Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, located in the heritage-listed Art Deco City Mutual Building in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, is now open. It is the second restaurant of its kind for Neil Perry and his business partners, Trish Richards and David Doyle.

At Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, Perry elevates the steakhouse concept by uniquely combining an impressive dining room with professional and informed service, a menu featuring the finest and freshest ingredients sourced from the best and most reputable suppliers, and one of the country's most extensive wine lists featuring over 3,800 wines.

On Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney's menu, beef is the showcase with stock from Australia’s best beef producers including David Blackmore full blood Wagyu, grass fed beef from Greenhams and Cape Grim, and Grain fed from Rangers Valley. All beef is dry aged on premise. Seafood is also treated with as much reverence with a purpose built fish filleting room and five tanks housing live shellfish.

“As we have successfully achieved with our Melbourne restaurant, I wanted to create a great produce experience in Sydney that fuses the Rockpool ethos with a classic North American steakhouse, and where you can experience the country’s best produce, share the various cuts of meat to experience the depth of variety and indulge in a selection of fantastic side dishes,” says Perry.

Wine is also a major focus of Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney with over 3,800 wines on offer. Designed to complement the enormous flexibility of the menu and its wine friendly nature, the wine list covers all the great wine growing regions in the world, catering for every taste, and budget. Whether it’s Shiraz, Bordeaux or Tempranillo from Spain, the best from Italy or California, there is a food that will be a great match for all these wines. Similarly with the whites: wines from anywhere in the world will find a match on the menu.

Located adjacent to the main dining room, the Bar features an extensive list of cocktails, wines by the glass and a dedicated menu where diners can enjoy such offerings as David Blackmore’s full blood Wagyu hamburger $18, Grilled trout fillets and bacon $23, Minute steak with red wine butter $29, Cuttlefish with belly pork $10 and Zucchini and taleggio tart $8.

Designed as a sophisticated space for informal dining and drinking, the Bar offers an elegant yet relaxed setting for 45 people.

While Neil oversees the kitchen and restaurant at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, he has assembled a highly experienced team of people to manage the day-to-day operations.

Head Chef Khan Danis and Pastry Chef Catherine Adams, who have worked with Perry for nearly 20 years, have returned to Sydney to head up the kitchen after spending the past 2 ½ years at the helm of Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne.

They are joined by General Manager, Kori Millar who oversees the restaurant and Director of Wine, Darius Allyn (one of only around 120 master sommeliers in the world) who manages a highly-trained team of wine staff and the impressive list of wines.

“Here at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, we subscribe to the Rockpool motto where the cornerstone of good cooking is to source the finest produce and we set out to do everything to the best of our ability today, then try even harder tomorrow,” Perry says.

Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney is located at 66 Hunter Street and is open for lunch Sunday to Friday and dinner seven days.

At a time when everyone is feeling the pinch, VisitScotland is working with businesses in Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland, to promote food and drink at prices every holiday maker can afford.

Appetite for Ayrshire is a month-long food and drink celebration running from 1st to 30th April 2009. There are 3 types of offers available through this promotion:
• fixed price £15 menus from a wide variety of establishments;
• showcase events like gourmet dinners, tasting days, master classes and cookery and wine schools;
• Dine & Duvet offers, giving visitors the opportunity to taste the best of local produce then enjoy an overnight stay at locations across the region.

Seventeen businesses are taking part in this year’s Appetite for Ayrshire including Silver EatScotland winner, Glenapp Castle, Fins Restaurant and Smokery, the wine school at the newly opened, Dumfries House and the brand new Braehead Cook School.

This is the second year that VisitScotland has run Appetite for Ayrshire after the 2008’s inaugural campaign proved a great success.

Joan Stewart, Marketing Executive for Ayrshire said:

“Ayrshire is well known for its food and drink from potatoes and bacon to seafood and cheese. We’re delighted to bring back Appetite for Ayrshire as a way of giving visitors the opportunity to indulge in our local delicacies without having to break the bank”.

