Tag: food and drink

Edinburgh Hotel Chef’s Recipe for Success

AN EDINBURGH hotel chef who fed thousands of NHS workers during the Coronavirus pandemic reveals how they helped fuel frontline medics.

Alan Dickson, Executive Chef at Surgeons Quarter, was part of the star hospitality team which kept Ten Hill Place Hotel open to accommodate NHS workers for free in March and April.

At the beginning, Alan took the decision to strip the usual menus back, focusing on ensuring the team had enough tinned goods, flour, and yeast to last them six weeks.

Alan, who lives in Edinburgh, said: “Working in the kitchen was instantly different – there were three chefs on rotation with only one working at a time. We brought in new health and safety precautions immediately, we couldn’t take any risks with the NHS staff who were staying with us.

“Like most people, we didn’t really know what we were about to face at the start of the pandemic. We knew fresh fish and meats would be a little more difficult to get, so we redesigned the menu around what we had available.

“As we got to know NHS workers by name and regularly caught up with them after their hectic shifts, we began to appreciate how much many of them were missing their home comforts, so we changed our menus accordingly.

“We served lots of chicken curry, lasagnes – the type of home cooked meals you’d have with your family. It meant a lot to us to be able to provide some sort of support to the people at the very front of this pandemic.”

The Hotel, which is owned by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, took the decision to provide more than 2,000 nights of free accommodation and meals for frontline medics working at Edinburgh’s hospitals.

Alan was thrilled with the small part Ten Hill Place staff played in providing respite to hardworking frontline staff.

He continuued: “There wasn’t much we could do, but like everyone else we wanted to help in the one way we could – with our food and expertise. Our guests were fantastic, they were so grateful for the opportunity to stay nearby the hospitals between shifts.

“Our suppliers were also brilliant at communicating with us. We worked with one amazing butcher and one fruit and veg supplier – Campbells Prime Meat and Mark Murphy Fruit and Veg – who were able to source what we needed.

“We ended up sourcing around 200kg of sausages, and 200kg of bacon for cooked breakfasts – as well as providing healthy packs our medics could take to work, with fruit, yoghurt and water bottles.”

Alan joined Ten Hill Place in 2014 and was awarded Hotel Chef of the Year 2017 at the Scottish Hotel Awards.

The hotel reopened on 15 July in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Cafe 1505 and Drinks & Dining at Ten Hill Place Hotel are both taking part in the Eat Out to Dine Out scheme for the duration of August.

Guests can receive 50% off their bill in the cafe or the restaurant, to a maximum value of £10, at any time from Monday – Wednesday.

Profits from the Hotel go towards the College’s charitable objectives of improving access to surgery and saving lives worldwide.

Ten Hill Place Hotel gave a total of 2,137 free room nights to NHS staff working in Edinburgh’s hospitals between March – May this year.

Eat Out to Help Out launches today

Diners across the UK will see their restaurant bills slashed by as much as 50% from today as the UK government’s landmark Eat Out to Help Out scheme officially opens for business.

  • from today customers will get up to 50% off on bills when visiting participating restaurants, pubs and cafes
  • half price discount will run through August and applies to all food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises – with Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and Nando’s among thousands signed up
  • the scheme, part of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs, aims to protect jobs in the hospitality sector – which has been hit hard by coronavirus

Anyone visiting a participating restaurant, café or pub on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August will receive the half price discount – keeping more money in hardworking families’ pockets and giving a vital boost to the UK’s hospitality sector.

The scheme – part of the government’s Plan for Jobs that will spur the country’s economic recovery from coronavirus – applies to all food and non-alcoholic drinks, with a maximum discount per person of £10. It could save a family of four up to £40 per meal.

More than 72,000 establishments are participating, including independent eateries and family favourites such as Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and Nando’s.

There have already been over 3.3 million hits on the Eat Out to Help Out restaurant finder since it launched last week, which shows what businesses are participating in local areas, and many restaurants have since seen a boost in bookings. Apps like Opentable, Fork and Bookatable are all planning pages to support the scheme.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “Our Eat Out to Help Out scheme’s number one aim is to help protect the jobs of 1.8 million chefs, waiters and restaurateurs by boosting demand and getting customers through the door.

