An Edible Voyage

November 2020 A cheese pantry was not what I expected to find down a track off the road between Inverness airport and the city, but a welcome find it was indeed.  Entering a small cafe and delicatessen selling all manner of crackers, oat cakes and chutneys, as well as cheese toasties, cakes and coffee, I had a fantastic view of the cheese production through the glass wall.  Then it got better - hidden in the corner of the deli is a door, through which I found myself in the most incredible cheese 'cave'.  Walls and walls of cheese, both locally made and from further afield, a real cheese lover's delight!  Some of the cheeses are made on the farm, such as the 12-15 month matured Connage Cheddar, and the Connage Gouda - a deliciously rich and creamy cheese with a flavour profile unlike Dutch Gouda due to differences in the grazing land.  Connage Farm also have a smokery.  Having never heard of a smoked brie before, I had to try it.  Firmer than traditiona...

November 2020 Arriving in Torridon on an atmospheric grey day, I was determined to get out on my bike and cycle up to the Bealach na Gaoithe view point despite the impending drizzle.  Just before the top, the drizzle started and I arrived back at the youth hostel soggy. cold and unable to check in for several hours.  I remembered that just a few metres up the road I'd seen a colourful little sign for a cafe but hadn't thought much of it.  I decided that, if nothing else, there would likely be a pot of tea and somewhere warm and dry to thaw out for a while. And I was right! Nestled in to one end of the community hall was the popular and inviting Wee Whistle Stop cafe with a wall of windows overlooking the loch (or low cloud in my case), with an impressive selection of homemade cakes and scones, and a whole tea menu! The cakes are the towering but oh so light and fluffy kind that you wish you could make, and there's a selection of light meals too.  Find it at the Loch ...

November 2020 From a warehouse on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, a cool little town on the bank of the River Tay, wafts the delicious aroma of roasting coffee.  Glen Lyon sources single origin beans from around the world and roasts them in small batches to showcase their flavour and produce some outstanding coffee.  The coffee on offer frequently changes, staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and milk is steamed to perfection. The name stems from their original location in Glen Lyon.  However winters spent digging delivery trucks out of snow drove them to relocate to somewhere a little more accessible! Find Glen Lyon Coffee Roasters in the Aberfeldy Business Park, or just follow your nose!  

November 2020 My father and his partner are big fans of Scotland, making regular trips there (when Covid permits).  As soon as they arrive, weary from a long journey, my father's priority is too find a fireside arm chair in a cosy pub and enjoy a pint of Trade Winds from the Cairngorm Brewery.  Then when he returns home, he turns up with a car boot full of it to last him until the next trip.  Consequently, when I found myself in Aviemore (to get a bicycle puncture fixed), I had to pay a visit to the brewery, both to replenish his supplies as well as to see what all the fuss is about!  Enjoying a bottle of Trade Winds back at my hotel later on, I had to admit it was pretty tasty.  A light golden ale made with wheat, it bursts with citrus and elderflower flavours making it incredibly refreshing.   I also sampled the Black Gold, a multi-award winning stout with a smooth sweetness and dry finish, which my father swears is the secret ingredient to the best ...

November 2020 Perched on the water's edge, looking out over the Cromarty Firth is a small shack serving coffee locally roasted by Vandyke Bros, as well edible treats made in the town - I highly recommend the Ginger Crunch - a gingery, fudgy, crunchy square of deliciousness.  Exceptional flat white and friendly service from owner Laura.  Sit out by the ferry slipway with the wind in your hair as you gaze out across Ross-shire.

November 2020 What could be more comforting than a handmade pie on a cold, drizzly, blustery day on the coast of the Highlands?  Fortunately, Lochinver Larder specialises in just that.  Perched on the edge of the loch with commanding views, it's famous for its delicious pies, homemade recipes and warm hospitality.  There's a huge choice of pie fillings, ensuring both carnivores and vegetarians get a pie banging with flavour.  From Highland venison cooked in a red wine gravy and topped with cranberry, to butternut squash and goats cheese, there are even sweet fruit pies - I won't judge if you opt for a 2 course pie dinner. Lochinver Larder are currently offering their pies by post for delivery across mainland UK, and they freeze well for up to 3 months, so why not stock up your freezer ready for your next pie craving?

