‘Bad Girl’ serves up good news as bakery reopens

BAD Girl Bakery in Muir of Ord has turned its café into a shop – and is even giving away some of its baking secrets. The bakery, which opened in 2017, is selling the ingredients for some of its signature dishes, so customers can try their hand at baking at home. Baking equipment is also…

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Spot the smaller things in nature this summer

Travel writer Phoebe Smith and binocular maker Swarovski offer tips to help countryside explorers slow down this summer and notice the little things in nature. 1. Look for nature’s clues Sometimes, when we take a walk, we can get so fixated on where we are headed to that we forget to take the time to…

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Mimi’s puts the ‘tea’ in Edinburgh Gin’s ‘G&T’

TWO of Edinburgh’s best-known food and drink brands have teamed up to offer a “G&T” with a difference. For four weekends, Mimi’s Bakehouse and Edinburgh Gin are selling an “Afternoon G&Tea” package to customers in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Each set contains six mini traybakes, two mini elderflower cupcakes and two freshly-baked plain scones with Rodda’s…

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Lorne sausage crisps go global

SCOTLAND’S humble square sausage is poised to gain new fans around the world after a deal was signed to sell Lorne-flavoured crisps over the internet. Mackie’s immortalised the Lorne sausage in a limited-edition crisp flavour that went on sale in Scotmid’s shops earlier this month. Now, a fresh deal with online retailer British Corner Shop…

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Gorgie City Farm prepares to reopen

A SMALL farm near Edinburgh’s city centre is preparing to reopen next Monday after closing during the coronavirus lockdown. Gorgie City Farm will be open every day from 9.30am to 4.30pm to give visitors the chance to see alpacas, cows, goats, pigs and sheep. A one-way system has been introduced and an open picnic area…

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Ewing: Kids ‘don’t know chips come from potatoes’

THE Scottish Government’s rural economy secretary has praised farmers for keeping the nation fed during lockdown – but has expressed his fear that children don’t know that chips come from potatoes. Fergus Ewing, who represents Inverness and Nairn in the Scottish Parliament, made the comments to Alan Laidlaw, chief executive of the Royal Highland &…

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Pinot punch-up: New Zealand v Oregon

Who will come out on top in a comparative tasting between Oregon and New Zealand? Peter Ranscombe grabs his whistle to act as referee. ONE grape unites most if not all wine lovers – pinot noir. Its spiritual homeland is Burgundy in France, yet winemakers around the world use the variety to test their mettle, from…

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Whisky barrel-aged beers turned into cocktails

BARTENDER Dillon Barrie has created eight cocktails using four of The Clan Brewing Co’s craft beers that have been aged in single malt whisky casks. Barrie, who set up cocktail events and hospitality consultancy firm Raise The Bar Glasgow in 2018, has posted his recipes for the cocktails on his social media channels and those…

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Gleneagles unveils plans to reopen

ONE of Scotland’s most famous hotels will fling open its doors once more on 15 July. The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire is introducing a flexible booking policy that will allow guests to rearrange their stay at short notice while the coronavirus pandemic continues. Gleneagles, which opened as a railway hotel in 1924, said it had…

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A red refresher course with Lidl

An evening of red wine tasting gave Peter Ranscombe an appetite for exploring more of the discounter’s core range. LIDL’S “Wine Tour” promotions are an addictive wee gimmick – every eight weeks or so, the supermarket chain releases a couple of dozen wines in limited quantities – so when they’re gone, they’re gone. The set that…

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