Stop the (Gastronomic) World, Scotland Wants to Get On

Birch botanical vodka

The Roco Bros, renowned chefs and restaurateurs, once commented to Rupert, co-founder of Buck & Birch, that Scotland is the last undiscovered food larder in the world. Forager Rupert agrees, lamenting how we overlook the foodie treasures beneath our feet, under our noses, and in our hedgerows.

I was invited on a press visit by Buck & Birch, an award-winning wild Scottish spirits, liqueurs, and cocktail company run by the pioneering duo Tom Chisholm and Rupert Waites. The primary reason for the visit was to sap birch, a traditional practice carried out during a brief window in March when the sap rises.

Our journey began with a walk in Gifford Woods. Rupert paused to discuss the nutritional and culinary qualities of cow parsley, ground elder, and nettles before we continued to the birch trees. Buck & Birch maintain a symbiotic relationship with the community woodland managers; Rupert and Tom tap a sustainable number of trees and, in turn, help fund their upkeep.

Fresh birch sap

Upon reaching the first tree, Rupert likened its willowy grace to Raphael’s Madonna. Slender and white, the birch tree is a valuable part of our ecosystem; it grows quickly, absorbs carbon, and enriches the soil. To harvest the sap, you drill a hole, attach a tap, and collect the liquid in a bucket. The sap can be drunk neat or made into syrup, and it tastes fresh with a silky texture. Ian from Panda & Sons, an Edinburgh cocktail bar, described it as "Scottish coconut water".

Buck & Birch transform the sap into Birch wild botanical vodka, with 60% raw sap in each bottle contributing to the spirit’s smoothness. You can drink it neat, chilled, with tonic, or mixed into an excellent martini as we did with Rupert’s homemade primrose vermouth.

Tom serves venison with dandelion capers

Our picnic was extraordinary: mushroom soup made from ceps with puffball marshmallow, wild garlic pesto on bread garnished with wild leek caviar, venison slivers on twigs complemented by dandelion capers, and chocolate-covered jelly ear mushrooms with their delightful wobbly texture. An Old Fashioned was crafted from another of Buck & Birch’s creations, a liqueur called Ana, made from caramelized birch sap.

In a world where about 75% of our food comes from 12 crops, like rice, wheat, maize (corn), potatoes, and soybeans, a lack of biodiversity is being challenged by wild food innovators like Tom and Rupert. It is time to revisit Scotland's natural larder.