November 2020 At Cocoa Mountain, hot chocolate isn't just a drink to warm up, it's almost an event in itself.  Liquid chocolate is combined into steamed milk, topped with froth and drizzled with copious amounts of melted milk and white chocolates.  It's a decadent treat, and one which I bet you can't save until you get down to the beach, despite your best intentions.  Cocoa Mountain also make their own chocolate bars, individual truffles and chocolate enrobed fruit, as well as small chocolate tarts if you fancy a snack.  You can even order a chaser of 3 handmade truffles with your hot chocolate.  Flavours range from classic Champagne to adventurous chilli and lemongrass, to fiery redbush, ginger and honey. Find Cocoa Mountain at the Balnakeil Craft Village, just outside of Durness.  Then head down to Balnakeil beach to walk off your treats along the vast white sand beach or through the dunes to Faraid Head, a rocky headland stretching 2 miles in to the Pent...

February 2021 When it comes to hot chocolate, the darker the better in my opinion, hence why my current favourite is the Mork 85% Even Darker hailing from Melbourne.  With 85% Peruvian cacao powder, combined with Venezuelan cacao liquor, it's advertised as for serious chocolate drinkers only, and I think I would have to agree! It's deliciously intense, a real pick me up for the gloomiest of days, so I was very excited when my new supply arrived on my door mat.  Inside was a recipe card for making salted caramel to whisk in to the hot chocolate - I had to try it!  Making the caramel was surprisingly easy, and I duly added it to the pan whilst heating the milk.  It added a whole new dimension - an even greater richness and a real depth of flavour that I couldn't have identified specifically as salted caramel in a blind tasting, but it really added to it - I didn't think it was possible to get any better.  Now I'm hooked, which is going to be dangerous! And the bes...

February 2021 Approaching Shrove Tuesday, I was discussing all things pancakes with a friend, and it got me thinking  - they're so quick, easy and tasty, why do I only make them on 'pancake day'?!  Around the same time, another friend sent me a recipe for some pancakes she had made.  I say recipe, more a sentence.  They sounded so good and genuinely nutritious that I had to make them for breakfast the very next day.  Simply half a banana, 1 tbsp of flax or chia seeds and 1 egg blended with a stick blender/ food processor/ Nutribullet, spooned in to 3 dollops in a hot pan and flipped when browned.  I did mine as thick dollops so that the inside stayed a little gooey, whilst the outside crisped up, but my friend had just as much success with thinner ones.  Then let your imagination run wild with topping options.  I went for Ippolito orange (my current obsession) and stem ginger, or be a bit naughty with caramel and sliced banana.  It felt like ...

February 2021 Bread is my weakness.  I could live without crisps, biscuits, sweets, maybe even chocolate, but not homemade bread.  Consequently, my kitchen experiments often involve trying out different types of bread. When it's a good one, focaccia is one of my favourites - I remember working as a waitress in an Italian restaurant in my teens and the best part of the shift was getting to eat any of the leftover focaccia, baked fresh each afternoon, at the end of the night.  But I was a little anxious as to how it would turn out since I've had plenty of too doughy/ salty/ oily focaccias over the years - it seems a difficult one to consistently perfect.  I'd also seen an Instagram post from a restaurant serving focaccia sandwiches, among which was an aubergine parmigiana filling.  I wanted it. But sadly lockdown prevented me from being able to go there to get one so I decided I had to make my own.  The focaccia itself was actually surprisingly quick and easy...

December 2020 There are plenty of cafes in Carmarthen but sometimes you want something a little bit different, a little bit less run of the mill, a little bit special.  Look no further than Karm'en Kafe.  On a chilly, winter morning, I was in need of some brunch.  Something warm and comforting but tasty and fresh too.  I stumbled across Karm'en Kafe and was greeted by the smell of freshly baking bread and an appealing display of homemade cakes, brownies and mince pies.  I was after something savoury so asked about the sandwiches and was told to come back in 30 minutes because the bread wasn't yet out of the oven.  That's my kind of place - bread so fresh it was still being baked!  After a short walk around the town centre I returned, ordered a Reuben, and was presented with a long bread, longer than my plate, with a deliciously crispy crust, loaded with cheese, pastrami and a mountain of sauerkraut.  Not your classic sandwich but seriously tasty....