“More than 72,000 establishments will be serving discounted meals across the country, with the government paying half the bill. The industry is a vital ingredient to our economy and it’s been hit hard by coronavirus, so enjoy summer safely by showing your favourite places your support – we’ll pay half.”

The scheme will help protect the jobs of the hospitality industry’s 1.8 million employees by encouraging people to safely return to their local restaurants, cafes and pubs where social-distancing rules allow.

Around 80% of hospitality firms stopped trading in April, with 1.4 million workers furloughed, the highest of any sector.

Many participating restaurants offer healthy and low-calorie options, and the scheme should be enjoyed as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. No vouchers are needed, with the participating establishment deducting 50% from the bill.

People may be worried about returning to eat out. To address these concerns, businesses have prepared to become Covid-secure through, for example, protective screens, contactless payments, social distancing, one way walking systems, online bookings and reduced capacity.

The Eat Out to Help Out scheme is one part of the Chancellor’s £30 billion Plan for Jobs, announced last month. Other measures announced to protect, support and create jobs include cutting VAT for tourism and hospitality by 15%, a £2 billion Kickstart Scheme and an £8.8 billion investment in new infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects.

Blind shoppers will get priority access to Iceland delivery slots

Blind and partially sighted people in Scotland who have been struggling to get food and groceries will now be offered priority access to online delivery slots from Iceland stores.

Where appropriate, those in need of support will be given an individualised code that will let them book available delivery slots on Thursday mornings between 9 and 10am, before other shoppers.

The move is intended to help those people with sight loss facing persistent difficulties accessing food, who have no available support from others, and live in a postcode area serviced by an Iceland store. Iceland currently operates within 22 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, including Edinburgh.

Sight loss charity RNIB Scotland said the move will be welcomed by many blind and partially sighted people living alone.

“Some people with sight loss have experienced a very anxious past three months,” said director James Adams. “As we entered lockdown the competition for delivery slots has increased, and many of our members reported that they were struggling to get access to their usual reliable supermarket delivery.

“This has been compounded by social distancing measures which are largely laid out with visual signs and markers, making it more difficult for people with sight loss to navigate shops safely. This move by Iceland will be a relief to many blind and partially shoppers.”

In a UK-wide survey undertaken by RNIB in May, 67 per cent of respondents had experienced difficulty finding a supermarket delivery slot, and three in four reported being very or quite concerned about getting access to food.

Since the lockdown began in March, RNIB has pressed government and supermarket chains to add blind and partially sighted people to their priority delivery lists.

Anyone with sight loss struggling to access food can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 between 8am and 8pm Monday-Friday and 9am and 5pm on Saturday and will be directed to the most suitable option in their local area.

Heart Research UK Healthy tip: Healthy eating in older age

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written and by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Healthy Eating in Older Age

It is sometimes believed that older adults (65 years or over) do not need to eat as much because they may be less physically active than younger adults. However, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet is important for maintaining good health at all ages. Older adults are vulnerable to malnutrition and it is recommended that they eat the same amount as younger adults. We have some tips for eating well and looking after your heart in older age.

Keep an eye on your weight

The best way to know if you are eating too much or too little is to monitor your weight over time and check if your weight is stable. If you are losing weight without trying, you should speak to your GP.

Stay hydrated

Dehydration can occur when you lose more fluid through sweating and urination than you consume. Dehydration is a common problem in older adults. Try to drink 6 to 8 glasses or cups of non-alcoholic fluid every day, such as water, tea and coffee. Keeping hydrated can reduce your risk of a heart attack, while helping you to maintain your cognitive ability.

Get enough fibre

Constipation is a problem for many people in later life. Try to prevent constipation by staying physically active, keeping hydrated and eating foods that are high in fibre. Foods that are high in fibre, such as fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread, wholemeal breakfast cereals and brown rice, play an important role in reducing your cholesterol and keeping your heart healthy.

Include good sources of protein every day

Eating adequate amounts of foods that are high in protein, as well as getting plenty of physical activity, can help to prevent muscle loss in older age. Good sources of protein include chicken or turkey, canned tuna, soybeans, tofu, eggs and dairy products. If you eat fish, try to eat two portions each week, one of which should be an oily fish, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Include plenty of fruit and veg

Aim to have at least five portions of fruit and veg every day. Fruit and veg are packed with nutrients and fibre to help keep your heart healthy. Fresh, tinned, frozen and dried fruit and veg all count towards your five a day and you can count one glass of fresh juice as a portion.