Readers can find out more information about the campaign can be found on ayrshire-arran.com/appetite (live Monday 23rd March).

The traditional Danish lunch consists of Smorrebrod, open sandwiches topped with delicacies of all kinds. You choice between a variety of herrings (of course), meats, prawns, pates and cheeses – the choice is endless. The best areas to find this local delicatessen are in Grabrodre Torv Square and along Nyhavn, the popular harbour walk filled with restaurants and bars and surrounded by pastel coloured buildings dating back to the 18th century. For an additional twist on the Smorrebrod, you could also consider a visit to the inspiring Royal Café on Amagertorv to try the contemporary sushi-style open-faced sandwiches, ‘Smushi’, (royalcopenhagen.com). It goes without saying, that wherever you choose to eat lunch, the best to drink is the equally good and locally made ‘probably the best lager in the world’.

If you are looking for a Gourmet experience Copenhagen has the best to offer, as it is simply studded with Michelin stars. No less than fourteen are currently bestowed upon thirteen of its restaurants.
One of the latest additions is Geranium. Restaurant Geranium not only ranks high on the list of organic restaurants in Copenhagen, it is also located in beautiful green surroundings in Kongens Have, the park surrounding Rosenborg Palace, a fairytale building housing the crown jewels. The organic gourmet restaurant has two of the best chefs in the country at the helm. The main priority is exclusively to use organic and biodynamic ingredients in their creative preparation of the food, and they only import wine, which can meet this requirement. Geranium's meals are organic-Danish with many vegetables and herbs and the chefs enjoy updating old classical recipes. restaurantgeranium.dk

A visual and gourmet feast
To be further inspired by beautiful interior design, head for Paustian.
This waterfront sales room displays the best in Scandinavian and international furniture designs and home accessories. The building itself
was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon some 20 years ago and now
also houses the sensational Michelin restaurant Paustian. Chef Bo Bech is
here producing gastronomical experiences out of the ordinary, based on
trendy molecular cooking and an extraordinary sense of of detail.
paustian.dk, restaurantpaustian.dk

Perfect place for bite to eat in the picturesque fishing villages like Tisvildeleje and Gilleleje area
The perfect place to stop for a bite to eat in this area is at the newly opened Restaurant Sletten, surrounded by picturesque small fishermen’s cottages in the idyllic Sletten Harbour of Humlebaek. Here you can enjoy meals composed by the owners of Michelin rated Formel B Restaurant in Copenhagen, whilst taking in the beautiful views across the Oresund Strait. The coastal route itself is very scenic and enjoyable as it takes you through fashionable resorts and exclusive residential areas (louisana.dk and sletten.dk).

:plate: :tourist: :wine:

Maiden voyage menus to be recreated by top Cheshire hotel after champagne "launch"

Original menus from the maiden voyage of the iconic ocean liner, the RMS Queen Mary 1 are to be faithfully recreated during a weekend of maritime nostalgia at a top Cheshire hotel.

And for one at least one lucky diner there could also be the chance of using the liner’s original cutlery being sent over on loan from the Queen Mary Archive in New York.

Cheshire’s exclusive Nunsmere Hall Hotel has “launched” plans for a commemorative weekend in September that will offer guests a taste of the life and luxury aboard the much-loved Queen

Nunsmere Hall, which nestles on a stunning island location in historic Delamere Forest, was formerly the home of shipping magnate Sir Aubrey Brocklebank and it was there where he drew up the first design for the magnificent Atlantic liner.

Now to commemorate the 75th anniversary of her launch, the hotel is hosting a weekend of Edwardian splendour that will celebrate its famous maritime connections
Guests will be able to sail back in time as Nunsmere’s “galley brigade” led by Head Chef Craig Malone serve a selection of the original maiden-voyage menus – from first-class dining to steerage!

Hotel Manager Mark Huntley is also planning an appropriate “surprise” champagne launch and one of the country’s leading maritime experts will give a presentation on the liner accompanied by rare photographs...

