Happy Days in the East Neuk and St Andrews

Here's some news about an artist that I admire for her colourful and fun paintings which do indeed invoke heart-warming memories of happy days spent in the East Neuk of Fife and St Andrews and bring a smile to your face:

Scottish artist, Jennifer Thomson is launching a new book of her paintings called "Happy Days in the East Neuk and St Andrews" at her forthcoming exhibition  in the East Neuk village of Elie, Fife. Jennifer is well known for the unmistakable style of her paintings, packed full of colourful people having fun and enjoying life, often in popular Scottish locations. The book brings together the best of her paintings from the last fifteen years of painting in the East Neuk of Fife. Included are paintings of Lower Largo, Earlsferry, Elie, St Monans, Kilconqhuar, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Crail and the neighbouring St Andrews.

Jennifer attended Edinburgh College of Art from 1987-1992 where she gained her honours then post-graduate degree along with several awards and prizes. She taught art for a few years at Madras College in St Andrews before giving up teaching to paint full time in 1998. Since then her paintings can be found in many art collections such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh's City Arts Centre, The BBC and Paintings in Hospitals. Her work is spreading all over the world and she has been commissioned by organisations and individuals in the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan.

Alongside each painting in the book are Jennifer's notes about each scene. You discover what inspired the artist to paint each composition and begin to see what Jennifer was thinking when she painted each scene and share in her often humorous insights. In some of the paintings you might spot the artist's faithful painting companion Brodie, a mischievous wire haired fox terrier. For admirers of Jennifer's work and East Neuk fans alike, this book will warm your hearts and make you smile. 

Jennifer will be signing copies of "Happy Days in the East Neuk and St Andrews" at her exhibition of paintings of the East Neuk and travels round Europe at The Old Post Office Gallery, Links Place, Elie, Fife, KY8 1AX from 27 July to 10 August 2014 10am-5pm. The book can also be ordered from her website www.jenniferthomson.com. 

Life is sweet at the Biggest ever Crail Food Festival

NEWS from the Crail Food Festival about their 2014 event - spread the word!:

Life is sweet at this year's Crail Food Festival with an expanded programme including a House of Sugar, children's workshops and lots of opportunities to taste more local produce than ever before. This year's event is spread across an even wider range of venues, thanks to support from Event Scotland and Homecoming Scotland 2014.

Taking place on 14 and 15 June, highlights include special Children's Workshops with the opportunity to get hands-on with food: from jam making to moulding your own chocolates. A Food Trail will allow families to explore Crail's food delights while The House of Sugar will play host to a Crail inspired 3D cookie art installation created by local company Sucre Coeur. Visitors will be able to get involved and ice their own cookie to create an edible mosaic across the weekend. 

Over 50 local foodie participants will take part in the two-day festival with a special Tasting Theatre and Food Market with free food sampling all day. Meet the Producer workshops will allow visitors to learn new skills and experience new tastes with activities ranging from whisky and chocolate matching, cheese and wine pairing, to a pie and a pint. Local food and drink on offer will include cheese, venison, smoked fish, gin, craft ales, and of course, the shellfish for which the East Neuk of Fife is famous.

A Cookery Theatre will feature demonstrations by a range of local cooks and chef patrons, from Michelin star fine dining themes to award-winning cookery writers such as Nicola Fletcher. This bespoke country kitchen is kindly sponsored by Ardross Farm Shop, recent winner of the Farm Shop of the Year award and supported by the professional catering team from Elmwood College.

The Crail Museum will use the festival as an opportunity to tell visitors about the historic local delicacy, the Crail Capon. With details taken from an 1812 poem, the Crail Capon (haddock smoked traditionally in a chimney) will relive its glory days over the course of the weekend.

Sunday 15 will include an extra dimension with Sunday Lunch at the Harbour. Using the iconic Crail Harbour as the backdrop, street food vendors and local producers will come together to host a massive picnic for visitors. Shellfish, smokies, ice cream, game and pizza cooked in a converted horsebox while you wait are just some of the goods on offer at the harbour. Local businesses will provide potted shrimp, home baking and more. 

