Scran

Black pudding is one of Ireland's oldest foods, older than the potato, and it's disappearing. In this episode of Scran, The Scotsman's food and drink podcast, author Kate Ryan and food historian Peter Gilchrist explain why the ancient art of cooking with blood is dying out, and what Ireland and Scotland stand to lose with it. With Halloween only weeks away, Rosalind looks at the ancient foods traditionally made and eaten at this time of year, starting with black pudding. KATE RYAN ON BLACK PUDDING Kate Ryan is an award-winning food writer and the founder of Flavour.ie. Her book, Blood, Guts & Black Pudding: Ireland's Dying Art of Blood as Food, is published by Nine Bean Rows. It charts the history of Ireland's black and blood puddings from pre-Christian times to today, and asks "what else is lost when the blood is gone?" Kate tells Rosalind the history of black pudding in Ireland, why it's dying out, and what that means for food culture and our shared food history. PETER GILCHRIST ON SCOTLAND'S FOODS AT RISK Friend of Scran and food historian Peter Gilchrist joins to talk about seasonal Scottish foods we're at risk of losing, including sparls, a dried Shetland sausage. IN THIS EPISODE 🐷 The history of black pudding in Ireland 🩸 Why blood as food is disappearing 🌭 Sparls, the dried Shetland sausage 📖 Scran listeners get 20% off Kate's book when they buy online with the code PODCAST20: https://ninebeanrowsbooks.com #Scran #BlackPudding #FoodHistory #ScottishFood #IrishFood #Halloween #Shetland

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On this very special bonus episode of Scran where we've partnered with World Class to bring you an insight into the upcoming Scotland Served Cocktail Festival as well as the exciting international competition for bartenders that is running alongside it.

Rosalind speaks to last year's winner of World Class, Emanuele ‘Lele' Mensah and Stefanie Anderson who is the Diageo World Class Great Britain and Luxury Portfolio Scotland Ambassador. Lele tells Rosalind all about how wonderful it was to win the competition. He talks about how important it is for him to have won for the people that support him, but also for all people of colour who work in the industry. He also shares the very exciting plans for his new Shoreditch bar Asase.

Stef fills Rosalind in on how the competition came about, why it's important for Diageo and the opportunities it presents for the bar staff who get involved. She also gives some details on the competition 'challenges' they face like the theatrically entitled 'Slow train to Singleton'.

Rosalind also paid a visit to one of the bars who are taking part in the 'Scotland Served Festival' - Kirstie Oattes runs Kelvingrove Cafe in Glasgow with her husband Barry - she tellls Rosalind all about the festival and what cocktail-lovers can expect.

You can find out more about the Scotland Served cocktail festival by visiting their Instagram page, 'ScotlandServed'. To hear more about Lele and Matt Arnold's journeys head to 'World Class Great Britain' on Instagram. Please enjoy responsibly. For the facts, visit http://drinkaware.co.uk/.

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Celebrated chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi joins Rosalind on this episode of Scran to hear all about his new Edinburgh restaurant. Foodies have eagerly looked forward to its arrival, and Rosalind is keen to learn more about what we can expect.

Yotam tells Rosalind where his passion for cooking comes from, explains the 'Ottolenghi Way,' and shares his hopes for the new business.He also gives us insight into what we can expect from the menu and we learn how Yotam has worked with Woven on a new whisky, which will be served in the restaurant.

Not only is he a successful restaurateur, but his multiple cookbooks have been an international hit, and he tells Rosalind more about the latest one 'Simple Too.'

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We are continuing our celebration of award-winning Scottish food and drink businesses on this episode as we talk to Nick Watkins of El Perro Negro. Winner of multiple best burger awards, Nick stepped into the industry with an idea and determination - more than 10 years later El Perro Negro is still recognised as one of the best burger restaurants not only in the UK, but the world.

Nick is refreshingly candid in his views on the industry, how change needs to happen to sustain food and drink businesses and his motivation in setting up the business.

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Now into our tenth season we wanted to start the series with something a little different so over the next few episodes we'll be looking a little closer at some of Scotland's award winning food and drink businesses.And as we hold on to the last of summer for dear life what better way to kick off this celebration than to go for ice cream - specifically Equis ice cream in Rutherglen!

Rosalind wanted to find out more about the family business and the significant investment they've made in recent years. Father and daughter team David and Alex Equi took her on a tour of the factory - which at points was not for the faint hearted - we're talking about the blast freezer visit here.