Those staying for the full weekend nautical package will also have the opportunity of a full-day visit to Liverpool’s historic waterfront “For anyone with an interest in maritime history it promises to be a fascinating and memorable visit.” said the hotel’s General Manager, Mark Huntley

“We have had a great deal of help and assistance from the Queen Mary Archive in America in gathering information and memorabilia, some of which we plan to display. We are also very keen to hear from anyone who would be prepared to loan us any memorabilia for the weekend or who knows of anyone who was among the crew or on the passenger list for the maiden voyage. Overall, it has all the makings of a very exciting and novel occasion.”

Sir Aubrey, who sadly did not live to witness the launch in 1934, was chairman of the famous Brocklebank shipping line whose lineage dates back to the 1700s.

During the First World War the Brocklebank Line played a vital role in maintaining the nation’s food supplies. Soon after the hostilities ended the line was merged with Cunard - when Sir Aubrey began designing the liner in what is now the hotel’s main dining room.

The world's foremost culinary arts school has announced a ground breaking partnership in support of the Henley Food Festival, the Thames Valley's leading food event. Le Cordon Bleu, who have been training chefs for over 100 years have become the festival’s title sponsor and hence forward the two day event, taking place on the weekend of 16th and 17th May 2009 will be known as Le Cordon Bleu Henley Food Festival.

Le Cordon Bleu Henley Food Festival is a showcase event for some of this country’s finest chefs to demonstrate their skills before a live audience, coupled with the opportunity to sample some of the finest food and drink available in the Thames Valley and beyond. Attractions include a restaurant arena, Caldesi’s Italian Market and of course a host of highly talented chefs. Le Cordon Bleu will have their own marquee where demonstrations by chefs from the cookery school can be seen, a highlight of which will be a demonstration of the art of French pâtisserie.

Over the last century Le Cordon Bleu has evolved from a Parisian cooking school into an international network of culinary arts and hospitality academies. Offering courses to professional and talented amateur chefs from their campuses in London, Paris, Canada, Peru, Mexico, Japan, S. Korea, Thailand and Australia; Le Cordon Bleu believe in the French “Art de Vivre” (The Art of Living Well), a philosophy shared with the Henley Food Festival.
Talking about the partnership, Chef Loïc Malfait, Academic Director for Le Cordon Bleu said, “We have been looking for a festival partner who exhibits the same dedication to quality that we do. Henley Food Festival provides an opportunity to see some of the culinary world’s greatest names performing live; chefs who exhibit great skill, creating sublime food. This is something that we passionately believe in. We hope that a new generation becomes inspired at Henley and that we can play a part in nurturing that talent through our courses, ranging from culinary arts to hospitality management and gastronomic studies.”

Simon Cromack, Chairman of Henley Food Festival was full of praise for Le Cordon Bleu and their philosophy; “Henley Food Festival is all about the art of living well, we are therefore delighted that Le Cordon Bleu have come on board as the title sponsor this year. We hope it is the beginning of a long association.”

Mr. Cromack went on to say, “The combination of Le Cordon Bleu’s dedication to the training of the world’s best chefs with the Festival’s objectives of showcasing the very best food from the Thames Valley is, we believe, a perfect match. It is indicative of the quality of the Henley Food Festival’s proposition that Le Cordon Bleu, a centre of culinary excellence want to join forces and share the title of this event; it is a real indication of the superb weekend we will be putting on over the 16th & 17th May.”

National Branding Includes Q Recipes From TV’s Lesley Waters

Britain’s best butchers – members of the exclusive Q Guild – are fighting back against the might of the supermarket meat counter.

The Guild has embarked on a national branding exercise in all of its 150 member shops to convince consumers that the best place to buy the best meat is at a Q butcher…meat that will be British and most likely to be sourced locally.

In addition, celebrity chef and food author Lesley Waters has agreed to devise a series of seasonal recipes, exclusive to the Q Guild, showing consumers what can be achieved with beef, lamb, pork and chicken.

Each Q butcher shop, from Shetland to Cornwall, will now carry external branding declaring it as a member of the Guild – a sign to consumers that they are shopping at one of the best independent meat retailers in the country.

