Barry Bryson is a well-kent and highly esteemed chef based in Edinburgh. He has collaborated with a number of top chefs including Nigel Slater and sponsored literary events featuring the late Anthony Bourdain and Raymond Blanc. He runs Cater Edinburgh and has done a number of fish focused pop-ups under the brand 'Barry Fish' over the past few years.
Barry’s next event is a collaboration with new restaurant, The Black Grape. The event on 24th April is sold out but an extra date has been added on Tuesday 25th April. We decided to grill Barry about his foodie likes and you can read his answers below.
If you fancy an exclusive evening of small plates, wine and good times with Barry on April 25th you can book here.
What would you order for your last meal? Depends if I am still able to chew :) so with that in mind steak tartar and plenty of chips What is your favourite restaurant and why? Would have to say currently that it’s Adrian Quetglas in Palma, the perfect mix of modern and traditional ideas and it’s never ‘samey’.
What is your favourite bar and why? The Three Mary’s in Leith for a Dirty Martini, Fox’s Bar in Leith for a Tennents (it’s our kitchen local, and you can take your own crisps) but the Passionfruit Negroni at The Black Grape scores highest though. Most memorable holiday meal and why? For sheer food theatre and the scope of cooking on display it would have to Cellar de Can Roca in Girona but crispy fried catfish on a wee wooden bench at a Thai market a few years ago comes a close second because it was nothing short of a perfect moment. Who would you most like to go out to dinner with and why? My mum, she taught me how to cook Who would you most like to go drinking with and why? The team who own Spitaki on East Claremont Street because I never stop laughing when I am with them and they can keep up. What foods do you most remember from your childhood? Mince and tatties, no question
What is your most memorable childhood meal? Being told I had to eat fish, ironic as now that’s my preferred diet
What is your ‘go-to’ quick supper? Two spoons of miso paste, one tin of coconut milk, lots chopped veg, some chillies, some chicken stock and some thick noodles - takes minutes, costs about three pounds and it’s always tasty. What is your top food hack? Peel ginger rubbing it with a tea spoon, less waste more flavour If you weren’t a chef, what would you be? I’d learn to be a fisherman failing that a dog walker Who is your food hero and why? Nigel slater, such a vast knowledge and skill but also someone who sets the tone brilliantly, I want my food heroes to follow the same high levels of work conduct as they do their practice
What is your favourite Edinburgh restaurant and/or bar and why? I love Ondine, it’s inspiring but always delicious and I love Spitaki for feeding me the best food on an embarrassingly regular basis What is your comfort food? Robin my husband makes the best beef mince chilli in industrial quantities and I enjoy seeing that a challenge to complete