Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Restaurants get 100,000 free glasses of wine to tempt customers back
As the UK Government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme ends, wine importer Hallgarten is giving restaurants and bars a helping hand – and Peter Ranscombe picks some exciting bottles from its warehouse. MANY restaurant owners have hailed the “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme as a massive success, bringing customers out for early week…
Read MoreLocation influences how drones affect birds
DRONES are scaring ducks, geese and other wintering waterbirds, according to new research. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Scotland studied how drones affected waterbirds feeding in coastal, freshwater and arable farm habitats. Its scientists found larger flocks were more likely to take flight than smaller flocks, and large flocks also took flight at a…
Read MoreWhat makes Aldi’s new Scottish gin so special?
As the Old Curiosity Distillery prepares to restart its tours, Peter Ranscombe hears the story behind the gin it’s created for Aldi. GOOD things come to those who wait – or so the old saying goes. For Hamish Martin, that adage was certainly true. He took over a derelict site just south of Edinburgh in…
Read MoreScotland launches ‘Gumtree for artists’
A SERVICE to help artists and craft makers share leftover materials, swap skills and share transport has been launched. The Circular Arts Network (CAN) has been organised by Glasgow’s Sculpture Placement Group (SPG). The platform allows artists to swap everything from leftover paint to plinths. Kate Robertson, co-director of SPG, said: “Artists and the arts…
Read MoreScottish Food & Drink Fortnight sees new suppliers at Lidl
GERMAN discount supermarket chain Lidl is launching its largest Scottish promotion to mark Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, which begins on Saturday. Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company and Podberry pea snacks are among the new producers gracing the grocer’s shelves. Familiar brands including Mackie’s, Simon Howie, Tunnock’s and Nairns also feature in the promotion. Products…
Read MoreScottish sea eagle soars over Isle of Wight
A SCOTTISH white-tailed eagle has been relocated to the Isle of Wight as part of a reintroduction project. The young bird was collected by Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS), under a licence from Scottish Natural Heritage. It is one of seven birds being reintroduced to the South of England by Forestry England and the Roy…
Read MoreScope fundraisers reach summit of Ben Nevis
A BOY with cerebral palsy has climbed Ben Nevis to raise money for disability equality charity Scope and his local hospital. Caeden Thomson, 7, from Corby in Northamptonshire, reached the summit of the UK’s highest mountain with his mum, dad, sister and brother. Caeden said: “My body hurts a lot, but I’m ok. It was…
Read MoreYou’re history: the stories behind famous wines
Peter Ranscombe travels back in time to explore some of the history of grape growing and winemaking. PART of the attraction of wine is its blend of components – it’s part geography, part sociology and part history. Diana Thompson’s latest Wine Events Scotland online tastings have focused on the third leg of that triumvirate. Thompson…
Read MoreA week in whisky: ‘I’ll have a pea, please, Bob’
THOSE enterprising souls at whisky distiller Arbikie have followed-up their carbon-negative Nàdar gin with its vodka twin. Both Nàdar spirits absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than is emitted over the course of the production process. The alcohol inside them is made by distilling peas instead of wheat. Master distiller Kirsty Black developed the…
Read MoreDirectory supports rural and island businesses
SHOPPERS can now support even more rural and island businesses following the launch of the Rural Enterprise Directory Scotland (REDS). Joe Sykes, founder of Perthshire-based Joelato Gelato, is one of the businesses that has signed up to be listed in the directory. He said: “Scotland’s rural businesses have faced incredible pressures over the past few…
Read More