Q butchers are unique in that they voluntarily submit their businesses to a stringent, independent audit before attaining membership. They are then subjected to regular audits, spot checks and visits from mystery shoppers to ensure standards are adhered to.

Q membership is one of the meat trade’s highest endorsements of excellence.

“We want to get that across to consumers,” said Guild Chairman Philip Cranston.
“Many of them are fed up with the impersonal service, confusing labelling and variable quality frequently experienced in the multiples.

“With Q standing for quality, shopping at a local Q butcher is a quality experience. It supports local retailers and local producers. There’s less food miles, meat is fresher and there’s quality products and quality service.

“Each business has its own individual brand but being associated with the Q brand should send a strong message to consumers.”

In addition to external branding, each shop will also carry promotional material on the Q Guild, including a series of seasonal recipes devised exclusively by Lesley Waters.

Lesley will be the Guild’s celebrity partner in 2009 and her recipes will include Beef Ragout with Herby Muffins, Greek-style Shoulder of Lamb, Crispy Pork Chops with Lemon and Basil and Spatchcock Chicken with Hot Tomato Chutney.

“We are very excited about Lesley’s involvement, “said Philip Cranston.
“Guild members, through product evaluation events and the exchange of ideas, are famed for their innovative approach to developing and presenting meat products.

“Now we have the celebrity touch to add to our repertoire. Lesley’s recipes will offer opportunities for seasonal promotions and we are sure they will go down well with customers.”

Branding of Q shops is scheduled for completion by the end of March when the first of Lesley Waters’ recipe cards will be available to Q customers.

With the end of the hard days of winter in sight, Fifteen Cornwall is hosting its next Farmers' Market to welcome the arrival of spring. The market will showcase food and drink from local Cornish producers, farmers and growers, many of whom are the fuel to the fire of Fifteen Cornwall’s kitchen.

These favourite suppliers of Fifteen Cornwall will be on hand to tick every box on the shopping list, from locally reared beef to award winning charcuterie and veggies grown on the rich arable lands of The Lizard peninsula. To ensure that these staples aren’t left unaccompanied, there is a mouth-watering selection of local delicacies including cheese, chutneys and breads (made onsite at Fifteen Cornwall by their own baker).

Executive chef Neil Haydock will have the freshest crop of seasonal produce on hand with a series of demonstrations throughout the day. Think spinach, spring lamb, watercress and wild garlic.

The apprentices who are currently starting their career in the restaurant industry under the careful tutelage of the Fifteen Cornwall team will also be on hand to help out.

Ever since Fifteen Cornwall opened, the restaurant has played a driving role in passing on the knowledge and passion embodied in the Fifteen concept, and this season Fifteen Cornwall will continue to promote this ‘Pass It On’ ethos.

The Fifteen Cornwall Spring Farmers’ Market will take place in the Extreme Academy car park in front of the restaurant on Watergate Bay. Entry is free and there will be ample car parking space.

National Curry Week will run from 22nd to 28th November 2009 throughout Britain, with the dual aims of promoting the cuisine and culture and raising money for the less advantaged around the world.

2009 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the first Indian restaurant (Hindoostanee Coffee House) opened in Britain by Sake Dean Mahomet (menumagazine.co.uk/book/deanmahomed.html) in London in 1809. From those very early beginnings, curry has grown to be referred to as ‘Britain’s national dish’ with hundreds of millions of pounds generated for the economy from retail sales and the over 9000 restaurants throughout the country.

Such was the success of the ‘Can You Handle the Heat Challenge’ in National Curry Week 2008 that not only will it be repeated this year but kitchens will now be speed challenged on pakora/samosa creation as well as the production of a signature dish which will be judged nationally.
CurriesOnline.co.uk (http://www.curriesonline.co.uk) – a leading online ordering and reservation service for the UK Indian Restaurant industry has already signed up to become lead sponsor for 2009 to lend financial and operational support to the event.
Shamim Hoque, Managing Director of CurriesOnline said “ We are delighted to be in a position to support National Curry Week and The Curry Tree Charitable Fund. As an online service provider - we feel that we can bring a lot to the table to help make this year’s event the best ever whilst introducing our commercial online solution to a wider audience.”

