Top Chefs Unite to Showcase Scotch Lamb on St Andrews Menu

Scotch Lamb was the centrepiece of a culinary sensation created by a team of four top St Andrews chefs, working in collaboration for the first time.

The four chefs – from Old Course, St Andrews Links, Fairmont St Andrews and Rufflets – worked together in the kitchen of the five star Old Course Hotel to create the menu to celebrate St Andrew’s Day. They were supported by staff and students from Adam Smith College which has just been named as the host of the Scottish Junior Culinary team.

Martin Hollis, Executive Chef at The Old Course Hotel, described the Scotch Lamb main course dish as “Fife on a plate”. The dish was comprised of herb crusted lamb, braised neck fillet with sweetbread bon-bon together with red wine glazed turnip, kale, fondant potatoes and a roast garlic jus.

During the evening, attended by around 100 people, Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing with Quality Meat Scotland gave the gathering a “tutored tasting” of Scotch Lamb. After setting the scene of the history of lamb in Scotland and its importance in Scottish culture, Mr Vernet also highlighted the difference between Scotch Lamb, with its quality assurance and guarantee of origin, and Scottish lamb. Mr Vernet also highlighted the value of Scotch Lamb’s important PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status. He then talked through the different tastes of four different samples of Scotch Lamb from animals of different ages and breeds.

Daniel Periera, General Manager at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa, congratulated those involved in the initiative and Martin for his enthusiasm. "Martin has real passion and is a member of the Academy of Culinary Arts as well as the Federation of Chefs Scotland. He is part of TeamGB competing for the Bocuse d'Or in France next year and has been a driving force behind this collaborative event."

Mr Periera added: "Martin believes the ingredients we have on our doorstep are among the world's best and it was an honour for our resort and team to work with fellow chefs across St Andrews to create and serve the inaugural St Andrews Food and Drink Festival dinner."

National Sheep Association development officer, George Milne, also a sheep farmer from Fife, joined  Laurent Vernet and the talented chefs in the kitchen of the Old Course Hotel to hear more about the collaboration. Despite so many chefs working together in one kitchen, the preparations went extremely smoothly.

The event was part of the St Andrews Food and Drink Festival, a collaboration between the Fife Food Network's "Food from Fife" initiative and Visit St Andrews.

Pictured in the Old Course kitchen are Martin Hollis, The Old Course Hotel, George Milne, Fife sheep farmer and development officer for the National Sheep Association,  Alan Matthew, Fairmont St Andrews, David Kinnes, Rufflets and  Laurent Vernet, Quality Meat Scotland. The chef absent from the picture is Ian MacDonald of St Andrews Links.