yourscottishtour June 26, 2018 0 Comments

Paul Newman, chef-proprietor of Thyme at Errichel Restaurant, is a chef at the top of his game. This year alone he has picked up awards for Chef of the Year, a Hospitality Honour Award for services to Food & Hospitality in Perthshire, and a nomination for the prestigious Thistle Awards.

It is no surprise that he is now in hot demand for the summer season, and was snapped up by the Royal Highland Show to join a team of fantastic Scottish Chefs coming together to showcase Scotland’s food and drink industry. Paul judged the Scottish Ice Cream Championships, the most prestigious award open to producers, in the Scotland’s Larder Live! tent on Thursday, and he and his fellow panel were full of praise for the number of entries and the high standard of produce entered into the championships.

Paul’s own ethos as a chef is strongly focused on a field-to-fork culture, with his rare-breeds hill farm and homegrown produce providing the ingredients for his seasonal menus. Paul commented:

When you think that these products come from a wide range of producers, from small, family-run diversified farm businesses to major mechanised dairy operations, the quality and diversity in the entries is incredibly impressive and demonstrates the strength of the farm produce industry in Scotland. The number of gold medals awarded reflects the competitive standards and the quality of pure field-to-fork home produce.

The overall champion was a Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream by Alandas Gelateria in North Berwick, with Peter Equi & Sons from Largs taking reserve champion for their Double Cream Vanilla ice cream.

The show also revealed the top Chef’s secrets and talents to the crowds, as Wendy Barrie of the Scottish Food Guide invited him to join a team of leading Chefs to represent the great food, drink and hospitality on offer in Scotland. Paul took to the Scotland’s Larder Live! stage on Thursday and Friday to demonstrate his seasonal approach to creating refined and delicious dishes in only 40 minutes. Home reared Shetland Beef Fillet with a herb and pistachio crust with crushed new potatoes, wild garlic, and braised red cabbage showcased Paul’s Slow Food ethos using the freshest local produce to create delicious contemporary takes on traditional dishes, and mackerel with homegrown rhubarb and couscous was the most delicate and delectable summer inspiration.

David Jackson, Royal Highland Show Manager, commented;

The food and drink offering at the Royal Highland Show has become a firm fixture for visitors and illustrates the growing interest in food and how it is produced. The Royal Highland Show provides a unique platform for the food industry to meet their customers, and for consumers to understand the passion that goes into creating great tasting food and drink from the chefs and experts themselves. It is very important to support the chefs who source top quality, local and fresh produce from throughout the country.

Paul and his wife Rebecca run Thyme at Errichel in conjunction with Errichel House and Cottages, a unique destination for guests to enjoy the best of the Perthshire countryside in contemporary five-star luxury combined with Paul’s exceptional menus.

Visit their website for full details of Errichel House and Restaurant.

Leave a Reply