26/01/2007

“My choice and that of my wife Frances and daughters Flora and Chloe – as they are my accomplices in adventurous eating – would be the Steam Packet Inn, on the Isle of Whithorn, in Dumfries and Galloway. This is a magical family-run business, which has a physical setting to die for, and the Scoulars have cleverly managed to capture their local atmosphere in the quality of the food they offer. I am lover of seafood, the scarier the better, and at the Steamy P (as it is more affectionately known) Manx fishermen bring a fresh catch to the door every day. However, a good lobster or Dover Sole would be nothing if it wasn’t cooked and served correctly. The Scoulars never gild the lily, preferring to use simple butter and a little lemon to let the quality speak for itself. Surrounded by some of the finest farmland in Scotland, you can also tuck in to a prime piece of Galloway fillet steak; a great collection of Scottish cheeses or a homemade bramble and apple crumble with locally produced ice-cream. It makes you feel that you are ‘at one’ with your environment. This is the kind of meal that starts as a simple lunch and ends with a discussion about whether there is a little cottage you can purchase close by!”
 
Angus Ferguson is managing director of Demijohn liquid deli, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, which specializes in wine, spirits, oils and flavoursome vinegars from around the world that can be tasted and bottled on the premises.