It’s been a month since my visit but the glow remains in my heart. Opening the tiny Leith restaurant, previously the much-loved Aurora, would always be a tough proposition. However, Dùthchas has exceeded expectations. The name is Gaelic for the relationship between people, animals, land and the sea, so it’s unsurprising that the provenance of ingredients is centre-stage.  Their specialty is an exquisite tasting menu, £95 per person for the full six-course menu or £55 for the wee three-course menu. Wine pairing is also available at £55 per person or £95 for Premium. There is a good selection of alcohol-free options too, including a very nice alcohol-free white wine from Alsace. We are one of only two tables (they have around eight) on a Saturday evening when we visit. We are pleased to have the full attention of co-owner Alexander McDonald - he runs the restaurant with executive chef Paul Gunning (Paul owns Stockbridge restaurant Purslane, where they met when Alex was running Front of House). Their new joint venture is a personal passion, every detail is lovingly thought out. Our six courses savoured over four hours – the longest I’ve ever spent on a meal, but the pacing is perfect.  We start with four canapes, all served separately with a beautiful presentation – each canape a flavour explosion that prepares us for what is to come. The care and attention to detail of each course is impressive. I’m normally an ‘eat and run’ gal, but I am mesmerized by the menu. There’s a sample menu on the website, with the common theme of showcasing the very best of Scottish produce, prepared in a traditional French style. My favourite course follows the homemade focaccia bread with olive and sun-dried tomato butter; super soft scallops paired with fresh broad beans and salty samphire adorned with black squid ink netting.  We check out the newly revamped kitchen and listen to Alex’s plans. Highly recommended for your next occasion meal. Am I gushing? Absolutely. And so were my guests. This is a place that locals can embrace for special times. Give them a Michelin star, pronto.  Dùthchas - 187 Great Junction Street, Leith, EH6 5LQ - 0131 287 2600 Opening times: Friday – Sunday 12 pm – 3 pm; Wednesday – Sunday 6.30 pm – 11 pm All pictures credited to Denise Lithgow

Congratulations to The Radhuni , now officially a hidden gem of Scotland (Scran Awards 2024). Hidden away, in the hard-to-find heart of hidden gem Loanhead. Maybe not hard, maybe just overlooked.     Once a mining village, now a shopping suburb on the edge of Edinburgh, more famous for its retail park than its industrial heritage. The high street may have seen more prosperous days. Maybe the best is yet to come.     How hidden? Not exactly very, but certainly on the bus route. The number 37 takes you through the town, passing the monuments to the miners who died bringing prosperity to the community, and on past Bilston Glen Viaduct (the best bridge you’ve never seen), calling at the home of Dolly, the world-famous science-faction sheep, and on to Roslin, literally the climatic location of the Da Vinci Code.     You’ve missed it. Opposite the stop at the bottom of Clerk Street. The Loanhead Clerk Street - don’t get off at the Edinburgh one. There it is. Sprouting like wild celery, cheering up the unassuming street scene, is the place the judges were thinking of when they dreamt up the award.     Nestled behind a tiny entrance is a tardis of a revelation. This is The Radhuni, the award-winning Indian - Bangladeshi fusion of flavours and cuisines, with a hint of British sweetness, that everyone is talking about and no one has found. Until now.     From all across the galaxy they have come. Well, most of central Scotland. It’s worth the trip. No hurry. Slow-cooked to perfection, the blend of flavours and tender meats makes this an experience worth waiting for. Order well in advance. Manager Lewis and maitre’d Romy make a virtue out of unhurried cooking and eloquent entertaining.   Edinburgh’s city centre trials and tribulations are well documented. If ever there was a time to venture out of town, this is it. Loanhead’s mile-long main street used to boast an array of shops that would do well in a place ten times its size. What it needs is a destination experience, and this is it - complete without any parking restrictions. Don’t fret if other diners beat you to the door, the old station car park is only a few minutes away, and it’s free. Check out the pit-pony monument while you walk back. Your reviewer may have been the model for the pony boy minor miner - one is a native of Loanhead, after all.    If fortune favours, you’ll enjoy the flavours in the garden at the rear - and if not, the patio heaters will be on, to give that summer heat feeling that Loanhead is so famously not for. A 120 covers behind a doorway hardly wide enough to qualify for a cupboard, The Radhuni tardis of a restaurant is bigger on the inside. Much bigger. The garden is practically out in Bilston Glen. Locals will get the joke, you’ll just get the witty banter from Lewis and Romy, and the fruits of the kitchen labours.    If you’re looking for the food delivered to your door opportunity to parley with the helmeted riders, you better think again. Think Hidden. Think Gem. Think Radhuni. Think the alcohol-free Cobra Beer tastes just like the real thing - but there’s always the 37 bus.    The Radhuni - 93 Clerk Street, Loanhead, EH20 9RE - 0131 440 3655  ww.theradhuni.co.uk     Bangladeshi-Indian sprinkled with British flavour - well fed for under £25 a head.

