Chef William Smith of Skye's Three Chimneys
Ted Flett of VisitBritain with
Claire Dickson, visiting Canada from VisitScotland
Oh! So that's where you park your sporran (a sort of purse Scottish lads wear with their kilts) when you are in the kitchen!
Ah, is there anything sweeter than a yummy chef cooking you a meal before your very eyes? Then making you laugh as you learn about his island home in Skye – not to mention the details about the wearing of the kilt!
Better than a poster of Loch Ness or a bevy of bagpipes, chef Michael Smith of Skye’s Three Chimneys resto proved to be a wonderful ambassador for Scotland as he cooked up a great lunch at Dish Cooking Studio in T.O. “We shout out our pride in being as Scottish as possible,” is how he puts it. And on the menu? Leek and potato soup (“Or if you want to be posh, vichyssoise”) garnished with crumbled black sausage, followed by plump scallops served on a bed of ham and split pea puree. Delish!
The good word, according to Denise Hill, head of international marketing for VisitScotland, is that Scotland is about more than whisky and salmon. “The quality of the food is fantastic and we now take tremendous pride in our restaurant scene.”
As does award-winning Smith, who offers six hotel rooms at the Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye. At £249 per room (B+B) it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s always sold out to folks who love the remoteness, the calm, the hiking and fishing - and the great food, including the showcase “Seven Courses of Skye” meal at £80. And now clients can even access all that great relaxation more easily: Skye is connected to the mainland by a bridge!
Obviously the folks at VisitScotland are hoping that even more than the average 100,000 Canucks per year will visit in 2011. Sure, a full quarter of those go in search of their Scottish roots, but it looks like more and more will be heading for the restos and bistros which are showcasing delicious Scottish fare.
p.s. Oh, and about the kilt? Smith told me that every Scot who is proud of his family has a kilt in his closet – no mean feat when the investment for the whole regalia can exceed £1,000. And you wear the tartan of your mother’s name. And there are “daytime” and “dress” versions. There you go: (almost) everything you wanted to know about the wearing of the kilt!
