Deelicious
Deelicious is the new quarterly magazine showcasing the food and drink of Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms which was launched in the Summer of 2010. The latest edition can be viewed by viewing our Royal Deeside Larder pages or clicking here You can view it online using our page turning software or download it as a PDF.
What is it about the food in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms that makes it so special? With its outstanding natural beauty and rich diversity of wildlife, the region is scattered with traditional Scottish estates, including Invercauld, Glen Tanar and Balmoral. It’s no surprise then that the menus of most of the Deeside eateries feature so much high quality meat and game.
The River Dee and its tributaries, which carve their way through the landscape, are teaming with salmon and sea trout at certain times of the year. Using locally sourced ingredients, many of which are organic, ensure that the dishes created are the ultimate taste sensation – as well as having the added benefit of supporting local farmers, fishermen and gamekeepers.
The diversity of eateries on offer in Deeside is excellent, from tasty pub grub at a country coaching inn to a fine dining experience in an award winning hotel or restaurant. Friendly tea rooms can be found in the towns and villages offering some of the best home bakes you will sample. Whatever your budget or taste, you’ll find that the warm Scottish welcome you receive is customary.
The Raemoir House Hotel is a Georgian jewel with a high superb menu. Now under the management of Neil and Julie Rae who also own The Milton of Crathes, Raemoir House is a quality destination in Royal Deeside!
With numerous accolades under its belt, including three rosettes for culinary excellence and recommendations from The Good Food Guide, Eat Scotland and Michelin to name just a few, The Green Inn in Ballater is a hidden gem. The produce used here reflects the seasons and what’s available locally with popular dishes including succulent roe deer and fresh partridge sourced from the Greenhill Estate. Head chef Chris O'Halloran trained at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Raymond Blanc's renowned Hotel near Oxford – what better reference could a restaurant have?
A few minutes walk up Bridge Street to Braemar Road is the Auld Kirk offering equally delicious food in a distinctly unusual setting – a Victorian Scottish Free Church building. Committed to using the best from Deeside’s larder specialities include, duo of cured game with venison sourced from a local estate and roast loin of Aberdeenshire lamb. Dinner at the Auld Kirk, which recently gained its second AA Rosette, is served in the ’Spirit Restaurant’ – a room with high vaulted ceilings, cathedral windows and ornate chandeliers.
At Banchory Lodge, a Georgian mansion house, the efforts made to trace every single ingredient from land to table highlights passion and commitment to Scottish produce. The Riverview Dining Room is ideal for pure indulgence and if you’re looking for an afternoon tea to remember – with delicately cut sandwiches and fine tray bakes – Banchory Lodge has turned this tradition into an art.
Many of the Deeside hotels and restaurants rely on reputable suppliers for their produce, such as Ballater butchers shop, HM Sheridan, which has been granted three Royal Warrants and supplies The Royal Household when in residence. Its beef, pork and lamb are sourced from farmers locally and its venison, pigeon, pheasant, rabbit and partridge is purchased from the local estates.
A natural environment, the fresh local ingredients and the outstanding chefs combine to ensure eating out in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms is a vibrant, exciting and wholesome experience.
Look out for special Royal Deeside Food events taking place in 2011 which are currently being arranged. Please check back on the web site for full details.