Over the past ten years, National Curry Week has raised funds for charities such as Action Against Hunger and Oxfam. New for 2009 is the creation of The Curry Tree Charitable Fund to target the 23 million people eating-out market and raise as much as possible for deserving causes around the world. Causes to benefit from the fund will be decided annually by trustees Peter Grove (Founder), Colleen Grove, Rajesh Suri, Cyrus Todiwala MBE, Shamim Hoque, Mridula Baljekar and Enam Ali MBE.

Commented founder Peter Grove, “This year we are trying to pull the national curry family together to have some fun and help as many disadvantaged as possible. Please visit thecurrytree.com and join the ‘Pledge a pound’ scheme.”

:plate:

Whisky Month is just one of the many reasons head up to Scotland for Homecoming this year

Whisky Month is a diverse range of more than 30 unmissable events and experiences happening across Scotland this May, held in honour of Scotland’s famous national drink as part of the year-long Homecoming 2009 celebrations.

Homecoming Scotland is a year-long celebration marking Scotland’s major contributions to the world stretching from Burns Night to St Andrews Day 2009

Discover the unique characteristics of the whisky regions of Scotland: the Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Islay and Campbeltown.

The ‘water of life’ will be celebrated across these regions with three major festivals, special tours and tastings, exclusive access to rarely opened distilleries and a look at the world’s largest collection of whiskies. Into this mix goes a generous measure of music, dance and song, feasts of fabulous food, a game or two of golf and the chance to explore the great outdoors.

Weekends away
Take a break and head to the Highlands for a Glenmorangie Whisky Weekend for fine Scottish hospitality while visiting the home of Glenmorangie in Tain, or head to Skye’s Iconic Dunvegan Castle for an unforgettable evening with Talisker Distillery.

Festivals
Celebrations begin at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival on the 1st May. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival has extended its programme over 10 days offering specialist whisky tours, tastings and gourmet food events at distilleries. For families, activities combine whisky and leisure to create a variety of entertainment, scenic walks, golf, sport and shopping. The festival finale headlined by renowned Scottish band, Capercaille on Saturday 9th May embraces the music, dance and song of the region in a spectacular event on the idyllic banks of the River Spey.

On the 16th – 17th May is Spirit of the West, a brand new festival which takes place in the stunning grounds of Inveraray Castle. Whisky tasting, food sampling and cookery demonstrations will run alongside historical trails, fashion shows, music, arts and crafts and golfing activities and a lively ceilidh.

Continuing the Islay celebration, is the legendary Feis Ile - Islay Malt & Music Festival from the 23rd- 31st May which features a week long programme of events at Islay’s distilleries

Distillery tours and expert insights
Scotland’s most northerly distillery, Highland Park on the island of Orkney, flings open its doors for a free, exclusive Open Weekend on the 23rd and 24th May.

Up in the Highlands visit Dewars World of Whisky, where Homecoming is celebrated with "Dewar’s Signature Tour” a chance to taste some of the world’s finest and rarest whiskies from Dewar’s premium portfolio and a warehouse tasting of Aberfeldy Single Malt.

In Aberdeenshire, take the opportunity to enter Ardmore Distillery - rarely open to the public - where you can experience a bespoke tour and whisky tasting session. While you are in the region head across to the University of Aberdeen’s Word Festival 2009 for Maclean’s Malt Whisky Tour of Scotland. A world-authority on Whisky, Charles MacLean will talk about his new book MacLean’s Malt Whisky Handbook and provide his expert insight into the flavour and character of Scotch malt whisky.