A local seafront guest house will share its stunning seashore location with evening visitors by becoming a Pop-Up Tasting Bistro with local food, music and drinks.

Graeme Anderson, the Event Manager said:

"I'm thrilled at this year's enriched festival programme. The 4th annual Crail Food Festival will certainly put our village on the map for anyone who's a fan of food. We've worked hard to ensure visitors of all ages get a real flavour of Fife. It's going to be great fun and a wonderful way to share Crail with a wider audience."

The full programme can be found at crailfoodfest.co.uk and here's the event flyer:

Just what the doctor ordered - dining at The Adamson, St Andrews

"Just what the doctor ordered" is the wording on the front of The Adamson's promotional booklet so I recently went along to this St Andrews bar and restaurant to find out whether this wording was indeed good advice.

The doctor in question is Dr John Adamson (1809 - 1870), the famed St Andrean who lived in the building at No. 127 South Street now occupied by the restaurant. The restaurant's cocktail menu also contains "The Physician" in his honour, an amazing elixir of vodka, elderflower, mint, raspberries and lime. As well as being a medical doctor, Adamson was also a pioneer photographer, famously creating the first calotype portrait in Scotland 1841. The calotype was the first type of photograph to use a negative, allowing multiple "positives", i.e. print copies to be made. It seems to me that this was a very important step along the way to the easy photography that we all take for granted today. Dr Adamson also taught the calotype process to his brother Robert, who went on to create many famous photographs of that time with David Octavius Hill. As a nod to this there's a case with an old camera beside the bar area. As a physician, Dr Adamson worked hard to try and clean up the typhoid-ridden Fishergate area of St Andrews - hard to imagine in today's clean, upmarket St Andrews, where one of the main issues is choosing which restaurant to go for an evening! However, it's easy to admire Dr Adamson's pioneering work even today. 

After Adamson's time the building became a post office and still retains a relic of this era. 

Those little touches aside, I doubt the doctor would recognise the interior now, following the restaurant's opening in 2012. There's nothing olde worldy about it. It has a very well thought through modern look, all oversized lampshades, glittery stag's head, photo-collages, striking wallpaper, exposed brick walls, fairy lights, tree branches, high-sheen black surfaces and atmospheric candles. As modern as it is, however, the photo-collages in particular reflect that pioneering, experimental approach of Dr Adamson back in the nineteenth century. And using the Adamson name creates a nice link to the history of the building and town. Perhaps inspired by the spirit of the good doctor I got very snap happy during my visit to The Adamson.

Adamson is not the only famous person to make this restaurant what it is today. Its head chef, Scott Davies has firmly put this place on the map as a result of his appearance in 2013 on much-loved UK TV programme MasterChef the Professionals. It can be no coincidence that tables at The Adamson are much harder to come by since Scott's stint on the show. Much like "The Kitchin" in Edinburgh, The Adamson's open kitchen helps to continue the hype by allowing diners to try and spot the chef at work. "Is he working tonight?", whispers many an excited diner as they crane towards the kitchen. 

Famous names and trendy decor aside, does The Adamson deserve its popularity? It was a Saturday night when Mr ENB and I visited, a night which tends to either make or break a restaurant, a night where you find out if a restaurant has substance as well as style. Key to substance is service and the service we received was not just good, it was faultless. The Adamson staff somehow make you feel genuinely special, which is surely what every customer wants.

After a warm welcome from the staff, we enjoyed a cheeky wee glass of Prosecco while waiting a few moments at the bar area for our table to be ready. Tummies were rumbling but we didn't have long to wait to get that remedied. Almost immediately after being ushered to our table an adorably perfect mini baked loaf of bread (£3.95), warm and steaming from the oven, appeared, much to our delight. It was accompanied by butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and an olive tapenade.

