Scotsman food writer wins a Michelin star

WITH a population of just 12,000 and only a handful of restaurants, it would be understandable if Skye barely registered on a gastronomic map.

But yesterday, one of the island's restaurants confirmed Skye's growing reputation with the award of a coveted Michelin star.

Kinloch Lodge, owned by The Scotsman food writer Claire Macdonald, claimed the prestigious accolade, along with two other restaurants: the Peat Inn near Cupar, Fife, and 21212 in Edinburgh's Royal Terrace.

The three new Michelin stars bring Scotland's total to 15 out of the 140 in the UK. Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles remains the only venue in Scotland with two stars.

Skye's success, however, only served to highlight the dearth of the awards in Glasgow, with the city once again missing out.

Marcello Tully, head chef at Kinloch Lodge for two years, said he was overwhelmed at the news.

"With our location being so remote, we had to wonder whether anyone was even inspecting us. The fresh produce and raw materials on Skye are second to none; they are a chef's paradise."

Mr Tully, who trained under the Roux brothers in London, uses a special vacuum-pack "souvide" method to cook some of his signature dishes.

"We use a vacuum-sealing machine to remove the air from foods like sauces and mousses before we cook them," he explained. "Basically, it's like gourmet boil-in-a-bag."

However, there was some disappointment as one of Skye's best-known restaurants, the Three Chimneys, missed out on an award.

21212 is Edinburgh's fifth restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star, making the capital the most decorated city in the UK after London.

Paul Kitching, Head chef at 21212, said: "We've been quite exuberant with our design here, and I'm glad because this proves that the food stands up."

Glasgow has been without a Michelin star since 2003, when the Gordon Ramsay-owned Amaryllis lost its award.

Food critics and restaurateurs were unsurprised at the city's continuing omission. Donald Reid, the food and drink editor at The List magazine, said not many restaurants in Glasgow coveted such a rating.

Mr Reid said: "The Michelin system overlooks some very good middle-of-the-road restaurants, which is what the market in Glasgow likes – anything above that risks being considered pretentious.

"What people also have to remember is that ten years ago Edinburgh had no Michelin stars, either, so don't write Glasgow off forever."

But David Maguire, chief executive of the Glasgow Restaurateurs Association, said: "You only have to look at the success of the two-Michelin-star Gleneagles restaurant, and the amount of west coast people who travel there, to see that a Michelin restaurant is a viable option in Glasgow."