"No microphone, no spotlight, no judgment”    On 24 July, Downstairs at Betty’s will debut in Edinburgh’s West End. The five-star, sing-along piano & cocktail bar is being transported by its founder, Matt Colagiuri,  from its original home in Lisbon to 15 Charlotte Lane making it the first New York-style bar of its kind. Musical theatre actor and fine artist Matt adapted the concept when he moved to Lisbon in the late 2010s. Missing the camaraderie and community of the Broadway piano-style bars he loved inspired him to open his own in the Portuguese capital. Named after his adored, whimsical grandmother Betty, who gathered the family around the piano for holiday sing-alongs in her downstairs den, the bar quickly became a five-star attraction on Tripadvisor. With a motto of “no microphone, no spotlight, no judgment” Downstairs at Betty’s is a place where people can come together to connect and sing to their hearts’ content and where the pianist plays requests. Fast forward to 2024 and Matt, motivated by the music-loving Scots who visited the bar, decided to uproot the concept to Edinburgh where he has teamed up with leading bartender, Stefan Creran who has headed up some of the city’s best cocktail bars including Nightcap and Lucky Liquor, where he was tasked with running the venues, continuing to develop their creative reputation and pushing the boundaries within the industry. The bar, largely designed by Matt, will exude a retro mid-century aesthetic with a playful turquoise colour palette;  inspired by similar bars in the Big Apple Matt visited during his theatre career. The focal point of the piano will be at one end of the lounge with seating and booths stretching to the far end,  enabling guests to choose how involved they want to be in the sing-alongs. Matt’s vision is to bring people together through a love of music and proper cocktails, so importance has been placed on bar seating and a “bartop” designed around the piano to ensure conviviality and connection between customers, musicians and staff. Extending this cooperative spirit, the bar will curate a community arts noticeboard for guests and arts lovers to share news and opportunities. Stefan’s drinks list shares the top billing with the music, ensuring that the quality of the drinks reflects Edinburgh’s status as home to some of the best cocktail bars in the country. Stefan has a special interest in crafting drinks based on sustainable and ethical foundations, ensuring minimal waste and harm to the planet while creating beautiful, modern cocktails. His drink style is minimalist and clean, favouring complexity of flavour over presentation, adapting a less is more aesthetic attitude. Original creations on the opening menu include FLORA - Boatyard gin, Fair chipotle, Liqueur de Grandmont, lychee; EL CAPITÁN - NY Distilling Ragtime Rye, Aba pisco, Lucky Liquor Smoky Cherry, Cocchi Torino, black walnut; METEORA SUNRISE - East London Gin, Port of Leith White Port, raspberry, olive; NAKED, FAMOUS & REGRETFUL - Vegan-butter washed Pensador mezcal, Aperol, Liqueur de Grandmont, super lime. In addition to Stefan’s mixes, there is a wide selection of classic cocktails, wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks. A small snack menu will be available featuring local cheese from Ian Mellis and charcuterie.  Downstairs at Betty’s will be open Wednesday – Sunday, 5 pm – 1 am, with a pianist performing 6.30 midnight over two shifts. For table reservations call +44 (0) 7946 424 489 or email enquiries@downstairsatbettys.com . @bettys.edinburgh

It’s 2021. A period of lockdowns but also, for some, of entrepreneurship – including self-taught bakers Rebecca Paterson and Jordan Rankin. Their then side-hustle Chulo's : making stuffed cookies from their Glasgow home. What started as a passion project for friends and family turned into a shop in Finnieston, their own bakery and a presence at as many markets as they could manage, followed by a store in Stockbridge – and, more recently, their first venture over the border “for events in Newcastle and Manchester, where the response has also been really positive,” says Jordan. Even more recently, they now have a second pop-up at Bonnie & Wild  (more below).  