Latest news with #NickNairn
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Builder wins ‘significant' slice of £980m homes contract
Hamilton-based Procast Group has been awarded Lot 13 on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Net Zero Housing Retrofit Framework Agreement. The contract is for a national framework, covering all nine regions of England, not just Greater Manchester. However, it is geared towards supporting Greater Manchester's Net Zero target of 2038 – 12 years ahead of the overall UK Government target. The work will see Procast Group carry out an end-to-end solution from surveying to handover, with significant opportunities across England's housing stock and access to various government grant funding schemes. Procast Group - who are leading innovators in the retrofit and renewables sector - will also provide expertise in project management, customer support, and quality assurance. The framework is available to all public sector, housing associations, and third sector organisations. Derek Innes, owner and managing director of Procast Group, said: 'We are delighted to have been awarded this lot, which we feel really positions Procast as national player in the retrofit market. 'We are pleased to be playing our part in supporting UK Government's net zero targets, alongside trying to tackle fuel poverty nationwide. 'This award demonstrates our capability to deliver complex, compliance-driven projects and provides a significant growth opportunity in the expanding retrofit sector.' Procast Group, which currently employs more than 130 staff, is a market leader in retrofitting work and innovative multi-trade contracting projects across Scotland and the North of England. The group also operates bases in Aberdeen, Dumfries and Forfar. Nick Nairn: 'Hospitality industry has been hung out to dry' Nick Nairn has spoken of fears that Scotland's hospitality industry has been "hung out to dry" amid increasingly challenging conditions. Following the closure of Nairn's in Bridge of Allan last year, the celebrity chef has shifted his focus back towards the Port of Menteith cook school, restaurant, and lifestyle store, which he operates in partnership with his wife, Julia. It has been a successful summer for the duo as they build on a venture that "ticks every box" for their shared creative passions and celebrate 25 years since the first series of Cook School demonstrations took place. Despite this, Nairn remains vocal regarding the unrelenting pressures on hospitality businesses across Scotland and warns of the impact this could have on a nationwide scale. AROUND THE GREENS ⛳ Owner gets into business for the love of the game This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series The popularity of golf simulators has surged in recent years, transforming the way many people experience the game and how new players come into the sport.
The Herald Scotland
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. READ MORE: 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.
Edinburgh Reporter
01-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Spicing up my life – from the Wirral to Ethiopia
When was the last time you discovered a new cuisine that completely surprised your taste buds? For me, it was my recent adventure at Muna's, a vibrant Ethiopian restaurant in Tollcross that's rapidly becoming the talk of Edinburgh's food scene. But before I tell you about my experience there, I need to share my long-standing love affair with a particular spice company. I've been smitten with Seasoned Pioneers, a Wirral-based spice company, ever since they sent me some recipe box spices nearly seven years ago under the guise of the Spice Pioneer. Though these particular kits are no longer available, the company itself has become a trusted brand among leading food writers and chefs – Delia Smith and Nick Nairn count themselves as fans, and I'm certainly in that club too. The company was founded by Mark Steene, whose worldwide travels sparked a fascination with international seasonings. Today, the small team at Seasoned Pioneers offers an impressive range of over 300 authentic spices, chillies, herbs, seasonings, and spice blends, including organic options. Each blend in their renowned collection is handmade to traditional recipes, crafted in small batches using up to fifteen carefully selected ingredients. The spices are dry-roasted, ground, and blended, resulting in convenient packages of authentic flavour that capture cuisines from across the globe. As Delia wisely points out, there are two enemies of spice flavour: light and air. Many spices sold in glass jars sit under harsh store lighting, and once opened, they're increasingly exposed to air. Seasoned Pioneers cleverly packages their seasonings in resealable foil packs that shield them from light and eliminate air exposure when properly closed. Their compact size means they don't monopolise precious cupboard space – unless, like me, you've been generously gifted their 'World Spice Blends, The Definitive Selection' Collection of 40 packets! Recently, I reached out to Seasoned Pioneers hoping they might send me their African Berbere Spice Blend (a complex mix of red chillies, fenugreek seeds, ginger, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and ajowran). To my delight, they responded with overwhelming generosity, sending four boxes containing 10 packets each of their worldwide seasonings – an array of masalas, curry powders, and spices. With each pouch containing enough for about 20 servings, I'll be eating curries for months to come! My interest in berbere spice was sparked after spotting Muna's restaurant in Tollcross. Having never experienced Ethiopian cuisine before, some girlfriends and I decided to venture there for dinner. Before our visit, I did a bit of homework and learned that Ethiopian food is typically shared communally, with dishes served on large platters of injera (a spongy sourdough flatbread), where diners tear off pieces to scoop up the food. The cuisine is known for its fragrant and often spicy flavours, with berbere spice being the cornerstone ingredient in many dishes. Muna's is a lively 40-seater restaurant run by its namesake, who commands her establishment with warm authority. Word has clearly spread about the generous portions and fair prices, as most tables were booked even for our early 6pm Friday dinner. The interior is cheerfully decorated, giving it more of a casual café vibe than a formal dining establishment. The food arrives on huge dishes presented atop beautiful woven rattan baskets – though if you're a group of four sharing combo plates, you might find your table a bit overwhelmed! The meat and vegetable combo that I shared certainly packed a punch with explosive flavours and spicy heat – and won't be for the faint-hearted! I personally preferred the boiled rice accompaniment to the traditional injera bread, which wasn't quite to my taste. The homemade honey wine also wasn't my cup of tea, served in a long-necked vase-like carafe, which you've to swig out of, but a night off the usual libations didn't hurt. Muna's offers a fun and different dining experience, with the vivacious Muna herself ensuring you feel welcome from the moment you arrive. If you're feeling adventurous and want to try something new, it's definitely worth a visit – though perhaps best suited to smaller groups of two or four who enjoy sharing their food. As for making my own berbere-spiced Wot (stew) at home? You'll have to wait while I perfect my version. It's unlikely to rival Muna's authentic creation, but I'm going to have great fun experimenting with this and the 39 other spice blends I've been gifted. In fact, I'm heading to the kitchen right now to get creative! Like this: Like Related