Rosalind saw a modern, high spec, busy business and learnt a great deal about this award-winning producer. You'll hear parts of the tour here interspersed with Rosalind's chat with Alex and David.

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It's that time of year again - festival time! Producer Kelly and Rosalind hit Edinburgh recently to catch some food and drink shows and we were not disappointed.

First stop was the Malt Whisky Society on Queen St. There they enjoyed the Whisky Wanderer experience where you learn all about the different whisky regions through an imagineative and eye-opening whisky and food pairing. Rosalind chats to host Bethany Grindle, who is a true whisky fan and aficionado.

The team battled their way through the throngs of people over George the Fourth Bridge and up to Summerhall for The Speakeasy Experience. This show was an absolute hoot which included two Pickerings-gin-based cocktails. Tour-guide and performer Marina told Rosalind all about what visitors can expect from the show.

Rosalind and Kelly then headed along to the Cowgate to their final show of the day, some stand up with Alan Anderson and Whisky for Dafties. As the title indicates this show is indeed for everyone as no knowledge of whiskey is required. There is a quite a bit of booze drank throughout and you may even learn something if not about whisky, then the people in the audience - good fun all round.

You'll hear some vox-pops they did throughout the day too chatting to people working and attending the fringe - that is, when they could find people who weren't just eating pot noodles and meal deals - that's the fringe for you!

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The Glasgow Coffee Festival took place recently and as part of that the UK's Best Coffee Roaster was named as Glasgow-based Jonathan Martinez and Andrew Wong won the UK Brewers Cup competition. On this episode of Scran Rosalind chats with both of them about their passion for coffee, how they got involved in the competition, about the trends in coffee and how they manage to sleep when 'coffee' is constantly on the menu.

It's a fascinating chat where Rosalind learnt a lot more about coffee varietals and where the high end of the market is at. Best enjoyed with a nice cooling iced-coffee - unless you're listening back to this beyond summer time!

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind chats to David and Michael Neave - the father and son duo who have played more than an important part in the success ofAmber restaurant. Amber celebrates 25 years in business this year. Located in the Scottish Whisky Experience it was one of the first visitor attractions to launch a restaurant and since then has gone from strength to strength.
David founded the restaurant and when Michael was young he would come to visit his father at work where his fascination for cooking began. She speaks to them both about the significant family history that is tied up in their work. About how the restaurant was a forerunner of many trends we see in food and drink today and about their passion for good food.
To celebrate 25 years in business Michael developed an anniversary menu which became a project many of the longstanding team got involved in. Each dish was chosen for the memories it carries of the suppliers, the team, and the guests and all those who shaped the restaurant over 25 years.

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On this Scran on the Road special, producer Kelly and Rosalind spent two days travelling around Orkney, thanks to Orkney Marketing and ⁠Orkney.com⁠, where they encountered so many interesting people and places that they couldn't fit it all into one episode.

On the second part of the road trip, Rosalind goes to Barony mill where she meets Alister Harcus. This is a fascinating look at such an historic building still functioning as well as the day it was built. Alister shows Rosalindl around the mill, explaining the different processes and history.

A trip to Orkney wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Highland Park. Rosalind sat down with Graham Bruce, Visits and Retail Operations Manager to hear all about the changes to the distillery in recent times. They also discuss the downturn in the industry and a change in their marketing strategy which had peaked her interest. You'll hear parts of the tour of the distillery Rosalind went on too with tour guide Darren.

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Summer in Scotland can mean one thing for a lot of people - the chance to get out and about and enjoy the fairs and agricultural shows that are taking place across the country. One such popular annual event is The Scottish Game Fair. Taking place at Scone Palace between 3 and 5 July, it celebrates Scotland's rich countryside heritage through fishing demonstrations, various animal competitions, interactive events, the Scottish Venison Cookery Theatre and much more.

Rosalind wanted to hear more about what visitors could expect, so she spoke to the cookery theatre curator Daniela Forbes, who is a chef and food stylist.Sarah Rankin also joined the podcast. Sarah is one of the chefs who is appearing at this year's event and is a MasterChef finalist and food writer.Rosalind asked them about how they got involved with the Scottish Game Fair, how they go about curating and planning the demonstrations and why venison is something we don't always reach for in preparing our regular meals.

You can find out more about the The Scottish Game Fair and book tickets on www.scottishfair.com

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As award season is in full swing we celebrate recent recipients of the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards 2026. On this episode Rosalind speaks to two recipients; Sarah Heward of the Real Food Cafe and Sean Kelly of the Lovat.Sarah shares her amazing back story of how her business in Tyndrum came about, the challenges she's faced over the years and how she built the success the business has become. She attributes this in no small part to her team and the wonderful network she has built despite the challenges of working in a rural setting. She tells Rosalind what it means to her to have picked up this recent sustainability award.