So what exactly are stuffed cookies? They’re literally what they say on the biscuit box. A Chulo could be milk chocolate cookie dough stuffed with, say, Milky Way and Kinder spread. Or banana dough stuffed with banana bread and Biscoff spread. Basically, all sorts of chocolate can be baked into cookie dough – “it takes us a long time to make sure that we have it right, but when we finally get a combination we’ve been working on for months perfected it’s just the best feeling,” Rebecca told The Herald . Our current personal favourite includes red velvet cookie dough (but this could change at a whim). And what’s the deal with Bonnie & Wild? After a successful stint at the St James Quarter  food market in February – “we’ve been looking forward to coming back ever since,” says Jordan – the Chulo’s owners decided to extend their second pop-up to a 10-week residency over the summer holidays (which started on 28 June). This feels like a natural location for the brand: Bonnie & Wild already features restaurants and producers such as East Pizza, Cairngorm Coffee and Soup and Caboodle. Adding Chulo’s for dessert after lunch or dinner and a drink at one of the tables scattered round the marketplace is a logical touch.And that’s where you’ll find us, chilling at a table near the Chulo’s pop-up, an almost-finished red velvet stuffed cookie about to be devoured.  Chulo’s Glasgow:  936 Argyle Street, Finnieston G3 8YJ Edinburgh: 22 Raeburn Place, Stockbridge EH4 1HN Opening times: Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm (both stores) Website: chulos.co.uk Bonnie & Wild Level four, St James Quarter, 415 to 417 St James Crescent, Edinburgh EH1 3AE Opening times: Open daily from 9 am Website: bonnieandwildmarket.com

City-centre speakeasy, Jackson the Tailor, is the only bar in Scotland to be recognised by the British Institute of Interior Designers for the 2024 awards. Nestled near the top of Princes Street, Jackson The Tailor has been shortlisted in the BIID Interior Design Awards 2024. The venue’s striking interior was brought to life by Collective Design, aiming to blend ‘sophistication with modernity’. Merchant Leisure-owned Jackson the Tailor is located on the capital’s Leith Street and inspired by the speakeasy culture of the early 20th century when Old Leith Street was the centre of Edinburgh's tailoring industry. Based around a fictional character, Jackson, a tailor who would fit Edinburgh’s sharpest dressers - the venue's ambience aims to bring his persona to life. Cocktail fans can expect to be immersed in brass and velvet, in a bar featuring intimate booths and luxurious vintage artefacts. Top Edinburgh mixologists have meticulously created each drink on the cocktail menu. Each page is embroidered with a measuring tape to highlight precise spirit measurements, ingredients and garnishes that comprise your drinks. Era-inspired cocktails are divided into sections; ‘Neither Shaken Nor Stirred’ includes refreshingly inventive serves such as the ‘Moroccan Collins’ and ‘Spritz Royale’, with the ‘Make Mine A Martini' section home to the ‘Jackson’s Vesper’. The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is the only professional institute for interior designers in the UK. Committing to advancing professionalism, integrity and excellence in interior design, the institute celebrates the most innovative and aesthetically pleasing interior designs in the country. Arthur Mustard, Managing Director at Merchant Leisure Ltd, said: “To be recognised for such a prestigious award is an absolute honour. Our aim with Jackson the Tailor is to create a suave and comfortable space to enjoy carefully crafted cocktails. We believe that wearing a beautifully made suit is an experience, and so is consuming a beautifully made drink. And that is what inspired the attention to detail for our striking interior.” Merchant Leisure also owns bars & restaurants across the city including The Newsroom, The Piper’s Rest, Burgers & Beers Grillhouse and The Railbridge. Jackson the Tailor captures the understated ambience of an underground speakeasy, with a mouth-watering cocktail menu 5-11 Leith St, Edinburgh EH1 3AT.

