Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Do wine glass shapes affect taste?
Peter Ranscombe sticks his snout into various shapes of glasses to see if they affect the smell and the taste of popular wines. IT’S the second-most common question I get asked – right after “How do you keep you hair so soft and bouncy?” “Does the shape of the glass affect the taste of the…
Read MoreFundraising to mark poppy’s 100th year
A YEAR-LONG fundraising initiative is being launched ahead of the 100th anniversary of the poppy’s launch. Poppyscotland will mark the centenary of the symbol in November 2021. The initiative challenges people to raise funds for Poppyscotland over 12 months, from today until 2021, in any way they choose. The first cloth poppies went on sale…
Read MoreTimothy Oulton opens in Glasgow
FURNITURE and interiors company Timothy Oulton has chosen Glasgow’s Princes Square as the location for its first Scottish store. The branch, which opened over the weekend, stretches to 1,300 square feet on the shopping centre’s first floor. Hailing from Manchester, founder Tim Oulton began working in his dad’s antiques shop, before taking over the business…
Read MoreDrinks lab hits milestone
THE Start-Up Drinks Lab in Port Glasgow has hit a landmark after its turnover reached £1 million. The lab was set up in 2017 to help small businesses to develop drinks. Since then it’s helped to launch 95 drinks and produced more two million bottles. Big companies like BrewDog and Diageo, Scotland’s largest whisky maker,…
Read MoreLocal landmarks inspire Kingsbarns’ whisky names
KINGSBARNS, the family-owned distillery in Fife, has today unveiled its latest whisky – Balcomie. Matured in American oak butts that previously held oloroso sherry, the whisky is named after the nearby Balcomie Castle. William Wemyss, founder and managing director of the distillery, said: “Place and heritage is hugely important to us as a company and…
Read MoreKids told to play with their food
TATTIE supplier Scotty Brand is launching a mash potato art competition – and has created some spud-tacular examples. Scottish sculptor Natasha Phoenix has sculptured Prime Minister Boris Johnson and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon from mashed potato. Her nine-year-old twin girls, Hope and Talia Phoenix-Hill, also created tattie versions of Minnie the Minx from the Beano…
Read MoreScotland’s first ‘vertical distillery’ takes shape
CONSTRUCTION has begun at Scotland’s first “vertical distillery”. Foundations have been laid for the £12 million Port of Leith distillery. The site sits next door to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre and the Royal Yacht Britannia. The 40-metre tall tower will include a double-height whisky bar at its summit. The project is the brainchild of…
Read MorePollution from pandemic on Scottish beaches
FACE masks and gloves were found on almost a quarter of Scotland’s beaches during recent litter picks. More than two thirds of inland litter picks found personal protective equipment (PPE), according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). The charity said 400 volunteers headed to nearly 100 Scottish beaches to clear and survey litter during the…
Read MoreDrinks maker grasps the nettle to extend range
A DRINKS business that was launched during lockdown has teamed up with Scotland’s Rural College to turn nettles into a “healthy shot”. Hugo Morrissey, founder of Edinburgh-based Nuisance Drinks, released a sparkling nettle pressé earlier this year. Now, he’s working with development chef Mark Barker in the college’s SAC Consulting test kitchen to extend his…
Read MoreScots folk band releases US book shop tour album
A FOLK band that takes its inspiration from book shops has released its latest album. The Bookshop Band’s Live in American Bookshops long-player has been released as a limited edition vinyl record. Folk duo Beth Porter and Ben Please are from Wigtown, Scotland’s national book town. They have forged their reputation by creating songs inspired…
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