Blog

Christmas is a time for enjoying food, family and friendship.  However, the rise of the lifestyle blogger and those seemingly perfect TV chefs, has put the pressure on us all to produce the perfect party for our Christmas guests.  It is no longer enough to just pull out the Ritz crackers and a bottle of […]

As everyone knows, perhaps the most worthwhile investment you can make to help your culinary skills is in a range of good quality knives to make all those preparation and finishing  tasks easier.  They need not cost a fortune, but will repay you time and again and, with a little care, last for ages.  Here […]

The winner of the Great British Bake-off will be, most probably, Prue Leith or Paul Hollywood.  As judges they have a high profile and the knock-on benefit of book sales and TV appearances is significant.  Paul Hollywood has allegedly amassed a fortune of £10m since joining the programme in 2010. More recently, I have noticed […]

‘Gie her a Haggis’ It’s that time of year again to dust down your kilts and prepare yourself for all things haggis and whisky to celebrate Burns Night! Typically cold and dark, on the evening of 25 January Scotland will once again celebrate the life and work of the 18th Century poet Robert Burns. Burns […]

Defeated by a social media muddle, the final of the Great British Bake Off was a slight anti-climax.  However, knowing what the outcome would be somehow took the edge off the anxiety when you want your favourite to win.  And in the end, it was the right person who came through. It was always clear […]

east PIZZA We have been following the progress of former students Roly and Rob with interest since they graduated in September 2016.  The two chefs met at Edinburgh New Town Cookery School whilst attending the Six Month Professional Diploma course. Both graduated with distinction.  Their latest venture is Edinburgh’s newest pizza restaurant: east PIZZA which […]

With two Hollywood handshakes and a “style over substance” it was clear that not much has changed in the Great British Bake Off tent.  The innuendos were still there, cakes collapsed, the judges were suitably critical, the jokes were appalling and someone was sent home. So a switch to Channel 4 has left life inside […]

According to Zero Waste Scotland we waste around 1.35 million tonnes of food and drink every year. This is a shocking figure and the Scottish government has set a target of reducing waste by a third by 2025. In order for this to become a reality we all need to do our part. So, from […]

It’s ‘oil’ in the taste This year we have put a particular focus on olive oils and have started to sell a stunning new range from the Extremadura region in western Spain.  But what’s so special about olive oil and what should we be looking out for? Olive trees were being cultivated around the Mediterranean […]

The top five knives everyone needs in their kitchen. As everyone knows, perhaps the most worthwhile investment you can make to help your culinary skills is in a range of good quality knives to make all those preparation and finishing  tasks easier.  They need not cost a fortune, but will repay you time and again […]