FOODIES FESTIVAL – the UK’s biggest touring celebrity food and music festival series – is gearing up for a spectacular return to Edinburgh. Buy tickets for Friday Foodies Festival returns to Inverleith Park, Edinburgh, from 2nd - 4th August, with brand new features and a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music stars, including Blue, Peter Andre and the exhilarating Symphonic Ibiza Orchestra with live vocals and DJ. Known as Gastro-Glastonbury, the three-day event will feature live cooking demonstrations from TV celebrities and chefs drawn from the ranks of MasterChef, Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu. Star names on the menu in the live cooking theatres include: Great British Bake Off 2023 winner, Matty Edgell, National Chef of Scotland and MasterChef: The Professionals champion Gary Maclean, chef-patron from Creel Caught in Edinburgh, MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, Dean Banks, from 3 AA Rosette and Michelin recommended The Pompadour in Edinburgh, Haar in St Andrews and Dulse, MasterChef finalist, Jilly McCord, MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, Sagar Massey, and celebrity ITV This Morning and STV chef, and star of Great British Menu, Jimmy Lee, from Hong Kong Steet food brand Salt and Chilli Oriental. Buy tickets for Saturday Singer and TV personality, Peter Andre, also joins the line-up before performing on the music stage, creating some of his favourite dishes alongside celebrity chefs. Showcasing the best of Scotland, a prodigious menu of highly acclaimed Michelin and multi-award-winning chefs will also appear. Matty Edgell, said: "I’m so excited to be joining the Foodies Festival tour this year. I’m a proper foodies, so buzzing to be able to attend, let alone bake in the live theatre! I’ll be whipping up delicious sweet treats and sharing some recipes that the audience can try at home” Jimmy Lee, said: “I’m looking forward to returning to the Foodies Festival Chefs Theatre, it’s the best crowd ever! I’ll be rustling up some quick and easy Chinese recipes. It’s a great day out with family and friends, and I look forward to meeting everyone” Duncan James from Blue, said: “We’re all looking forward to joining the Foodies Festival tour again this year. The crowd is always buzzing and up for a great day and night out! A definite highlight is the lovely food from around the world. We’ve enjoyed some amazing dishes on previous visits and can’t wait to try some more!” Peter Andre, said: “Music, food and warm evenings, the perfect combo! I’m looking forwad to performing my favourite songs on the music stage, and I’m thrilled to also be cooking live in front of an audience with some brilliant chefs. I love getting creative in the kitchen at home and trying out new dishes" Showcasing the best of Edinburgh and beyond, many of the region's most-highly acclaimed Michelin and multi-award-winning chefs will also appear. Buy tickets for Sunday Throughout the 3-day weekend, visitors will enjoy a jam-packed schedule of TV cooking show champions and award-winning chefs in the interactive live theatres. In the Chef's Theatre, celebrities will create their signature dishes and share new tips and tricks, whilst in the Cake & Desserts Theatre, patisserie chefs and star bakers whip up showstoppers and offer tempting sweet treats. In the Kids Cookery School, Foodies SuperChefs make cooking fun, helping younger guests prepare delicious food which they can take away and enjoy. Masterclasses in the Drinks Theatre include tutored Champagne, Beer, Cider, Cocktail and Wine-tasting - presenters include BBC, ITV and Channel 4 drinks experts. Visitors can browse the latest food trends in the Shopping Village, meet local producers in the Artisan Market and taste exotic and unusual new dishes in the Feasting Tent – which features a mouth-watering range of street food and delicacies from all four corners of the globe. New for Fridays: the festival launches brand new family-friendly entertainment features taking place throughout the live theatres and extended opening hours until 10 pm. As the sun goes down, the legendary Symphonic Ibiza will present an unforgettable fusion of dance anthems, live vocals, a sensational DJ and an exhilarating live orchestra. Created by dynamic producer and DJ Andy Joyce (Pacha, Amnesia, Eden, Cafe Mambo) and accomplished composer and musical director Steve Etherington. Other new features and exciting attractions include TV Chef battles, Fire Pit BBQ sessions, Cook School with experts, Silent Disco, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Chilli Eating competitions featuring the current world champion, fairground rides, walk-about artists, drum troops, choirs, children’s activities and family-friendly areas. Throughout the weekend, the Music Stage presents a summer soundtrack of chart-topping artists, top tribute acts, cover bands and superb local bands. For the fifth year running, the festival is supporting Musicians Against Homelessness (MAH) with tickets helping to raise money for the UK-wide homelessness charity Crisis.

