Perthshire Food Round-up
thinklocalscotland.co.uk You’ll find Monarch Deer Farm’s venison at Perth Farmers’ Market and Hubertus Game of Pitlochry attend markets from Edinburgh to Elgin with their wild venison and wild boar burgers. Taking all this first class meat and turning it into something even more distinctive is Rannoch Smokery, dedicated to meat and game. Many local shops and restaurants stock their products including smoked duck, handpressed game terrines, cold smoked beef and dry-cured wild venison. Mr C’s Handcrafted Pies (see page 13) have won medals for their wild venison and game pies, among others – they sell from independent shops and butchers across Scotland. The Wee Pie Company (see page 13) also specialises in artisan pies, primarily wild game, and sell from Fife, Perth and Edinburgh’s Stockbridge farmers’ markets.
(see pages 18 and 19) are in Highland Perthshire, Rainbow Organic Chocolate is a newcomer based at Kinross, and Wicked Chocolate has a small workshop in Perth. For a healthier snack, Perthshire Oatcakes, handmade near Crieff, are at various local farmers’ markets and stocked extensively in delis and good food shops. Kenmore Bakery supply Auchterarder-based fine foods wholesaler Ochil Foods, so though they remain a kitchen bakery, you might find their oatcakes, biscuits, shortbread and tablet further afield than you expect.
FISH
DAIRY
espite the rivers running through it, Perthshire’s main fishing is for leisure. Get involved with the Tay Salmon Fisheries Company, who offer fly fishing courses, and at their sister trout fishery Willowgate by Perth. Fishing permits can also be hired from Loch Earn Fishings at Drummond Trout Farm. Dunkeld Smoked Salmon sell their highly rated product from the smokehouse, their online shop or Perth Farmers’ Market.
D
BREAD, CAKES & CHOCOLATE
read doesn’t get much more artisanal than that from Blair Atholl Watermill (see page 19), one of the last in Scotland to stonegrind wheat and oats. They sell flour and baking from their website, on-site shop and café. Bread handmade by the residents of Corbenic Camphill Community is sold from the Corbenic Café Shop in Dunkeld and at Logierait
B
Market, and the Rannoch Bakery in Kinloch Rannoch serves local restaurants and the village shop. Perthshire is home to an unfair number of Scotland’s best chocolatiers. Iain Burnett the Highland Chocolatier and Charlotte Flower Chocolates
tewart Tower Dairy are the biggest name, selling 200 flavours of gelato-style ice cream from their own café and elsewhere. Giacopazzi’s make traditional Italian ice-cream in Milnathort, while the milk round is taken care of by local dairies Robertson’s Dairy, located in eastern Perthshire, and D&D Dairies from their base near Crieff.
S
■ For further details on the highlighted producers go to thelarder.net
> PERTHSHIRE’S DRINKS Perthshire is home to various famous whiskies: Famous Grouse was born in Matthew Gloag’s grocery in Perth and now has a base at Glenturret Distillery by Crieff, while Bell’s (at Blair Athol Distillery), Dewar’s, Tullibardine and Edradour all have popular distillery visitor centres. Tiny Strathearn Distillery (see page 12) is so new the first whisky has just been casked; you can try their gin while you wait. The region has three craft breweries. The largest is Inveralmond (see page 23), with Strathbraan’s beers made near Dunkeld, while the micro Moulin Brewery is found just behind the Moulin Inn (page 44). Cairn o’ Mohr (see page 9) make fruit wines in the Carse of Gowrie, and the Scottish Liqueur Centre at Bankfoot produce a range including Columba Cream and Bruadar. The Ochil Hills are home to Highland Spring mineral water, one of Scotland’s most recognisable brands, while coffee is roasted by Glen Lyon Coffee, the Bean Shop in Perth and Highland Coffees in Comrie.
The Perthshire Larder 21
Perthshire Larder 2013DR4.indd 21
01/11/2013 17:20