Aldi partners with The Old Curiosity Distillery to launch new premium gin

Aldi has partnered with Edinburgh-based The Old Curiosity Distillery to launch a new small-batch premium gin which will be available from all 92 Aldi stores across Scotland. 

The luxury spirit is set to delight aficionados across the country, who can now enjoy a deliciously pure, premium gin at the excellent price of just £19.99 (70cl, 40% ABV). 

Eidyn (pronounced ee-din), named after the Scottish Gaelic for Edinburgh, has been developed exclusively for Aldi by The Old Curiosity Distillery, which is nestled in the lowlands below the Pentland Hills, just to the south of Edinburgh.  

Famed for its captivating ‘Secret Garden’, home to over a thousand juniper bushes and more than five hundred different botanicals, The Old Curiosity Distillery was founded by renowned Scottish herbologist Hamish Martin.

The distillery uses a base spirit, which is then carefully blended with botanicals that are grown, picked and dried by hand, from their Secret Herb Garden, to create this outstanding natural product. 

The exceptional quality and purity of this gin will shine through and is best served with a light tonic, a slice of lemon and a sprig of lemon thyme.

Eidyn has been lovingly blended with lemon thyme and lemon balm botanicals which produce fresh citrus notes followed by a crisp juniper finish. The stunning bottle, sure to take pride of place in any gin lover’s collection, features a striking turquoise and gold label, with the clear glass bottle etched with key herbs and botanicals featured in the liquid. 

Hamish Martin, Director at The Old Curiosity Distillery, commented: “We’re thrilled to be working with Aldi to create a new and truly unique, premium gin. We are a family business and we put our passion and love into everything that we do, and we believe that comes through in the quality of the products that we create”.

“What makes Eidyn so special is the unique blend of fresh lemon thyme and dried lemon balm, juniper, angelica, winter savory and coriander, all of which are grown right here in our Secret Herb Garden using no chemicals what-so-ever to ensure the true essence of these fantastic botanicals are infused into every bottle”.

“I love growing the botanics with all my heart, and I’ve loved creating this new gin for Aldi. I truly hope their customers enjoy it.”

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said: “It has been a long-term ambition of ours to partner with a leading Scottish distillery to develop a new, premium gin that will form part of our core range across Scotland. 

“We are extremely proud to launch Eidyn Gin, which we know can happily hold its own amongst the leading gins across the country, while carrying an exceptionally competitive price. It’s been a real privilege working alongside The Old Curiosity Gin on this project, and witness the skill, care and passion that has gone into crafting this delicious gin.” 

Eidyn perfect serves

G&T

– 50ml Eidyn Gin

– Low sugar tonic

Garnish:  lemon slice and lemon thyme

Cocktail: ‘The South Eidyn Fizz’

– 50ml Eidyn Gin

– 25ml fresh lemon juice

– 12.5ml Elderflower cordial

– Club soda

– 8 mint leaves

Method:  Place the mint leaves in the bottom of the shaker and lightly muddle. Add the gin, lemon juice and Elderflower cordial into the shaker and shake for 10 seconds until chilled. Double strain the liquid into a highball glass over cubed ice and garnish with mint sprig.

Al fresco dining must not come at the expense of pedestrians

Disabled people and young families risk being inconvenienced by outdoor restaurants as businesses start to take to the footway, says Living Streets Scotland.

Planning law allows for the temporary use of land for up to 28 days without the need to make an application for planning permission, which means an Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs is unlikely to be undertaken. Such an assessment helps to understand and mitigate impacts on people with disabilities.

Penny Morriss, Project Manager, Living Streets Scotland said: “Al fresco dining has the potential to bring our streets to life, creating vibr ant spaces where people want to spend time. However, it must not come at the expense of pedestrians.

“Many of our footways are already too narrow for everyone to be able to practise physical distancing and for people with wheelchairs, buggies or those living with sight loss to manoeuvre safely.