Tucked away in picturesque Lasswade by the tranquil River Esk, Luci's invites you to experience modern Italian dining. The restaurant has a family-friendly neighbourhood feel and the decor is smart with a colour scheme that combines the Italian: sharp Amalfi lemon and squid ink black and the Scottish: slate gray sky and sea. There is a cocktail bar and mezzanine, but we are seated in the dining room. I order a large glass of golden Pecorino, that has tropical citrus and aromatic florals balanced by a sharp minerality. It is a lively place with an open kitchen affording glimpses of inked arms working the dough and pasta that is freshly made. The menu changes with the seasons. We order the arancini stuffed with short rib, egg and potato ravioli with brown butter, black truffle, and chive. My crispy tennis ball of risotto rice has a snug spoonful of rich beef in the middle. The San Marzano tomato ragu is slow-cooked and heady with basil. Black specks of truffle perfume Mr Bite’s Ravioli; a luxurious mix of butter, wild mushroom, and egg. Our main courses are Crab with Tagliatelle for me, and Italian Spicy Sausage with Rigatoni for Mr Bite. All the pasta is handmade with egg and cooked al dente. The Scottish crab, chilli and parsley shine through the pasta but the butter sauce is too heavy for such a delicate dish. I would prefer a simple swirl of EVOO. Mr Bite enjoys his sausage pasta but thinks it could be more spicy. Maybe njuda could be a consideration for those who like it hot! Portions are very generous, which is like saying 'I work too hard' in an interview when asked about a weakness! I am glad to see another table using doggy bags. Perhaps we should have skipped the chilli pecorino fries, Kauffman fries tossed in fresh pecorino Romano DOP & chilli, but that would be a sin! This upscale Italian version of chips ‘n’ cheese is irresistible. We are saving room for the Tiramisu, and it is well worth it. This renowned dessert translates into English as "pick me up." It is said to have aphrodisiac effects, likely due to the alcohol and coffee soaking the sponge, as well as the cocoa generously sprinkled on top of a mixture of whipped eggs, sugar, and mascarpone. The Tiramisu at Luci's is as exceptional as any I have ever had. I also sip a Fig and Sage Daiquiri which is well-balanced and presented beautifully. Luci’s is a lovely restaurant with a great atmosphere located in the Esk Valley, south of Edinburgh. It's perfect for a post-walk meal, a family dinner, or any kind of celebration. There are a few parking spaces available at the restaurant, and more just a couple of minutes across the bridge over the river. If driving you will have to skip the delicious wine and cocktails, but you can make up for it with that Tiramisu. Luci's 14 High St, Lasswade EH18 1ND - 0131 663 0961

The team behind one of Stockbridge’s hottest bars, Skua, will host a street food pop-up, Coop on Potterrow in Fettle Cafe on the 19th, 20th, 21st, 26th, 27th, 28th and 31st of  July and for the whole of August to coincide with the Edinburgh Festivals. Taking inspiration from its popular signature dishes at Skua, the menu will include Skua's incredibly moreish fried chicken, smoked East Coast lobster rolls, Maneesh zaatar and olive oil, braised Free Company roast lamb, and nabulsi cheese flatbreads with togarashi or seaweed flake fries. Skua is renowned for its eclectic drinks list, featuring natural and biodynamic wines, and innovative cocktails crafted by mixologist Jacob Thunder. Following this same ethos, Coop will offer Vinca canned wines, Newbarns Brewery beers on tap, and a rotating selection of Skua’s cocktails to toast the festivities. Coop is the perfect hangout for a late-night bite between shows to sit in or take away, just a 10-minute walk from top festival venues The Pleasance, The Underbelly, Gilded Balloon and The Assembly.  Tomás Gormley says, “Growing up in Edinburgh the festival has always been the highlight of the year for me. While I usually feel the increased bustle in my restaurants, I rarely get to see much of the festival itself.  This year I’m looking forward to spending a month right in the thick of it serving up some of my favourite things to eat and drink including the signature fried chicken from Skua.” Coop will be taking over Fettle Cafe open from 6 pm - 1 am on Friday - Sunday from the 19th of July and 7 days a week in August from the site of Fettle in Potterrow. It will operate a walk-in-only service. Coop can be found at Fettle, Marshall St, Edinburgh EH8 9BJ.