Rosalind also chats to chef Sean Kelly of The Lovat in Fort Augustus, who also picked up an award. This time for Best restaurant/eating experience. Sean tells Rosalind all about his passion for cooking, the challenges of being up north but also the wonderful opportunities it presents for things like foraging. He also talks about how they encourage their staff's development through things like awards but also ensuring they are pursuing other interests outside of work and embracing wellbeing.

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One Tuesday in summer, when the sun was splitting the stones in Glasgow Rosalind boarded a plane to Orkney. The weather in Kirkwall was much more temperate, but what Rosalind discovered was a truly fascinating world of food and drink which made her quickly forget about the sun back home.

On this Scran on the Road special, producer Kelly and Rosalind spent two days travelling around Orkney, thanks to Orkney Marketing and https://www.orkney.com, where they encountered so many interesting people and places that they couldn't fit it all into one episode. This is part 1 which brings you first, an insight into a modern business with Colin the founder of J Gow Rum, and then a four-generations-old family business when Rosalind spoke to Stewart Crichton, MD of Stockans Oatcakes.

Colin is also Chair of Orkney Food and Drink and tells Rosalind all about his role and the challenges they need to surmount as an island business and community. He shares his passion for distilling rum and the pirate inspiration that has informed its branding and marketing.

Stewart describes the rich history of Stockan's Oatcakes and how this iconic Scottish triangular oatcake came about. He also suggests ways to serve your oatcakes which may raise an eyebrow or two.

You'll be able to hear part 2 in the series in the coming weeks which features the one and only Highland Park and a fascinating traditional operating business, Barony Mill.

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On this bonus episode of Rosalind visits Ingliston on this episode as the Royal Highland Show 2026 inches ever closer and is now only a matter of weeks away.

Rosalind sat down with David Tennant, Head of Show and Blayne Dicke, Tradestands Manager to hear about how things are ramping up on site, how they are working with exhibitors and members to bring the show together, what the kinds of challenges can be at this stage of the process as well as how they go about putting on a show this size over four days.

They also talk about the staff and volunteers who make the show happen, The Reeling; the show's new nighttime entertainment, and what visitors can expect if they've not been before.

You'll find more information about all the events taking place over the weekend of the Royal Highland Show from 18 to 21 June, as well as more information on exhbitors, entertainment and logistics, including tickets, on https://www.royalhighlandshow.org

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Today's episode features a trip to Edinburgh, where Rosalind visits a new foodie haunt, Browns of Leith.

Brown's is made up of Haze, an all-day venue which is run by the team behind Timberyard. Civerinos the Edinburgh pizza institution and Shuck Bar, a new seafood bar, from the founder of Portobello's ShrimpWreck.

Rosalind went along one sunny afternoon to meet with some of the key players to find out how it's all come together and what you can expect from a visit.

She sat down with Ewen Hutchison, owner and founder of Shrimpwreck in Portobello and more recently Shuck Bar at Browns. Ewen tells Rosalind all about leaving the corporate world to work in street food, developing the business and how being part of BBC's Million Pound Menu has affected the business.

She also chats to Joseph Radford one of the owners of Haze, Montrose and Timberyard and Chef, Bartholomew Stratfold who works across all three establishments. Haze serves a carefully curated menu of small plates—think European wine bar—as well as breakfast and coffee. Rosalind hears more about how this special space has been adapted to work for its new tenants and how plans are afoot to keep developing the building. She also gets to try some delicious samples from Shuck Bar and Haze.

Warning: this podcast may make you hungry!

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Ghillie Basan is one of Scotland's most talented culinary champions. She's been called 'The Original Spice Girl' and a 'World Food Expert' but what comes across most when you meet this author of more than 50 books, mostly on food, is her irrepressible spirit and thirst for life.

On a snowy day Rosalind went along to Ghillie's highland home to chat with her about her childhood in East Africa, creating a home from 300 year old ruins, raising a young family in difficult conditions, building a livelihood from her remote home and the challenges she's met along the way.

They talk about her close relationship with her children both in work and play and why her latest food book, 'Food, Whisky, Life', may be her last. She tells Rosalind the rather incredible story of how she got her first break in journalism, why she doesn't eat in restaurants very much and how a little bit of love can go a long way in cooking. They also look to the future and the hopes and dreams she still holds.