Our friendly and highly professional waitress explained the new menu with genuine passion about the food. I was sorely tempted by the tenderstem broccoli risotto and the wild garlic, potato and isle of mull cheddar gnocchi (both available in starter or main courses sizes). In the end I opted for the fresh Scottish mussels with white wine, cream, shallots and foccacia (£6.95) to start and I was not disappointed. It's a classic dish but often goes wrong when the sauce is too watery - not so here: after I'd teased all of the mussels out of their shells I happily polished off the remainder of the smooth, creamy sauce using my bread. 

Mr ENB started with the hot smoked salmon with wasabi, burnt lemon puree, brown bread crumble and cucumber (£8.50). He enthused about the fresh tastes of the dish and quality of the salmon. From my side of the table it was clearly a fantastic-looking plate:

I decided to dive into the taste of Spring for my main with the confit lamb shoulder with cauliflower cheese puree and lemon thyme sage (£15.50) plus a side of skinny fries with parmesan and truffle oil (£3.50). I'm guessing that the "skinny" refers to the size of the fries and not the eater as I'm not sure the doctor would have approved of these. Their naughtiness just made them all the more enjoyable though! Combined with the superb softness of the lamb, it was a lovely Spring dish.

Mr ENB is a bit of steak-fiend so he went for the ribeye 220g (£25.95) with a bearnaise sauce which was quickly and appreciatively polished off, with the sole exception of the rocket (aka "rabbit food").

We washed our mains down with a pretty damn special 2004 bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape from Chateau Mont-Redan (Rhone, France) - for medicinal purposes naturally!

With time flying by it was already time for desserts, which are created with a Dr Adamson-worthy mixture of surgical precision and experimentation for lucky diners at The Adamson. I'm pretty sure The Adamson sundae: coffee ice cream, mascarpone and amarettto biscuit (£6.95) would make any under the weather patient feel a whole lot better - Mr ENB would agree albeit I was firmly told I had "no chance" of getting a bit.

This was not a problem, however, as I was quickly engrossed with savouring my own dessert of almond cream - salt baked pinneaple and thyme biscuit (£7.50), marvelling in its separate but cleverly complimentary elements and beautiful whole. Our waitress had recommended it, saying that it was her favourite, even though she normally hated pineapple!

Throughout the meal the atmosphere had been great - that busy, happy buzz of Saturday night dining in a place that knows exactly how to treat its customers. 

Is it just what the doctor ordered? We left full, content and with smiling faces, with an overriding feeling of having had a very special time dining at The Adamson. It thoroughly deserves its status as THE go-to place for a classsy meal out in St Andrews - no mean feat in a town where diners are spoilt for choice. It's a modern place with a strong history and I very much hope it continues that with a great, pioneering future. We'll definitely be back for more culinary treatment from the master physician soon!

The Adamson, 127 South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9UH

www.theadamson.com 

Tel - 01334 479191

Text and photos copyright of Sara Scott, 2014.

Down on the farm - 10 reasons to visit Balgove Larder on your holiday

When I'm on a self-catering holiday an important and very enjoyable part of the whole experience is trying out some local food and drink, whether I'mm abroad or just somewhere else in the UK. Fife, with its acres of farmland and proximity to the sea is fast becoming the Kingdom of quality local food producers. So for holidaymakers this equals foodie paradise!

Where could be more authentic for local food than a local farm shop? I suggest that if you want to sample the best of Fife and beyond then get yourself to the granddaddy of Fife farm shops: Balgove Larder, just outside St Andrews.

From the wonderful steak farm and great products to charming Highland coos PLUS news of the new Night Market event read my 10 reasons for visiting Balgove Larder - from the perspective of self-catering holidaymakers - for the Crail Food Festival 2014 here

Love is in the (Sea) Air

St Andrews is a pretty romantic place so where better to spend Valentine's Day with your loved one! Follow four easy steps and you can't go wrong. Find out more in this blog I penned for the Visit St Andrews website: http://www.visitstandrews.com/valentines-day-st-andrews/

Four easy steps to beating the January blues

Happy New Year! Apologies that I've been a little quiet on the blog recently but I thought I'd change all that in 2014, starting off with a wee blog about four easy steps to beating those pesky January blues, all with a connection to the East Neuk and St Andrews of course!

