subscription service or as a standalone delivery)

  • Totally Tonic: 3 x Scottish Neep Tonic, 3 x Original Tonic: £12.50 (free delivery to subscribers)
  • Perfect Serve: 2 x Scottish Neep Tonic, 2 x Original Tonic, 2 x 10cl Ogilvy Vodka (free delivery to subscribers)
  • Case of 24 Scottish Neep Tonic to pre order: £35 plus delivery

Claire founded Walter Gregor’s in 2015 (a year after launching her lemonade company Summerhouse Drinks) on the Aberdeenshire land her husband’s family has farmed for four generations. With a walled garden full of fresh botanicals and spotting a gap in the market for a home-grown mixer to complement the rising number of craft gins being produced in Scotland, Claire set about making her own tonics.

Fast forward to 2020 and Claire and her small team on the farm have a core range of five tonics: Apple & Cinnamon, Mint & Cucumber, Scottish Raspberry, Original and Spiced (available by the case: 24 x 200ml bottles, £30). In addition, they launched a monthly subscription box service sending out tonics and perfect serves and have started to export drinks to as far afield as the USA and South Korea. Most recently as part of their commitment to sustainability they have developed a completely no-plastic packaging solution to safely transport their glass bottles using only 100% recyclable cardboard.

All tonics are available to by via the website: www.waltergregors.com  

The Real Mary King’s Close to broadcast its first paranormal investigation

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One of Edinburgh’s most unique historical sites, The Real Mary King’s Close is to broadcast its first ever live and interactive paranormal investigation on Friday, 13th November at 8pm. The five-star social history attraction, located underneath the Royal Mile, has teamed up with Scottish Paranormal to conduct the investigation that will take place in the uniquely preserved 17th century streets.

Scottish Paranormal, has investigated claims of all unearthly occurrences across Scotland for the past 15 years. The team will use established investigative tools and focus on real stories backed up by the attraction’s own historic research. They will carry out a series of experiments in rooms of The Close where paranormal activity has been previously reported. This includes the use of scientific tools such as live EVP and Franks Box scanning to pick out coherent words in the scanning of audio waves, along with electromagnetic, temperature and indication devices. The talented guides of the attraction will be providing the historic background for the investigation, delving into Edinburgh’s darkest tales.

Paul Nixon, General Manager of The Real Mary King’s Close said:

“We’re approaching this experiment with a mixture of excitement and genuine curiosity. The Real Mary King’s Close has attracted 2.75 million visitors to its fascinating underground streets in the last 17 years. We know there’s an appetite from people to find out more about the history of the site and the many paranormal experiences that have been reported. Due to the nature of the event, people from all over the world can tune in and watch it all unfold before their eyes. We’re looking forward to sharing this experiment with the public for the first time.”

Ryan O’Neill, Scottish Paranormal said:

“The Real Mary King’s Close is renowned, in the paranormal field of research, as one of the most haunted locations in the world. One of the main areas we will focus on during the investigation is audio capture and in particular Electronic Voice Phenomena. This is where we will ask specific questions relating to the location; its history and the characters associated with each area, in the hope of gaining a reply that may not be heard loud, but will etch itself into the device and be heard on playback.”

“We look forward to seeking out any potential spiritual energies which may still be wandering the attraction.”

The virtual event will last 1 hour and 45 minutes and is priced at £13.13. Tickets can be purchased on the website: https://www.realmarykingsclose.com/event/friday-13th/

The Real Mary King’s Close

Warriston’s Close, 2, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1PG

@marykingsclose