Food Drink
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‘Super'marke
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to.
Is the backlash against mass-produced fruit and veg really taking off?
With the movement against mega-market developments growing, Donald Reid reports on an antidote and evidence of a resurgence in ‘real food’.
t‘x \ummer time. and the eating is eax}; liVen the most
hrain—mimhed \upermarket \hopper can‘t help notice
that there are a ten more truit and Vegetahles (iR()\\'.\' l.\' H lli l'l\' on the \hehex than normal. It‘.\ the season ol' llloxc hand-painted road—\ide \ignx suggestng we pick our o\\ n lcomrnonl} \trau'hx and raxps. hut )trtr ne\'er know).
the \ummer\ health) \chedule ol‘ l‘armerx‘ market\ and the resurgence ot their collxlltx the larm shop or larm stall are no\\ lirml} on the radar ot' most l'ood lo\er\ prepared to go just a little hit turther to \ource reliahl) \ourced. locall_\' groxx n or reared produce.
In the ltlsl cotrple ol‘ months. the northern New ’l'oun and Stockhridge dixtrictx in lidinhurgh ha\e seen the opening UI- t\\o shops selling lllll‘} organic produce. .»\t the mute time. there\ heen a determined and \ocal campaign h_\ the residentx ol l’ortohello againxt a pt'opo\c‘tl \upermarkct. \xhich threaten\ to stomp on the remaining independent t'ood \hop\ on their High Street. Recentl}. lidinhurgh (‘ouncil'x planning committee indicated that it “as minded to rel-axe the de\eloper'.\ application. hut the l’ortohello campaignerx are \\ ell anare that the \\ar I\ )et to he “on.
llo\\e\er. hig doesn't aluay mean had. l)ohhie_\. the t'olk \\ho run garden centres at \‘arioux locationx around Scotland. ha\e recentl} introduced a Farm l-‘ood Hall at their operation in l.a.\.\\\ade. jtlxl south ot‘ the lidinhurgh cit} h} paxx near Dalkeith. 'l‘hey‘xe done something similar outside :\_\r. .-\ccording to chiet~ executix'e .lames Barnes. the food ltttllx are a logical extension to their horticultural huxinexxz ‘t‘rom apple trees to l‘resh apples. there are oh\ lUllx connectionx t’or u\ and our c‘llsltllttc‘l‘s hetueen the
FOR US
‘THERE ARE OBVIOUS CONNECTIONS
AND OUR CUSTOMERS BETWEEN
THE FIELD AND THE KITCHEN'
lield and the kitchen.‘ So. near the \ummer hedding plant\ and lawnmoxx'erx is an aura) ol' top qualit) tood. much ol' it lrom small and \pc‘clitli\l Scottixh \upplierx.
'l‘u‘o thingx \tand out: the llllpl'L‘\\l\ e \cale ol. the concept and the pro\'enance ol‘ the produce. .v\t 4lll ll) square ted. the l.a.\\\\'ade unit is a \uper-xi/ed \hop conceix ed on the \cale ol‘ the upmarket tood hal|\ _\ou‘ll lind in cit} centre. But llllx place ix lesx ahout troph_\ lood shopping and a lot more ahout the nut\ and holtx ol~ hu_\ing good lood l‘or tl;I}—ttr—tl;r} eating. 'l‘herc'x organic milk and hread. a colourl‘ul hank ol‘ hurt and \cgetahlcx. Ltl'li\;tlt chcexex and trexh hormone— and chemical-tree meat ax well a\ the lanc} hixcuitx. root \cgetahle crixpx and tine \\ inex.
Rc‘lll'c‘Slllllfill}. lltc‘l'c‘ are no 'l)ohhlc\. hrand lahcl\ ot‘ l‘angc\ oi gootlx. 'lihc people \\ ho gum or make the produce l‘L‘L‘L‘hL‘ the credit. ll tlttc‘xlld take long [H realixe that l)ohhie\ hax town] more lltt[tt‘c‘\\l\ e \upplierx: pl'c‘\c‘l‘\c\ lrom l)ing\\all\ (iilliex liinc l-'ood\. \moked ltslt trom the lmeraue Srnokeltouxe. ostrich trom Ke/ie near l)un\. kipperx trom l.och I“) ne. loa\e\ l‘rom the 'l'ruxt} ('ruxt Baker} in liaxt l.othian. and hacon l'rom Ramxa) ol~ ('arluke to name a ten. ll' _\ou‘re alter \omeu here to pick _\our on n thix ixn't a had place to \tart.
Dobbies Farm Food Halls: Melville Nursery, Lasswade, Midlothian, 0131 663 6778; Oldtoll, Holmston, Ayr, 01292 294750; Edinburgh Organics, 10 Deanhaugh Street, 0131 315 2580; Zonker Organics, 66 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh, 0131 558 1136. For more on the Portobello Campaign Against the Superstore, see www.pcats.org.uk.
“I”
News to nibble on . . .
I THE GOURMET GLASGOW food festival continues until the end of August. With just about 50 restaurants across the city participating, there is quite a diversity in special offers. For example, the recently relaunched Ad Lib on Hope Street near Central Station (0141 248 6645) has a burger and bottle of Stella (or cocktail of the week) for £5.50, available daily between 5pm and 9pm. At Gamba (0141 572 0899), there’s a lunchtime special menu with a glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne at £20 for two courses or £23 for three courses. It is served from noon to 2.30pm. At Mister Singh’s Indian restaurant on Elderslie Street (0141 204 0186), a gourmet Punjabi menu is being offered from Sunday to Thursday: four courses for under £16. For full details on participating restaurants and special offers, log on to www. gourmetglasgow.com.
I THERE HAVE Bl» LN SOlvll' new openrngs rn [Edinburgh We lrke the look of Urlran Angel, tradrng where the famous targh Cate once set out rts s all and whrch was; more recently Jumper 4.. 'r 2‘. Hanover Street. 0181 92):“) 6215‘). Urban Angel speoalrses rn the use of larrtrade goods on a menu that ranges from tapas, to daily specrals; plus there are Organrc wrnes and some lovely handmade chocolates; from Krrkcudhrrght. Of course rn the “Weston Lrnk'. the Gallery Restaurant has; opened, wrth some rather sleek rnterrors lookrng onto East Prunes Street Gardens and cookrng from a former chef at the Tower. On the Grassmarket. the Lot rs a new bar brstro that has applred for a lrcence to otter lrve lllUSIC. too. Acro s town next to Haymarket statron. Opera Cate rs lrcensed and sewing food from 7am ontrl late.
Gourmet I?
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