Step 1 - Enjoy your lovely Christmas presents

I was lucky enough to get this painting for Christmas, which is now brightening up my house with its gorgeous colours:

Boats in Crail Harbour by Robin Forsyth; Close-up of the blue sea

The artist is Robin Forsyth, one of the Cellardyke-based artists who opened his home studio to visitors as part of East Neuk Open Studios (ENOS) in November. 

It's a painting of two cute little fishing boats in Crail harbour, so I loved the subject matter. I was also really struck by the intensity of the blue water, in striking contrast to the pure white of the frame. It's cheering me up in the dark, damp horribleness of January by reminding me of a sunny Summer's day by the sea!

Hopefully you have some equally lovely presents you can enjoy this January. 

Step 2 - Escapism

Speaking of presents, if Santa didn't bring you any reading material to get you through the dark Winter evenings, maybe it's time to get some new books for some blues-busting escapism.

Transport yourself to the life of a musician by reading the excellent "Songs in the Key of Fife". This is DJ Vic Galloway's collection of the intertwining stories of the artists who created a musical revolution from the East Neuk including KT Tunstall, King Creosote, the Beta Band, James Yorkston and more. Listening to some of these locally-raised gems is also a great blues-buster - I particularly love King Creosote's "Diamond Mine" album. Another local up-and-coming artist who is not in the book but is also worth listening to is Lidh, who has the voice of an angel. Check them out on iTunes or, better still, see them live.

(Picture: Vic Galloway at the launch event of the book at Cambo Estate last year; The book itself)

If you're more into to immersing yourself in a gritty crime novel then check out TF Muir's books about DCI Andy Gilchrist ("Eye for an Eye", "Tooth for a Tooth" etc.), who is the Inspector Rebus of St Andrews.

See my local books page for more ideas.

Step 3 - Celebrate our bard

What could be more cheering than a celebration of the bard, Rabbie Burns, and all things Scottish? And where better to enjoy the fun evening that is Burns' Night (25 January 2014) than in St Andrews! You could sample some haggis or other delicious Scottish dishes at The Dolls' House or The Vine Leaf on South Street. The Vine Leaf are offering their haggis neeps and tatties as "a potato basket filled with haggis, thyme poached turnip and drambuie cream" plus an equally tasty dish with veggie haggis too. Or for something a bit more spicy the award-winning Nahm-Jim's on Market Street, which I've blogged about before, offers Scottish-Thai fusions extraordinaire such as "Thai Haggis Bombs" (haggis in crunch pastry with a spicy dip) or the "Nahm-Jim Thai Haggis" (haggis combined with chilli, basil and Thai omelette).

An after dinner drink at the new St Andrews Brewing Company pub on South Street would be an obvious next step - sample craft beer and cider (check out the Thistly Cross Ginger Cider) in cosy, chalet-like surrounds. A special Burns' Night tasting event is being held at 7.30 with tutoring (by Douglas Clement from the Kingsbarns Distillery - more on that below), tunes and tapas (£10 a ticket, available in advance at the bar).

Then burn off some of those calories you just consumed with some lively traditional ceilidh dancing in Forgan's on Market Street (Forgan's are also doing a Burn's Supper event if you wanted to eat there too).

(Picture: Sample of craft beer at The St Andrews Brewing Company pub; Robert Burns biscuits from Fisher & Donaldson confectionary and bakery, St Andrews)

(Picture: Forgan's bar, including one of their inviting bothies in top right, ceilidh band in bottom right and unusual lighting in bottom left)

If you know about other things happening in St Andrews on Burns' Night then let me know. Enjoy!

Step 4 - New year, new social calendar

January is a month of planning ahead so plan your 2014 social calendar and give yourself masses of events to look forward to! To help you do this, check out my handy East Neuk and St Andrews Events Calendar.

The brand newly opened Dreel Halls venue in Anstruther may be the location for some new events this year - I'll keep you posted. 

Something to look forward to later this year is the opening of the Kingsbarns Distillery, which I'm really excited about. I sneaked a peak at the site last year and it is already looking very promising as they convert historical buildings on the edge of the Cambo Estate. They're hoping to open the doors on St Andrew's Day (November) and I can't wait!

