Photo of
June 12, 2015
Douglas Stewart and chef Neil Forbes outside Cafe St Honore.
Douglas Stewart and chef Neil Forbes outside Cafe St Honore.

Food provenance has become increasingly important over the last few years. Concerns about air miles, traceability and sustainability mean that serving chicken from, say, Thailand is unlikely to attract customers to your Glasgow/Edinburgh restaurant.

Douglas Stewart, a 24-year-old from North Uist, has come up with an alternative. The son of a lobster fisherman, Douglas set up The Hebridean Food Company to promote and sell produce from the Hebrides.

Having launched in 2014, the firm started out selling including creel-caught North Uist lobsters and langoustines. As of this week, Douglas has added organic Highland beef and Blackface lamb to the range.

The 5pm Dining blog tasted the beef and lamb at a launch dinner in Edinburgh’s Cafe St Honoré earlier this week and it was superb. Describing the taste of meat is always tricky, we find, but this was intensely rich, slightly salty, tender and succulent.

Reared on machair

Much of the unique flavour is down to the way they are reared. From October to June, the livestock live on Vallay, an uninhabited island off the west coast of North Uist.

During this time the herds graze on species-rich machair grasslands and surrounding shoreline of seaweeds. From June to September they are moved back inland to graze on the sparse heather hills.

Highland coos chillin' on Vallay.
Highland coos chillin’ on Vallay.

By allowing these slow-growing herds to exist in the wild, they have less impact on the land as seasonally-led grazing ensures native grasslands continue to thrive. The herds are also left alone to breed, with no intervention during calving and lambing.

The Highland herd on Vallay numbers around a hundred cattle, looked after by crofter Angus MacDonald. Angus was born and bred on the islands; hisparents were also crofters. Carrying on this tradition, his son, Fraser, looks after the sheep.

Slow growing

Douglas commented: ‘For over a year now we’ve been selling amazing shellfish from the crystal clear waters that surround the Hebrides. But I’ve always intended to share what we produce on land as well. The beef and lamb I’m now able to make available is unique. It’s a genuinely special product.’

The prime Highland bullocks are processed at three years, longer than the industry standard. This is partly due to the slow-growing attributes of the Highland breed. It also leads to a richer depth of flavour. The beef is then dry-aged on the hook for three to four weeks. Douglas plans to experiment with longer hanging times for a more intense flavour and texture in the near future. The lamb has a hanging time of two weeks.

As well as selling online, Douglas sells his produce at farmers’ markets and shows. He is a lovely bloke to chat to. Go see him and buy his meat.

It would make a great talking point for any dinner party, Sunday roast or celebration meal.

Meet Douglas and discover his produce at these events:

Scottish Game Fair – 3-5 July 2015

Moy Game Fair – 7-8 August 2015

Foodies Festival Edinburgh – 7-9 August 2015

Let’s Eat Glasgow – 5-6 September 2015

BBC Good Food Show Glasgow – 6-8 November 2015

Perth Farmers’ Market – 4 July, 1 August, 5 September

Stirling Farmers’ Market – 11 July, 8 August, 12 September

Haddington Farmers’ Market – 25 July,  29 August, 26 September