Continuing our series of blogs covering pop-ups at the Glasgow Restaurant Festival Spiegeltent, we turn our attention to the multi-award winning Two Fat Ladies group of restaurants.

The original opened in 1989 on Dumbarton Road and was joined by Two Fat Ladies in the City in 2007 and Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery in 2009. Tucked away under The Buttery, The Shandon Belles bistro completes the family.

Prime Scottish ingredients, often with an emphasis on the finest seafood, are to the fore on the Two Fats menus.

Two Fats are taking over the kitchens in the Spiegeltent on Candleriggs this coming Monday the 4th of April and then they are returning for a mash-up with Marco Pierre White Steakhouse on Thursday 14th April.

You can book tickets here.

Ahead of their Glasgow Restaurant Festival gigs, the 5pm Dining blog had a chat with Gavin Cuthbertson, Commercial Director of Two Fat Ladies Restaurants.

Gavin has firm views on rhubarb, cauliflower and the most likely winner in a punch-up between Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay.

5pm: In five words, what sort of food will Two Fat Ladies be serving at the pop-up?

GC: Tasty and high quality Scottish seafood.

5pm: Will there be dishes specific to the pop-up or a sort of Two Fats greatest hits?

GC: We’re going to do a couple of dishes which are going down well on the menu at the moment as well as a couple of dishes which will be specific to the event. We want to showcase what the restaurants are about.

There will be Cullen skink and a smoked fish platter with a tequila and lime dressing. We were going to do mackerel but, apparently, the Scottish fishing quota for mackerel has already been reached so we will have another Scottish alternative for that. Scottish rhubarb is becoming available so we will have a rhubarb panna cotta on the menu and probably a chocolate sponge.

5pm: Do you have a favourite Scottish ingredient to work with?

GC: Rhubarb. I love rhubarb crumble. It’s been such a mild winter that some of the Scottish rhubarb has come through early.

5pm: Is there a food you hated as a kid but love now?

GC: Cauliflower. I hated pretty much everything about it: texture, taste, smell. I didn’t like it as a child and I haven’t warmed to it since although I don’t mind it with cheese.

5pm: If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?

GC: It’s not so bad for me now but when I first started working, it was the hours. I’d start at 9am, finish at 1am and then be back in for 9am. I wanted to lead from the front and be the first in and last out. I probably worked more hours than I needed to but I couldn’t ask other people to do something that I wouldn’t. If needed, staff are more likely to put in that extra time if they see you putting in the hours or helping the KP with the dishes. It motivates people.

5pm: What would your last meal be?

GC: I like a nice steak and chips. Typical Glaswegian. Possibly with Béarnaise sauce. Maybe scallops with black pudding to start and then back to rhubarb crumble to finish.

5pm: Heston Blumenthal or Gordon Ramsay? Which would win in a boxing match?

GC: Heston does a bit of kick boxing and that means he could land a few blows while keeping his distance. I would lean towards Heston but if Gordon Ramsay could close the distance and get a few punches in…

5pm: How would you finish this sentence: I couldn’t get through my working day without…

GC: Coffee.

5pm: What is in the fridge at home?

GC: Salads, jam, butter. There is never much in there as we tend to buy in on a day to day basis depending on what we are cooking that day. You should have asked me that yesterday when we had king prawns, chorizo, red onion.