Cromlix emerges from a bold transformation with two new restaurants, a sharpened culinary vision and its sights firmly set on a Michelin Star. As chef James Mearing and head gardener Kathy Beckett work in tandem to coax exceptional produce from a heat‑struck garden, the hotel owned by Andy and Kim Murray enters a new era of ambition, sustainability and quietly confident excellence. On just about the hottest day of the year so far, I revisit Cromlix hotel owned by Andy and Kim

Whilst influencers and travel writers jet off to far‑flung corners of the globe, at Bite we’re more than content exploring Scotland’s endless pretty pockets. We can be quietly smug knowing our country has it all — landscape, history, a natural larder that spoils us, and weather that may deliver four seasons in a day but remains, somehow, reliably temperate. And so Mr Bite and I set off for our latest staycation in Helensburgh. Famous for its outlook over the Clyde, for Hill H

According to the Scotch Whisky Association, there are over 150 malt and grain distilleries in Scotland. Their website maps them, providing an impressive visual representation of these precious havens for Scotland’s most famous drink. Ian Buxton, a man who knows a thing or two about the industry, with more than 40 years of experience under his belt, is perhaps best known for his ‘100 Whiskies to Try Before You Die’ book. Whiskies Galore, first published in 2017 and updated and

The Old Chain Pier, one of Edinburgh’s most iconic pubs, is celebrating a historic milestone following the implementation of the new Scottish Pubs Code. The landmark legislation, which gives pub owners the right to request a rent-only agreement without being tied to a pub-owning business for stock supply, has empowered the venue to break free from restrictive purchasing obligations. This newfound independence means the historic pub can stock a wider, more exciting range of b

“I love food!” A familiar refrain that so often means nothing. If loving food means ogling a cheese‑draped burger on Instagram or inhaling a spice bag, then that’s just entertainment — no different from football or theatre. But, of course, the best football and the best theatre aren’t merely entertainment; they’re about experience, identity and meaning. Consider the Tartan Army during the 2026 World Cup: their pageantry and humour expressed Scottishness more vividly than any

David Bicket (centre) delights in his success with (left) father David and (right) Grandpa Alex. Talented young Kilwinning butcher David Bicket has secured a nationwide industry title for Scotland in this year’s “Battle of the Butchers”. The 20-year-old took on some of the country’s leading aspiring butchers to lift the Dalziel Ltd Centenary Show’s apprentice category at Harrogate Yorkshire Showground. As the only Scot, David went head-to-head with 10 top level apprentice but

What began as pop‑up dinners exploring the flavours of the Portuguese spice routes has become Macau Kitchen, the UK’s only Macanese restaurant. For Kei de Freitas and Hoeyyn Ngu, each dish is a link in a long Luso‑Asian story — a diaspora cuisine they are still uncovering. Kei de Freitas and his wife, Hoeyyn Ngu never wanted to run a restaurant. Now they have one of Edinburgh’s most happening eateries but their story began long before Macau Kitchen opened its doors. The coupl

Ondine Oyster & Grill at Seaton House in St Andrews opened in March 2025 under the patronage of Roy Brett, following the closure of his long‑standing seafood restaurant, Ondine, on George IV Bridge, where it had operated since 2009. Brett chose to vacate the original site after years of surrounding building works and scaffolding with no confirmed end date. He said he could no longer offer guests the standard of experience he wanted under those conditions. His move to the East

The first question I have on being invited to sample the menu at Anderson’s, Glasgow’s newest pub, before it opens next month is: is it a gastropub? After all, the head chef Inesa Dirginciute was previously head chef at London’s Michelin-starred Angler seafood restaurant (she also worked at Le Pain Quotidien), and being invited to try her menu might suggest she’s given it a lot of thought - a departure, I suspect - from the usual pie, chips, beans and a pint. Turns out the an