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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Six of the best wines for takeaways

All Peter Ranscombe‘s beige dreams came true when he paired wines with takeaways*. SOMETHING really special happens when the right wine is matched to the right food – the two components harmonise and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. As we’ve seen again and again with the Wine to Dine column…

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Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa breathe fresh ‘Liv’ into rum

A new range of Scottish spirits offers no rum deal as far as Peter Ranscombe is concerned. PAUL Rutasikwa may have just restored my faith in liqueurs. While most of our so-called “gin liqueurs” in Scotland fall flat on their faces because the other flavours mask the juniper – the taste of which is the…

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Rum distillery prepares to release summer liqueurs

PAUL and Jacine Rutasikwa, the husband-and-wife team behind Matugga Distillers in Livingston, are getting ready to launch a pair of rum liqueurs. Their honey and lavender and raspberry and hibiscus flavours will go on sale next month. They’ll join the navy strength, pot distilled and black spiced rums in the company’s Liv range, which was…

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City businesses create ‘We miss you, Glasgow’ video

GLASGOW’s hospitality businesses have created an online video to tell their customers “We miss you”. Famous faces from restaurants including The Gannet, Gamba and El Perro Negro took part in the recording, along with venues such as Fore Play Crazy Golf, Clydeside Distillery and Mackintosh At The Willow. Peter McKenna, owner of The Gannet, said: “What…

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Highland food producers gather for online discussion

A SECOND online panel discussion organised by the newly-launched Highland Food & Drink Club (HFDC) is due to take place on Thursday at 2pm on Zoom. John Murray, who launched the HFDC in April, said this week’s session for Highland food producers will include a look at new markets, shopping trends and recovery planning. This…

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Seafood restaurant nets covid bank loan

ONDINE, one of Edinburgh’s best-known seafood restaurants, has landed a £50,000 bounce back loan from the UK Government. The loans, which were unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on 27 April, are designed to help businesses to recover from the coronavirus lockdowns. The 80-seat restaurant has continued to serve local customers through its “Ondine At Home”…

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Podcast serves food and farming home school ideas

WHILE teachers may be starting to prepare their classrooms this month for the anticipated return of pupils in August, one podcast is giving parents some food- and farming-related home schooling ideas. Rural podcast “OnFARM” has teamed up with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) to produce the advice for parents and teachers. The latest episode…

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Morningside’s holy corner gets foodie makeover

HOLY corner in Edinburgh’s Morningside district has been transformed into a marketplace for foodies thanks to one of the area’s newest arrivals. Food and drink venue McLarens on the Corner opened in a former bank just weeks before the lockdown began. Now, the site has teamed up with its siblings from pub chain Signature Group…

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