‘Nature-positivity’ abounds in this delightful meadow at Rosemains Steading, near Pathhead, where there is a glorious 8-acre meadow (now one of two, with a third in progress in East Lothian). Birdsong is the soothing backdrop to our floral feast day, along with gentle ‘sound bathing’ gongs in a yoga tent. Right from the start, after experienced nature conservationist and botanist Dr Sally Gouldstone gave birth to her daughter in 2018, her intention was to create a way in which she could use nature’s products sustainably, promoting a healthier future interaction between nature & business. Sally walks us through a knee-deep visual timeline of meadow development, where we begin to understand nature’s way.  She explains how statistics claiming we have lost 97% of our wild meadows do not take into account that these early meadows would not have existed in the first place without farming - traditional regenerative farming methods, as opposed to modern high-density farming. At Seilich (Gaelic for willow), flowers & plant materials are hand-picked at their peak to only 25% of availability, leaving plenty of material to encourage thriving biodiversity and avoid disturbance to beneficial insect pollinators.  Annual hay-cropping (which will be done this autumn using Shire horses), helps to naturally turn over & refresh the soil and seeds without destroying their natural life and structure.  The flowers grown also lend themselves to the prettiest bottles of herbal tea ever to grace a shelf, under the expertise of ex-Napiers herbalist, Nicole. Using cold processes and onsite oil distillations with local alternatives rather than high-air miles ingredients such as cocoa butter or aloe vera, the results are all very attractively presented.  We tried some and experienced the glow created within our rose-scented auras. Not only has Selich gained the first Wildlife Friendly certification in the UK but products such as their refreshingly gentle peppermint cleansing gel and meadow face oil, helped them win Best Wildcrafted Beauty Brand 2022. Family-friendly with regular events and open days (also onsite is the UK’s first dedicated alcohol-free brewery, Jump Ship), their circular business model uses the profits of harvesting ingredients from their meadows to create additional wildlife habitat for the benefit of nature.  All without compromise to business pressures and wholesale cropping that might otherwise damage the essential fragile balance they seek to maintain and expand on while increasing public awareness of what we need to value and protect and how to go about it. www.seilich.com

The inaugural Dundee Food Festival is just around the corner and with more than 55 fringe events organised this weekend, there’s plenty for everyone to get stuck into. From 10 am on Saturday, July 6 until 7 pm and from 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday, July 7, there will be free activities and paid events at many locations across Dundee city centre. The main festival hub is at City Square in the town centre with more activities at Slessor Gardens Picnic Zone, Discovery Point, V&A Dundee, the Waterfront, the Keiller Centre, DCA and many more. A variety of local businesses will also play host to varying events. The family-friendly festival, which encourages attendees to eat, drink, play and think, has been organised by Dundee City Council to support the food, drink and hospitality sector while highlighting the city’s strong cultural scene. Local partners include the Eden Project, V&A Dundee, James Hutton Institute and Eat and Drink Dundee. The festival will showcase the city’s local food and drink scene through a range of events, talks and activities. There will be children’s entertainment, characters on stilts and live music, and festivalgoers can streetfood and producer markets plus cooking demonstrations. Tickets for the paid-for events such as Gillian Veal’s Tatha takeover at V&A Dundee, wreath-making workshops with Annie’s Garden, Rock the Dock and Party at the Point event at Discovery Point, Dean Banks’ Q&A at Temple Lane and Bad Girl Bakery’s workshop can be purchased online at dundeefoodfestival.com. Tayport Distillery, Dough Dough Pizza Co, Jannettas Gelateria, Casa Di Gelato, Fig and Fromage Delicatessen are just some of the 45-plus businesses taking part. Kieran McGuire, account manager at Dundee’s 71 Brewing, wanted to support the community event that hopes to bring people from all over the region into the city centre. He said: “We are thrilled to be a part of Dundee Food Festival this weekend. As Dundee's first and foremost brewery, our involvement highlights our commitment to elevating the city in both the food and drink space. “The event is a fantastic opportunity for us to