“Town and cities across the Scotland have been investing in trials to create more space for people walking, including widening pavements and closing certain streets to traffic. We should not undo all this great work and investment by crowding pavements with tables and chairs at the expense of the people who need to use them.

“Equality Impact Assessments are incredibly important to ensure the needs of disabled people are considered and recommended in Scottish Government guidance as part of the response to COVID 19. Footways should only be an option where there is at least two metres of space once the furniture and customers are accounted for. Car parks, terraces and parking spaces are great alternatives for temporary beer gardens and eating spaces.”

Morrisons launches family recipe box delivery service with five meals for £30

Morrisons has launched a food box that offers families the ingredients for five meals together with simple recipes describing how to cook them … and all for just £30, including delivery.

The family recipe box – called Five Meals to Feed a Family of Four – is designed to provide quick, easy and affordable homemade meals that families can cook from scratch at home.

Each is designed to be served in the evenings and make mealtimes a social, family experience.

The launch comes after a study released earlier in July showed an increase in family dinners during lockdown, with shared family mealtimes being cited as positive for mental health and social wellbeing[1].

Priced at £30, including next-day or nominated day delivery, the Morrisons family recipe box works out at just £1.50 per meal per head. Other similar boxes on the market cost upwards of £50 for the same number of meals and customers can save up to 78 per cent on the cost of the meals per serving by choosing Morrisons[2].

Unlike other recipe boxes, the Morrisons family recipe box contains full retail-sized packs of ingredients. This means customers will also have ingredients left over at the end of the week – which they can use to cook more meals. 

The box is ideal for families that enjoy preparing meals from scratch and is also a great way to get children involved cooking at home.   

Tessa Callaghan Head of Food Boxes at Morrisons said: “Many of our customers enjoy eating meals as a family and we have seen customers do this more during the pandemic. It can be difficult to constantly cook up new dishes that please everyone. So, we wanted to create a great value box that contained high-quality produce and recipe cards – to make it easier to try new things.”

Recipes that are included in the Morrisons Five Meals to Feed a Family of Four box are:

  • Classic Spaghetti Bolognese
  • Veggie Pasta Bake
  • Rosti Topped Cottage Pie
  • Sausage Tray Bake
  • Mixed Bean Chilli with Wedges

The box contains 22 different products and weighs 14kg. The contents represent a saving on normal Morrisons instore prices, even with next day delivery included.

Morrisons has sold tens of thousands of food boxes. Customers can now choose from 15 varieties including; a Vegetarian Food Box, Gluten Free Food Box, BBQ Food Box, Market Kitchen Takeaway Favourites Box and British Farmers Food Box. For more information, visit: morrisons.com/food-boxes.

The Morrisons Five Meals to Feed a Family of Four is available to buy via www.morrisons.com/food-boxes from Wednesday 15 July. Orders placed before 3pm can be delivered next day.

#ItsMoreThanOurJob

Scotmid delivers snappy shopping service

Residents across Edinburgh can now order food, drink and other essential items and have them delivered to their door within an hour, following the roll out of a speedy shopping service by a leading convenience retailer.

Scotmid is launching its popular Snappy Shopper service in the capital, bringing the online shopping opportunity to the fingertips of more than 500,000 residents.

Customers can order from a range of over 1000 product lines, via the Snappy Shopper app or at www.snappyshopper.co.uk, which are then picked, packed and delivered by Scotmid staff, to their home, within an hour. 

Products have been selected to cater for a range of dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free and include products from Scottish suppliers such as Barrs, Golden Wonder, Tunnocks and Mackies.

Delivery slots are made available every 24 hours and booked on a first come, first served basis. The concept stands Scotmid apart from other, larger retailers, whose online home delivery services are often booked up days in advance.

Kevin Plant, Head of Food at Scotmid, said: “We are really excited to serve our customers in Edinburgh with our new Snappy Shopper service.

“Our core purpose as a business is to serve our communities and improve people`s everyday lives and our Snappy Shopper service enables Scotmid customers to access great products from the comfort of their own home.”

Snappy Shopper has proved particularly valuable to many individuals and families during lockdown. For those who were shielding, considered high risk or who found it hard to get to the shops, the online service has provided a quick and easy means of acquiring their essential items.