In the Lowlands there are also plenty of opportunities to get a flavour of Whisky Month. Visit Auchentoshan’s newly refurbished Visitors Centre near Glasgow and make sure you stop at Edinburgh’s Scotch Whisky Experience for ‘Enthusiasm for Scotch’ and The Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection - the world’s largest collection of whiskies a ‘must see’ for whisky fans and novices alike

Whisky Galore – A Musical!
Whisky Month will also play host to the world premiere of a new musical adaptation of Whisky Galore from 15th May to 17th October. Showing in the beautiful surroundings of Highland Perthshire at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Whisky Galore – A Musical! is part of The Home Season from Scottish playwrights featuring six plays across six days.

And the celebration of this famous tipple doesn’t stop there! For the full Whisky Month programme and details on the range of the whisky events taking place across Scotland throughout 2009 including information of whisky packages, trails and itineraries go to:

homecomingscotland2009.com/whiskymonth

Gavin Hewitt, Chief Executive of The Scotch Whisky Association, said: "Whisky Month in May is the perfect time to visit Scotland, the home of whisky. An exciting programme of distillery and festival events awaits our visitors. They will experience the very best that Scotch whisky has to offer and learn why this global icon embodies the spirit of Scotland."

Marie Christie, Homecoming Scotland 2009 Project Director said: “Scotch whisky is a unique aspect of Scotland’s rich culture and heritage which is celebrated across the world. Showcasing it through the Homecoming festivities provides us an opportunity to promote some of the country’s most distinctive communities and regions through a lively programme of activity.”

:tourist:

A selection of food and drink news from Scotland: from the latest on Whisky Month, a brand new cook school, Living Off the Land Weekends and a chocolate cook school.

Food and Drink Update
February 2009

Living Off the Land Weekend
Building on many successful fishing and mushrooming weekends, Kirkwood Farm in Lockerbie are now arranging their first Live Off the Land weekend. Over the course of three days, visitors will learn how to identify, prepare, forage and hunt for foods. The highlight of the course will be a Saturday night dinner prepared mainly from ingredients that visitors have foraged, hunted and prepared themselves on Kirkwood Farm. Hosts, Fiona Houston and Xa Milne, are the co-authors of the highly acclaimed “Seaweed and Eat it – a family foraging and cooking adventure” and have also made several TV appearances. Kirkwood is a farm/estate situated on the River Annan in the heart of the rolling hills of Dumfriesshire. The Living Off the Land Weekend will be held from 23-26th April (Thurs-Sun) Cost £650 per person.
01576 510200
LiveOffTheLandSchool.co.uk

Whisky Month
Throughout the month of May Homecoming Scotland 2009 invites you to explore and appreciate the expertise of the stillsmen and master blenders whose diligence has created one of Scotland's biggest exports and extensions of Scottish culture. Kicking off the celebrations at the biggest ever Spirit of Speyside event from 1st - 10th May the Scotch Whisky Industry opens its doors to visitors and locals alike. From a tasting session at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, to a 3 day whisky course in Fife, there are a range of ways to sample Scotland's national tipple. Known as 'Uisge Beatha' in gaelic or 'Water of Life', the process of making whisky in Scotland can be traced back hundreds of years and has evolved geographic distinctions owing to the origins of the environment and the characters of the distillers themselves.
The month long programme is currently being developed in association with the Whisky Industry and will conclude with Feis lle, Islay's annual Malt and Music Festival. Look out too for the Spirit of the West event at Inveraray Castle between 16-17 May.
homecomingscotland2009.com

Walk it Off
A new VisitScotland campaign which combines great walks throughout Scotland with top restaurants has been launched. The project allows readers to download the walks and foody information from eatscotland.com. There are walks for all levels of ability. Just the thing for guilt-free indulgence!
eatscotland.com