share our beers with the local community and engage with fellow local producers. Plus experience the diverse culinary offerings the Dundee and surrounding areas offer. "We look forward to connecting with attendees, receiving their feedback, and being inspired by the creativity and innovation that defines Dundee's vibrant food and drink scene." The Maker, 71 Brewing’s bar and restaurant, will offer 10% off customers’ bills when they quote Dundee Food Fest when booking. Community groups, like the Maxwell Centre and Campy Growers, are also involved. With a focus on sustainability during the festival, those attending are invited to travel by public transport, carpooling, biking or walking to the events. Festival partners sustainability pledges can also be viewed on their event pages on the website. City Council Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure convener Councillor Steven Rome said: “It is so exciting to see that the Dundee Food Festival is finally here for its first year. Featuring a variety of local food and drink stations, live entertainment, lectures, experiences, food tastings and games for children, there should be something for everyone to enjoy over a weekend of fun. " City Council Climate, Environment & Biodiversity Committee Convener Heather Anderson, added: “We are placing a strong emphasis on sustainability and the local reaction has been extremely heartening.” Information about the events taking place this weekend can be found on dundeefoodfestival.com

Sprawling car park slowly negotiated and car finally parked, the walk over to the Royal Highland Show ground at Ingliston, Edinburgh, never fails to thrill. It’s been a while since I last had the pleasure of visiting but it’s comforting to see, hear - and smell - that not much appears to have changed. The neighing of outrageously beautiful horses as they’re led in from the paddock before going out to be shown; the quiet dignity of magnificent Clydesdales being brushed and primped; bleating sheep of all breeds, sizes and shapes in pens as far as the eye can see; and then the Cattle Hall. I confess this to be my favourite livestock area of the Show, which this year hosted 6000 animals across all categories. I just manage to catch the newly-awarded Champion British Charolais bull parading round his field for the photographers, and what a mighty beast he is. There were 327 trophies awarded this year. Such a display of Scotland’s rural and agricultural life wouldn’t, of course, be complete without the showcasing of its produce. I meet with Louise Elder, who runs Scotland’s Larder, the huge food and drink hall, the day before an important Meet the Supplier event where the 95 producers present are to meet with buyers from farm shops to wholesalers. This event is a significant new development which is only in its second year. Louise Elder says they are trying to get farmers, growers and crofters to meet trade and thereby grow their brands. Louise was a member of the original Scottish Rapeseed Oil group of eight producers from across the country, formed in 2017 and now down to four as individual brands develop their own paths to market. Scottish Honeyberries is a new group of eight growers of this unusual new fruit from the edible honeysuckle, which originates in Japan. Carina Scott, a honeyberry grower from Berwickshire, explains that the long, blue-black juicy citrus fruits - whose taste hovers between blueberry, grape and plum - have been successfully grown in Scotland, from the Highlands to the Borders, since 2017. This is their first Royal Highland Show, and the aim is to spread the word about the honeyberry’s nutritional benefits - apparently, they contain four times the antioxidants of blueberries. The group is expanding the 80 acres currently used in order to increase production. Over at AVA Berries of Arbroath, Angus, they are celebrating their 30-year anniversary of growing strawberries, raspberries and blackberries for sale across the UK, Europe and Asia as well as redcurrants and cherries under its Good Natured Berries brand. The Angus Soft Fruits network of growers supply some 80% of all Scotland’s, and 20% of the whole UK’s, berries. The Middle East and Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, are emerging markets for AVA Berries. "South Koreans and Asians will gift our fresh strawberries to friends instead of the usual wine or chocolates,” marketing director Jill Witheyman tells me. “Our strawberries are regarded as very special and they boast that they are Scottish. They are seen as something to be proud of.” Angus Soft Fruits also have a breeding programme and the newest raspberry varieties are called AVA Monet and AVA Dali due, I understand, to their visual appeal as well