The launch follows highly successful pilots in West Lothian, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire and supports Scotmid’s ambitions to lead the way in Scotland for fast, convenient shopping, tied in with its core value of serving communities. 

Stewart Dobbie, Head of Innovation and Change at Scotmid, said: “Snappy Shopper is enabling us to provide on-demand, simple, digital convenience to our customers and the positive feedback we receive daily  from customers in areas where Snappy Shopper is in place supported our decision to expand the offering.

“Our move into the capital marks the next step in our drive to enhance our Food offering to existing and new customers.”

The first delivery for every customer is free when they sign up on the app, with subsequent deliveries across Edinburgh costing just £3.50. There is a £10 minimum basket spend with a limit of 25 products per delivery.

Customers can order for delivery within an hour between 10am to 9pm.

STUC warns hospitality employers not to pass the burden onto workers as businesses reopen

Edinburgh pub worker calls on hospitality staff to join a union

Commenting on the re-opening of indoors hospitality, Roz Foyer, General Secretary of the STUC has reminded employers that workers are preparing to resist detrimental changes to contracts and conditions associated with the safe return to work.

Roz Foyer said: “Indoor hospitality re-opening safely depends on changes to working conditions. But these must not be allowed to come at a cost to workers.

“Workers are the heart of hospitality, but for too long employers have been able to pass the unstable condition of the industry onto their staff.

“We will not forget the businesses who refused to furlough their staff during this pandemic, and who have treated workers callously with attempts to make them sign away their terms and conditions in order to ringfence profit or prevent unexpected costs.

“From cafes like Coias in Dennistoun to cinema chains like Cineworld, workers have come together to win their demands in the return to work period.

“If you are asked to work differently or to sign a new contract, don’t accept, delay, and work out with your colleagues whether you are happy with the proposal. Then join a union and take action.”

Matthew Waddell, 19, who returned to work at the Diggers pub yesterday, urged workers to be prepared to resist the prospect of changes to work and conditions.

He said: “The incoming economic crisis should be a call to all workers to join unions, unionise their workplaces and make sure those unions are active.

“The precarious nature of hospitality work and the effect a COVID recession will have on it makes unionisation all the more urgent.

“The Better Than Zero campaign against precarious work is on hand to give guidance and support for hospitality workers and any other workers who do not have unions.”

Morrisons introduces Food Parcels for customers to donate to food banks

  • Customers can purchase pre-packed bags of groceries designed around the needs of local food banks
  • Move follows £10m initial donation from the supermarket at the start of the pandemic –

Morrisons is making it easier for its customers to feed people in need by launching food parcels that can be bought and then donated at the checkout.

Food banks are often overwhelmed by products such as rice and pasta and short of other items that people actually need.

The supermarket’s new ‘Pick Up Packs’ cost between £1 and £3 and contain a mix of food products that have been requested by the local food bank based on their local needs.

The packs are the brainchild of Morrisons colleague Michelle Leary from Basingstoke, who noticed that customers struggled with what to donate to food banks.

The pre-packed parcels mean that customers don’t need to spend time browsing the shelves for items to donate. After a successful trial, they are now being rolled out nationally.

Customers can easily pick one up at the start of their shop and pay for it at the till with the rest of their shopping. The pack is then put aside and collected by volunteers working for the food bank.

Rebecca Singleton, Community Director at Morrisons, said: “The UK’s food banks are a lifeline for the most vulnerable in our communities and these parcels are an easy way to donate to them. At Morrisons, we want to play our full part in feeding the nation and ensure nobody gets left behind.”

The ‘Pick Up Pack’ initiative is part of Morrisons drive to restock Britain’s food banks and continue feeding the nation, particularly those who are vulnerable and struggling with the economic fallout of COVID-19.

Additionally, Morrisons, in partnership with the Trussell Trust, has also become the first UK supermarket to trial an online donation mechanism that goes straight into the pockets of local food banks.

Customers can purchase £10 vouchers on the Morrisons Food Boxes website (http://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes) which gets sent directly to a local food bank of their choice.  The online scheme was initially piloted with 5 local food banks and has now been rolled out to 50 nationally.

For more information, visit www.morrisons.co.uk.

#ItsMoreThanOurJob