30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Nick Nairn celebrates 25 years of Scotland's first cook school
On Saturday July 5 and Sunday July, 6, the Cook School at Port of Menteith will host a seafood festival weekend. Chef Andy Turnbull returns to the outdoor kitchen with a fresh seafood bar, serving a market-led menu from 12 noon each day, while renowned fishmonger and restaurateur Willie Little will join Nick in the kitchen to deliver a series of short, informal masterclasses and demonstrations across the weekend.
Looking ahead, the Cook School continues to welcome some of the UK's top culinary talent as part of its guest chef Long Table Dining series.
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This year, Nick Nairn's Cook School has hosted celebrated chefs including Atul Kochhar and Phil Vickery. The next event features Nick alongside Tony Singh on Wednesday, August 6, Michael Smith on Tuesday, November 25, Gary Usher on Wednesday, November 26.
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, a special dinner will also reunite much-loved chefs John Webber and Alan Mathieson, who helped open the Cook School, for one night only. Together, they'll reimagine classic Cook School dishes in a story-filled evening on September 5.
What began in 1999 as a modest series of lunchtime demos in a converted piggery on the Nairn family estate has grown into a 'landmark of Scottish food education'.
Today, the Cook School continues to evolve under the stewardship of Nick and Julia Nairn. The new era welcomes smaller, more personalised classes, and globally inspired menus.
The Cook School continues to evolve under the stewardship of Nick and Julia Nairn (Image: MARTIN J WINDEBANK)
Nick Nairn said: 'It's amazing to look back and see how far we've come. The idea for the Cook School started in the tiny kitchen at Braeval, where my sous chef Dan and I cooked and demonstrated lunch for just 10 people. That early spark grew into a full Cook School in 2000. It was humble beginnings at first. Eight guests, a domestic kitchen—but as demand grew, so did we.
"By 2004, we'd built a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen that could host 20. 25 years on, the passion's still the proper skills, sharing great food, and creating something truly memorable around the table.'
Alongside the Cook School, their restaurant, Nick's at Port of Menteith, offers a laid-back dining experience with both indoor and al fresco seating in a scenic countryside setting. It champions open-fire cooking and seasonal Scottish produce, from fresh seafood and aged meats to handmade pizzas and traditional Sunday roasts.
