Thanks to its quirky name, distinctive art deco frontage and its skilfully prepared seasonal Scottish menu, Fanny Trollopes has been a prominent presence in Finnieston since its opening in 2002.
Much of its success can be credited to owner and head chef Gary Bayless. Having previously worked in Glasgow institutions such as Rogano and Brian Maule, Gary used his wealth of experience to create a restaurant which continues to exceed its reputation. Here, he answers our questions.
][2]Tell us about the history of Fanny Trollopes
Have you heard the expression Sweaty Betty’s? Do you remember the pub that sat on the Broomielaw that just got pulled down three or four years ago, next to the motorway? That was Betty’s Bar. Fanny and Betty were sisters The story is they came over from Brazil and met two Scottish guys in the 1920s. The Clyde at that time would be mobbed with people from all over the world. That’s where the story comes from. There was a play recently at Oran Mor called Fanny Cha Cha which is about the story of Fanny Trollope. It’s a fun West End story.”
“When it first opened, it was almost like a greasy spoon cafe but it was doing good food. When you came into the place you wouldn’t expect to get scallops, black pudding or whatever. It created a wee buzz as at the time it was quite a downtroddden part of town and when you came in and saw the different chairs and plastic table covers you didn’t expect to get such good food. It was different. Slowly but surely we became more of a restaurant and built up a good reputation.”
“Fanny Trollopes has been good to me. It is just a nice place to work. We do work hard the same as everybody else but maybe without the harshness of it. Most of the students have been here for four and a half years. So it must be a nice place to work from an employers point of view.”
“We know customers by name. Because the tables are so close, we have customers who have actually met here and gone on to become friends. We even have people who have gone one to get married and come back for their anniversary.”
What style of food do you serve at Fanny Trollopes?
I was classically trained in French cooking so I guess we would call ourselves Scottish-Franco, if anybody asked. Essentially, it really is what we feel like cooking. The food is local so it can be anything from lobsters to scallops to pigeon, anything that’s in season. It really depends what we can get our hands on. I keep it as fresh as possible.”
The frontage of Fanny Trollopes is quite a distinctive art deco style. What made you choose that?
“We wanted to be prominent in the area, to have something that stood out and was slightly different. It’s actually not an original from the art deco time. It’s quirky and it works well with the quirky Fanny Trollopes name.”
You said when you first opened it was quite a downtrodden area. How has Finnieston changed since then?
“If you go back five or six years the pubs would still be where people would go for their early morning roll and sausage and pint. They were quite rough. But more and more places started opening up such as Brass Monkey, Crabshakk. The Finnieston, Piece, and the trend began changing. The more you tell people this is the new West End the more they believe it and start to come down, it is a nice area and it has always been very eclectic and slightly run down I suppose when we came here. But it is certainly changing and I think it will continue to change and more and more expensive.”
£12.95 for 2 courses on pre-theatre + glass of wine from Fanny Trollopes on 5pm Dining.
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