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On this episode of Scran we venture north to Craigellachie to preview the upcoming Spirit of Speyside festival and to set foot behind closed doors at the Craigellachie Distillery.

Rosalind meets with Brand Home Ambassador, Mike McGinty there who takes her through the history of the distillery as well as what they have planned for the upcoming festival and of course, their festival bottling. He also shows her around the wonderful historic distillery, which you'll hear peppered throughout their conversation.

Rosalind also had a sit down with Henry Angus, Chair of the Spirit of Speyside, who tells her all about his new role, what the festival has in store this year and how an event of this size comes together.

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On this episode of Sran Rosalind is taking a deep dive into the world of Scottish Cider. As it continues to grow in popularity, Rosalind wanted to speak to some of the people who are the heart of the cider industry to see how their businesses are doing and what we can all look forward to.

First up Rosalind speaks to Judith Gillies, who, with her husband Ron, runs Cairn o'Mohr winery in the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire. Since 1987 they have been brewing up fruity award-winning wines and more recently, cider as they are based in an area famous for its apples, pears and plums. Judith tells Rosalind how they got into the business, how it is changing and what their hopes for the future are.

Rosalind also chats to Grant Hutchison and his wife Jaye about their store Aeble in Anstruther, Scotland’s first dedicated cider shop. Grant was previously the drummer in Frightened Rabbit who in recent years had turned his attention to cider. Now they are putting on their first cider festival, which is happening in Edinburgh at the end of the month. They tell Rosalind all about how Covid prompted their move to Fife and the store's opening, as well as how people's understanding and appreciation for cider is changing. They also discuss their plans and hopes for the upcoming festival—one of the first of its kind for Scotland.

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On this episode of Scran we are talking pies! Love 'em or hate em', pies are omnipresent in Scotland and Rosalind wanted to find out more about our relationship with the humble and pie and how this has changed down through the years.

Rosalind's first stop had to be Boghall Butchers, winners of the Melton Mowbray Pie of Pies at the British Pie Awards last year. She went along and met with owner Paul Boyle and his daughter Mariesha Boyle to find out more about the family business, how they go about developing their award-winning pies and what's on the cards for this year's competition.

Friend of Scran, food historian Peter Gilchrist of social media 'Tenement Kitchen' fame also joins Rosalind on this episode. Peter talks to her about the history of pies, our relationship with them, their evolution and how they are very much a part of our food culture. Which basically leaves everyone wanting a pie!

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind investigates how you go about operating a successful bakery in 2026.

First up, she paid a visit to Lannan in Edinburgh. Lannan has been hitting the headlines and influencing people from all over the world via social media since it opened in 2023. Rosalind chats to baker and co-owner Darcie Maher about how the business came about, what that has meant for her life and the pressures that come with operating an extremely popular corner store bakery.

The Bread Maker in Aberdeen will turn 20 this year, and as a more established business Rosalind wanted to know what was the secret to their success. Donald Anderson runs this social enterprise and spoke to her about their ethos in the coffee house, bakery and the classes they run. The Bread Maker aims to provide meaningful work opportunities to adults with learning disabilities. Donald fills her in on the truly inspiring work of the business.

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Welcome to this special partner episode of Scran where we are looking forward to Summer, and more specifically Scotland's biggest gathering - The Royal Highland Show.

Every year more than 200,000 people visit the show in Ingliston which has been running for more than 200 years now. Its popularity is testament to the huge amount of work and preparation that goes into putting on the show every year. I visited Ingliston to learn more about what that takes and what visitors can look forward to this year.

First up Rosalind chats to Kaye Adams, Chair Designate of the show. To say the show has been a part of her life since she was born is an understatement, she's now risen up the ranks and in her current role is preparing for the top job. She tells Rosalind about her memories of the show growing up, its importance in the agricultural community calendar and how it's formed a significant part of her life.

Rosalind also took a walk around the event site with Catriona Brown, Competition Manager for the show. Catriona is definitely a logistics person - thousands of visitors, animals and exhibitors all need to be looked after and that's part of her job. She fills Rosalind in on some of the tasks this includes and explains the sheer scale and effort of putting on a show of this size.

Both Catriona and Kaye give Rosalind a flavour of what can be expected this year for old and new visitors alike. The Royal Highland Show takes place from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st of June. Early bird tickets are on sale now up until late April. A new family ticket is also available this year which gives parents 20% of the standard entry free and remember, children 15 and under go free every day. See you there!

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