Where to Buy
GLENROTHES, KIRKCALDY & SOUTH CENTRAL FIFE Q Alex Mitchell Butchers 2 Glamis Centre, Glenrothes 01592 771457, alexmitchellbutchers. com Mon & Wed 8am–5pm; Tue & Thu 8am–5.30pm; Fri 8am–6pm; Sat 8am–4pm. Closed Sun
Found in the depths of the Glamis shopping precinct in the Pitteuchar district of Glenrothes, Alex Mitchell Butchers has a loyal following thanks to its quality Scotch meats and great customer service. The family-run business is headed up by Alex, who’s a Master Quality Scotch butcher and poulterer with more than 50 years’ experience, while the counter is manned by daughter Catherine and her husband, Paul Greer. The family prides itself on its specially selected Scotch beef, lamb and pork – and does a roaring trade in home-made pies, burgers, sausages, haggis and puddings – to name but a few specialities. It has recently diversiÀed to supply locally reared venison and the business also operates an online service; in the shop breads, biscuits, cakes and delicacies are available from a deli counter.
Q HS Murray 7 Hope Street, Inverkeithing 01383 412684 Tue–Fri 8am–5pm; Sat 8am–1pm. Closed Sun/Mon
A family Àshmonger since around 1922, HS Murray takes delivery of Àsh from Newhaven Fishmarket in Edinburgh, while prawns are from Pittenweem in the East Neuk of Fife and local boats supply scallops and langoustines. Other suppliers from the area provide free-range hen and duck eggs, tomatoes and samphire in summer. Their Àsh can be found at nearby restaurants including Aberdour’s Room With a View, while Murray’s also offer a free local delivery service.
Q Loch Leven’s Larder Channel Farm, Milnathort, Kinross 01592 841000, lochlevenslarder.com Mon–Sun 9.30am–5.30pm
The ‘Larder’ here refers to the wide range of home-made, local, Scottish and European deli items stocked by this signiÀcant farm shop. Located just over the border from Fife in Perth & Kinross, as a working farm they sell vegetables from their Àelds and stock an ownbrand range including jams, oatcakes and confectionery, as well as craft gifts. Beautifully positioned on the shores of the loch, the popular restaurant or outdoor Summer House Café are good places at which to begin or end walks.
Q Blacketyside Farm Shop Blacketyside Farm, Leven 01333 423034 Mon–Sat 9am–5pm. Closed Sun.
The steady expansion of Blacketyside Farm Shop on the outskirts of Leven continued in late 2011 with the arrival of a butchery and fresh deli counter under the auspices of Steve Mitchell. It augments the fresh fruit and veg that’s attractively laid out just outside the shop entrance, with a decent array of dried goods, gifts and frozen items including soups and ready meals made for the shop in the café kitchen. The highlight in the summer months are the luscious strawberries, raspberries and other soft fruit grown on the farm.
Q Lochend Farm Shop Lochend Farm, Scotlandwell, Kinrossshire 01592 840745, lochendfarmshop. co.uk Mon–Sun 9am–6pm
Lochend is located by the Kinross/Fife border at the eastern end of Loch Leven. This working farm has views from the coffee shop over the surrounding Àelds. Now specialising exclusively in veg, including their famous carrots, there’s also a shop with a decent deli selection concentrated on Fife and wider Scottish produce. For delicate diets, the cafe does a range of home-made gluten free cakes and soups.
CHEF’S CHOICE TIM ROBSON ON HIS LOCAL FISH MERCHANT
I’ve always relied on HS Murray of Inverkeithing, he’s a grade A fish merchant who’s never let me down. The business was started by his grandfather in 1922 – they must be doing something right to have been going for that long. Almost all their fish comes from the Forth, and if he sees anything out of the ordinary come in he’ll give me a call so I can get it on our specials board. I want to support the local community; why go further afield when there’s so much here on our coastline? If we don’t support local businesses we’ll lose them, and have to turn to the big chains. We’ll lose the sustainability that buying locally brings. Q Tim Robson is head chef at the Room With a View restaurant in the Forth View Hotel in Aberdour (see p.43)
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