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Burns night food: star-gazing in Scotland Burns night food: star-gazing in Scotland
(about 4 hours later)
It's a very big day in Scottish cooking – our skills at mincing sheep offal and bashing turnips are being celebrated all over the world. But Burns' birthday is not such a popular date in the calendar of the modern Scottish chef, who, frankly, would like to be known for a rather more than boiling puddings. Or deep-frying Mars bars. (Actually, a battered fried Bounty is far nicer.)It's a very big day in Scottish cooking – our skills at mincing sheep offal and bashing turnips are being celebrated all over the world. But Burns' birthday is not such a popular date in the calendar of the modern Scottish chef, who, frankly, would like to be known for a rather more than boiling puddings. Or deep-frying Mars bars. (Actually, a battered fried Bounty is far nicer.)
Scots aren't touchy on the subject of poor diet, of course, but the government will inform you on arrival at Scottish airports that this is "one of the world's great lands of food and drink". It is probably true that, if not home to a culinary revival (what's to revive?) Scotland is a better place to eat now than it was 20 years ago. A migration of young, enthusiastic chefs, coupled with cheap rents and cheap labour, has put new life into hotels, cafes and restaurants across a land once notorious for serving the most dismal food in Europe, and then only until 7pm.

The dockside pubs of Leith, where once Irvine Welsh's junkies mugged tourists, are now home to a clutch of smart restaurants, two with Michelin stars. In fact, Edinburgh has five of the fat tyre man's medals, more than anywhere else in Britain outside West London – most of them earned in the last few years. Restaurants in Scotland's cities are closing in the recession, but most sites so far seem to swiftly sprout new ones. Some of those are defiantly high-end and challenging, like the new venture from local favourite Mark Greenaway, a Blumenthalesque laboratory chef who serves dishes such as frozen shortbread and "the enigmatic paint".		Scots aren't touchy on the subject of poor diet, of course, but the government will inform you on arrival at Scottish airports that this is "one of the world's great lands of food and drink". It is probably true that, if not home to a culinary revival (what's to revive?) Scotland is a better place to eat now than it was 20 years ago. A migration of young, enthusiastic chefs, coupled with cheap rents and cheap labour, has put new life into hotels, cafes and restaurants across a land once notorious for serving the most dismal food in Europe, and then only until 7pm.

The dockside pubs of Leith, where once Irvine Welsh's junkies mugged tourists, are now home to a clutch of smart restaurants, two with Michelin stars. In fact, Edinburgh has five of the fat tyre man's medals, more than anywhere else in Britain outside West London – most of them earned in the last few years. Restaurants in Scotland's cities are closing in the recession, but most sites so far seem to swiftly sprout new ones. Some of those are defiantly high-end and challenging, like the new venture from local favourite Mark Greenaway, a Blumenthalesque laboratory chef who serves dishes such as frozen shortbread and "the enigmatic paint".
Food publisher Relish next week releases a second volume of recipes to celebrate the New Scottish Cooking (a second one, note, Wales: how many stars have you got?). A total of 23 chefs from Wester Ross to Peebles are represented in it. Tom Kitchin is the brightest example of the new breed. He went to Perth catering college, worked at Gleneagles Hotel – then one of the few places in the country that could deliver haute cuisine – and did hard time in the kitchens of Paris's grandest restaurants, with Pierre Koffmann, Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy.Food publisher Relish next week releases a second volume of recipes to celebrate the New Scottish Cooking (a second one, note, Wales: how many stars have you got?). A total of 23 chefs from Wester Ross to Peebles are represented in it. Tom Kitchin is the brightest example of the new breed. He went to Perth catering college, worked at Gleneagles Hotel – then one of the few places in the country that could deliver haute cuisine – and did hard time in the kitchens of Paris's grandest restaurants, with Pierre Koffmann, Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy.
In 2006, aged just 28, Kitchin opened a restaurant in a Leith warehouse that would bring classical French technique to Scottish ingredients – most people thought it would last six months. In fact, that was how long The Kitchin took to get its first Michelin star.In 2006, aged just 28, Kitchin opened a restaurant in a Leith warehouse that would bring classical French technique to Scottish ingredients – most people thought it would last six months. In fact, that was how long The Kitchin took to get its first Michelin star.
Kitchin now has a second starred restaurant in Edinburgh, whose chef is another Scottish young gun, Dominic Jack. "It's all about the ingredients," says Kitchin. "I was fortunate to work in some of the greatest restaurants in the world; I never failed to notice all the Scottish produce that we used. Fish, shellfish, excellent game, wonderful meat, along with berries and mushrooms. It is simply the best produce there is." Kitchin helped open a second starred restaurant in Edinburgh, Castle Terrace, whose chef/patron is another notable Scottish young gun, Dominic Jack. "It's all about the ingredients," says Kitchin. "I was fortunate to work in some of the greatest restaurants in the world; I never failed to notice all the Scottish produce that we used. Fish, shellfish, excellent game, wonderful meat, along with berries and mushrooms. It is simply the best produce there is."
You can still eat appallingly in Scotland, as anywhere, and people do. We still consume more sugar than anyone else in Europe. Even our gnarly meat pies aren't economic – the great meat processor Halls of Broxburn, temple of the dubious Scottish pink sausage, is about to close, with the loss of 1700 jobs. But Scots are spending more in farmers' markets than any other part of Britain – you can get your mince and tatties local and organic now.You can still eat appallingly in Scotland, as anywhere, and people do. We still consume more sugar than anyone else in Europe. Even our gnarly meat pies aren't economic – the great meat processor Halls of Broxburn, temple of the dubious Scottish pink sausage, is about to close, with the loss of 1700 jobs. But Scots are spending more in farmers' markets than any other part of Britain – you can get your mince and tatties local and organic now.