as their flavour. Sadly I can’t taste them as they are being kept for the MTS event the next day. Sustainability is key for the sector. The growing market for vegetable-based ‘chips’ - as opposed to potato crisps - is in evidence with Shore of Wick’s seaweed products in various flavours (Peking Duck was my immediate fave) and Growers Garden of Fife’s Wonky Broccoli and Cauliflower chips in various flavours (parsnips are next in line). (I happen to know that Scotty Brand have also launched a new line of Beetroot Chips but they aren’t at the Show.) Going with the global culinary trend for Asian flavours, Baxters Food Group are sampling their new Indian Spiced Cauliflower soup alongside jars of Korean-inspired Kimchi. There weren’t as many artisan cheese producers there as at, say, ScotHot or the Speciality Food Show but Damn Fine from Dumfries-shire are here, and Orkney Creamery say their chilli Cheddar cheese is a best-seller. There are several ice-cream makers including Mackie’s, Lucas, Orkney and Loch Ness. I imagine that what I perceive as a dearth of new, small, independent artisan Scottish producers at the Show may be due to the cost of hiring a stand and the commercial/ manpower viability of taking four or five days out of production. However, I’m heartened to see that just beyond Scotland’s Larder, the Scottish Dairy Championships, including new Milk and Cream classes, are quietly underway in a neighbouring hall. It is a sight for sore eyes to watch the judges conscientiously sipping their way through over 40 locally produced milks and creams to finally name Jolly Jersey Milk of Strathaven as Champion Milk Exhibit and Park Farm Dairy of East Kilbride the Champion Cream Exhibit. And, out of an astonishing 140 types of ice-creams and sorbets, it is Equi’s of Hamilton who take both Overall Champion Ice-Cream and Overall Dairy Produce Champion for their vanilla ice-cream. I later learn that (human) visitors to the Royal Highland Show this year numbered 220,000 over the four days, up 2.5% from last year, with ticket sales grossing £3.3m. Which may explain why, as I leave the ground after a few busy hours, I find myself facing inexorable tide of incoming visitors, making it - quite literally - difficult for me to leave.

On the 12th floor of the W Hotel known locally as the 'Walnut Whip,' is the W lounge. This curvaceously-shaped bar and outside deck boast unrivalled 360-degree panoramic views of the Edinburgh skyline. The deck is on the other side of the lounge's floor-to-ceiling windows. Unfortunately, on the night we visit, gusts remind us why Edinburgh, like Chicago, is nicknamed 'the windy city.' No worries, we are seated inside and order cocktails. I choose a long, cool smoky Paloma made with mezcal, and Simone opts for a gin-based cocktail called Nature. They are perfect for a humid summer night. We decide to eat, and Simone chooses the halibut with caramelised artichoke puree, morel mushrooms, and a chicken and truffle sauce. I eagerly order the Scottish lobster roll in a toasted brioche bun with hand-cut chips. I had eaten at Sushisamba a few weeks earlier, (also reviewed by a colleague on opening) and the prawn tempura, plantain chips, and fish misto were standout dishes cooked impeccably. It's the same kitchen, and tonight's dishes are just as good. The lobster comes in a large sub-shaped soft brioche, teasing out the sweet seafood. Crisp green lettuce lines the roll, and abundant lobster in a seafood sauce spills like a muffin top. The Jenga-like chips are irresistible—golden, fluffy, and crunchy with a glint of sea salt. Simone says her halibut is cooked perfectly, but the sauce could use more punch. Desserts are works of art worthy of a Parisian patisserie. Simone has a chocolate and smoked caramel tart with popcorn praline, and I have strawberry pavlova. The manager, Charlie, tells me a turntable is deployed for the perfect piping of the cream (see picture!). I hope it's not the one used to play vinyl next door in the Brazilian-themed Joao's Place. The meringue is toothsome, and the strawberry jus is summer distilled. Simone says of the tart: "The choccy tart was full of deliciousness! Silky caramel combined with smooth milk chocolate all in cased in a super crisp pastry combined with a surprise pop of popcorn!" DJs and firepits are planned throughout August to enhance the atmosphere in the W Deck so you can watch the fireworks while taking in Calton Hill, The Castle, Arthur's Seat, and more. Better make a reservation! The W Lounge, Joao's Place, and Sushisamba are some of Edinburgh's flashiest spots delivering a multitude of cuisines, dining and drinking opportunities all day every day. 12th Floor, W Hotel, 1 St James Square, EH1 3AX Open everyday 9am - 12am.