Food Drink & Travel in Scotland

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Weekly Wrap - August No 2

BIG BURRITO

It’s Afternoon Tea week (10-16th August). Have you enjoyed an Afternoon Tea recently? Where did you go? Here is my list of some of the best Afternoon Teas in Edinburgh. www.tartanspoon.co.uk/best-afternoon-tea-edinburgh. Do check that they are open for business though. If you don’t fancy heading out for Afternoon Tea, these following places deliver or you can collect.

This Sunday is International Rum Day, 16th August. I was lucky enough to visit a fair few rum distilleries in Barbados. What’s your favourite rum and will you be having a tipple on Sunday?

TARTANSPOON WEEKLY WRAP - NEWS FOR YOU TO DIGEST

FOOD

Afternoon Tea, The Stair Arms Hotel, Pathhead - have a drive thru take-away Afternoon Tea available. Read my review here

Brewhemia, Edinburgh - Edinburgh’s hottest live entertainment spot reopens 27th August with lots of food and drink offerings, live music and Oktoberfest! Check out their facebook page for more info

Nova Pizza, Stockbridge, Edinburgh - opened on Thursday 13th August and their menu is full on vegan! Yes, 100% plant based Italian food including 10 plant based pizzas and plenty meat free pasta combos.

Woodland Creatures, Edinburgh - their Endless Monday Mac n Cheese for £10 offering now includes Tuesdays until the end of August, which means that using your Eat Out To Help Out discount you get it for a FIVER!

Mimi’s Bakery, Edinburgh - the secret is out. They are set to open their 5th venue at Lauriston castle soon. Congrats!

Noto, Edinburgh - turns 1 this week. What a year it’s been but we’re glad you are back and still here. Congratulations!

DRINKS

Sea Change Wines - Every bottle of Seachange helps fund vital Ocean conservation around the world helping to protect fragile eco~systems and minimising plastic pollution. I ❤️ this. Bottles cost around £9.99 or better offers on multiple bottle buys. www.seachangewine.com

Whisky Sour Day - celebrated every year in America on the 25th August. This iconic cocktail is delicious, easy to create and perfect to enjoy on a hot Summer evening. J&B Rare has created their own twist on this classic cocktail - The J&B Sinatra Sour, named after Frank Sinatra, who was part of the infamous Hollywood ‘Rat Pack’ and was known to enjoy J&B Rare in their heyday.

Ingredients: 35ml J&B Rare, 10ml lemon juice, 10ml sugar syrup, 15ml pasteurised egg white and 3 dashes Angostura Bitters, Maraschino cherries.

Method: add all the ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and fine strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a black cherry, preferably a Maraschino cherry.

Boodles Gin - for a twist on Afternoon Tea, the Boodles Butler gives you tips on how to up your AT game and suggests swapping out the usual tea and fizz for some refreshing gin cocktails. These cocktails are made in tea-pots using the range of Boodles British Gin, including the Rhubarb & Strawberry and Mulberry variants and are an essential component to the perfect high tea.

Rhuby Martinez (a fruity number) : 150ml Boodles Rhubarb & Strawberry Gin, 60ml sweet vermouth, 20ml maraschino liqueur

Combine all of the ingredients in a teapot. Fill a teacup with ice. Stir and strain ingredients into teacup. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Smokehead - this Islay Single Malt Whisky unleashes brand-new bottling Smokehead Rum Rebel for International Rum Day August 16th. The rich, smoky, salty Islay whisky rebel is finished in spicy, sweet Caribbean rum casks creating culture colliding carnage and a melding of mouth-watering tastes. Bold and boisterous as ever, Smokehead is disrupting International Rum Day with a tantalising twist on the humdrum for rum fans, beckoning them to the Smokehead whisky dark side.

The Smokito : 50ml Smokehead Rum Rebel, 25ml lime juice mixed with 25ml water, 2 teaspoons sugar, fresh mint, few flakes smoked Maldon sea salt.

Add mint and sugar to the glass and stir for 2 minutes. Add the lime and water and stir for a further minute until all the sugar has dissolved. Add ice and pour the Smokehead into your highball glass. Sprinkle with a few flakes of smoked Maldon sea salt and enjoy!

Sassenach Whisky - fans of Outlander and Sam Heughan will be excited about this. Sassenaugh whisky will be available in the US and UK from November this year.

Whisky Row - a new whisky for Edinburgh. Whisky Row is a blended malt combining whiskies from 3 whisky regions namely Islay (Smoke and Peat), Speyside (Rich and Spicy) and Highlands (Smooth and Sweet). Leith was once the beating heart of Edinburgh’s whisky district, with its 100 warehouses boasting the world’s largest stock of whisky, including the forefathers of many of today’s famous brands. However, after the industry and port declined, even Leith’s whisky-inspired street names vanished – until now. We’re putting Whisky Row back on the map and resurrecting exquisite flavours from a bygone era. From smooth and sweet, rich and spicy to smoke and peat, Whisky Row covers the many flavours of Scotch whisky – and offers sublime spirits for everyday enjoyment and moments of celebration. It's history in a bottle.

Tennents Training Academy, Glasgow - remains closed for the foreseeable future. All their leisure and cook school courses, as well as, professional and trade qualifications will remain closed too. We hope they manage to open soon.

Bristo Square, Edinburgh - even without the legendary Fringe happening this year, Bristo Square has opened with socially distanced tables and chairs, and coverings from our Scottish Summer weather. You’ll find plenty of food and drink here, 7 days a week but you have to book at time slot on their website www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/events/11200/15209

Market on the Croft, Leith Links, Edinburgh - Leith Crops in Pots brings you another great Farmers Market this Sunday 16th August. Crops in Pots’ purpose is to encourage and support the people and organisations of Leith to grow food vegetables, and flowers for bees, in urban spaces.

That’s all for this week folks. You if you know small food, drink and accommodation businesses that would like a shout out, please do let them know to get in contact.

Have a great weekend folks!

Adele x