Braehead Cook School Open for Business
Bookings are now being taken for Braehead Cook School in Kilmarnock, which opens this month. Well established in the catering industry this is the first consumer venture for Braehead Foods, which has been operating for 20 years. Braehead Foods are sole game supplier to Gordon Ramsay and supply Michelin starred chefs, luxury hotels and 1 - 4 AA Rosette restaurants across the UK. The new cook school at their 30,000 sq headquarters will enable them to impart their culinary knowledge for the general public to recreate in the comfort of their own home. Masterclasses will take place in the new state of the art cook school kitchen, which comprises a demo area and 10 bays holding up to 20 people. As well as the cook school, Braehead also houses a demonstration kitchen, restaurant and shop. The new cook school will offer 18 masterclasses on a variety of different disciplines from techniques and cooking methods for game and red meat dishes to simple shellfish, healthy eating and dinner party dishes.
Day and evening courses are available. Prices start at £35 per person for evening courses and £100 per person for a day course. There’s a reduced rate of £150 for two people booking a day course together. Longer four week evening courses are also available priced at £120 per person.
01563 550008
braeheadfoods.co.uk

Dram-atically Peaty
Bruichladdich distillery has announced the release of the world’s most heavily peated whisky. The inaugural bottling of Octomore, a single malt whisky distilled at Bruichladdich from barley, is three times peatier than any other whisky ever produced. Demand has now even exceeded the 6000 bottle supply, with stocks sold out before the whisky left the distillery.
07799 346137
bruichladdich.com

A Roux Coup for Inverness
Multi-award-winning chef Albert Roux has announced that he plans to open his first Scottish restaurant in Inverness. Chez Roux will open on April 1 2009 at the city's Rocpool Reserve hotel. Speaking as he hosted the second of two gourmet introductory weekends at the hotel, Mr Roux said he had been impressed by the establishment's elegance and style, which he described as unrivalled outside London. His existing restaurants are rated among the best in the world. London institution Le Gavroche, which Albert and his younger brother Michel opened in 1967, was the first in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars, while the Waterside Inn, which opened in the Berkshire village of Bray in 1972, gained its third Michelin star in 1985.
The announcement of the Inverness restaurant comes seven months after the five-star Rocpool Reserve was bought by the owners of Inverlochy Castle, a luxurious country house hotel near Fort William.
02077206148
albertroux.co.uk

Olympic Chef Opens Scottish Chocolate School
For those seeking a sweet indulgence, the Cocoa Black chocolate school in Peebles will prove a satisfying find. Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Scottish Borders (20 miles south of Edinburgh), Cocoa Black is quickly gaining recognition amongst food lovers. Founded in 2008 by Ruth Hinks (an Olympic winning pastry chef), the company aims to delight even the most discerning sweet tooth through its range of luxury chocolates, cakes and desserts. The school provides tuition at all levels - from those looking to while away a lazy afternoon tasting chocolate, through to industry professionals aiming to refine their craft. All instruction is provided by Ruth, who will demonstrate some of the essential skills which enabled her to reach the pinnacle of her profession. Classes vary in size (3-6 participants) and usually last for about 2.5 hours. They are currently run from Ruth’s new, delightful and spacious farmhouse kitchen, pending completion of a purpose-built school in 2009. Cocoa Black will supply an apron, utensils and recipes - all you have to bring is enthusiasm!
For details of forthcoming classes or to make your own booking (3 or more), Ruth can be contacted on 07825 916 060
cocoablack.co.uk

Whisky Month
Throughout the month of May Homecoming Scotland 2009 invites you to explore and appreciate the expertise of the stillsmen and master blenders whose diligence has created one of Scotland's biggest exports and extensions of Scottish culture. Kicking off the celebrations at the biggest ever Spirit of Speyside event from 1st - 10th May the Scotch Whisky Industry opens its doors to visitors and locals alike. From a tasting session at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, to a 3 day whisky course in Fife, there are a range of ways to sample Scotland's national tipple. Known as 'Uisge Beatha' in gaelic or 'Water of Life', the process of making whisky in Scotland can be traced back hundreds of years and has evolved geographic distinctions owing to the origins of the environment and the characters of the distillers themselves.
The month long programme is currently being developed in association with the Whisky Industry and will conclude with Feis lle, Islay's annual Malt and Music Festival. Look out too for the Spirit of the West event at Inveraray Castle between 16-17 May.
homecomingscotland2009.com

:chef: :tourist: :plate: