On Friday, I blethered about the changes to food in general over the previous ten years in Britain. The changes to our restaurant scene have been no less significant. There have been loads of pieces in the papers looking at the last ten years’ worth of restaurant news up and down the UK. The Guardian’s one here focuses on chefs. The Telegraph’s piece casts its net a little wider to look at landmark restaurants, the people cooking in them and the trends they have helped shape.
They are both good pieces but I thought there might be a bit more room to take a look back and celebrate high end Scottish developments over the decade. Michelin isn’t everything but the country’s haul of stars from the tyre guide people has been deeply impressive in recent times. When Andrew Fairlie gained his second Michelin star in 2006, he became Scotland’s most starry chef, a position he has held ever since. However, he wasn’t the first chef in Scotland to have two. Before a bad back encouraged her to give it up in 2002, Gunn Eriksson had held two stars at the remote Altnaharrie Inn for a number of years.
Around the same time that Eriksson was thinking about selling Altnaharrie, a fresh-faced Martin Wishart was celebrating his first Michelin star at his eponymous restaurant in Leith. Since that day in January 2001, Wishart has held on to the star and been joined in Edinburgh’s Michelin club by Jeff Bland at Number One at The Balmoral, Tom Kitchin at The Kitchin and Tony Borthwick at the Plumed Horse.
Outside of Edinburgh, various Michelin stars have popped up in rural locations throughout the years. Keith Braidwood got his in 2000 and retains it at his Braidwoods restaurant in Ayrshire. Earlier this year, there was a lot of heartfelt congratulations for Charlie Lockley when The Boathouse chef picked up what many felt was a long overdue star.
The big question is who will be next to be sprinkled with the Michelin glitter? Paul Kitching made a splash when he opened 21212 in Edinburgh in May. He had gained a star at his previous restaurant in Altrincham so could be in the running for any fresh gongs which are awarded in January 2010.
Perhaps more of a puzzle is why Glasgow does not have a Michelin star. Gordon Ramsay’s seemingly ill-fated Amaryllis had one briefly in the Noughties but hasn’t had a sniff of one since. For what it’s worth, Brian Maule at Chardon D’Or, the Hotel Du Vin at One Dev and Abode all strike me as Glasgow restaurants that could interest a Michelin inspector.
What restaurant would you like to see being awarded a Michelin star in 2010?