I'm also looking forward to more blogging for this blog, the Visit St Andrews website and the Crail Food Festival. In the meantime I hope these blues-blasters lift your spirits!

More information:

www.paintingsilove.com/artist/robinforsyth

www.eastneukopenstudios.org

www.dollshouse-restaurant.co.uk

www.vineleafstandrews.co.uk

www.nahm-jim.co.uk

www.standrewsbrewingcompany.com/thebrewpub

www.forganstandrews.co.uk

kingsbarns.wordpress.com

Copyright Sara Scott 2014

The best airshow in town - Leuchars Airshow 2013

I'm writing this with the soundtrack to "Top Gun" in my head ("Highway to the danger zone..."). It seems pretty appropriate for a fast-paced trip to see the amazing display of flying that was the RAF Leuchars Airshow 2013, Saturday 7 September 2013.

It was Saturday afternoon and my co-pilot ("R-man") and I ("Chicken") were in our usual mad rush - this time to see the Red Arrows do their legendary flying display at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Leuchars, near St Andrews as part of the annual Air Show. We were driving from Crail with our sunglasses on, roof down and wind whipping our hair ("Revvin' up your engine, listen to her howlin' roar..."). In a somewhat maverick style we realised en route that parking at the airfield itself is only for pre-booked cars and the park and ride option wouldn't get us there in time. Local farmers are wise to this though and open their fields as car parks. So we were able to divert our course and alight in a field on the other side of the Eden Estuary from Leuchars. We joined some other cars who had paid to park and watch the displays from there (£10).

We came to a halt just as the RAF Red Arrows took to the skies in all their glory. Watching them in awe (I suspect I had my mouth open), we quickly ran down to a scenic beach, located immediately opposite the RAF Leuchars Airfield. 

How I wished I could be a Red Arrows pilot! Swooping, spinning, diving, flying in perfect formations, leaving trails of coloured smoke in my wake. How amazing would that be?

In reality however I would almost certainly have become re-acquainted with my breakfast had I even been a passenger in one of those planes for a few seconds! What's more, the ear-shatteringly loud noise that the first flypast made, as three Arrows passed over my head, scared the absolute living daylights out of me! 

Thankfully the real pilots are made of more macho stuff and put on a crowd-pleasing, fearlessly perfect show of fancy flying, over the scenic expanse of the Eden Estuary. 

It was stupendous. 

Occasionally the sunlight hit them beautifully... 

And here is the wider scene...

Whenever the Arrows disappeared for a moment some birds would appear, seemingly trying to emulate their flying formations. "We were doing this first", the birds seemed to say. However the crowds were far more interested in their big, noisy metal cousins.

What are the Red Arrows? They are the RAF Aerobatic Team, one of the best in the world and the public (and popular) face of the RAF. They are the Air Force's showcase, renowned throughout the world and assisting with diplomacy and RAF recruitment. 

Sadly all good things must come to an end ("She's lost that loving feeling..."). What goes up must come down. After a good half hour of amazing flying (which felt like five minutes) the Red Arrows came in to land. We stayed to watch some more of the flying displays. The noise some of the planes made was incredibly loud, making the Arrows seem quiet in comparison. Another plane did the most amazing, death-defying dives and spins...

As good as they were however once you've seen the Reds the rest is never going to be quite as good. 

So we left to refuel our rumbling tums at nearby Balgove Larder, farm shop and tea room / steak barn extraordinaire (just outside St Andrews, on the road to Leuchars). I highly recommend it.

Sadly it seems this was the last year of the RAF Leuchars Air Show (though didn't they say that last year?). If so this will be a very sad loss from the St Andrews area's events calendar and I'm glad I got the chance to see some of it this year. If you haven't seen the Red Arrows yet then you definitely should. Right, I'm off to buy a leather jacket and some aviators! 

www.airshow.co.uk

www.raf.mod.uk/reds/ or Twitter: @rafredarrows

www.balgove.com

Text and images copyright Sara Scott 2013