Scottish food in London: Go down the Caledonian road

From haggis toasties to Irn Bru chilli jam, Scots scran is taking over the capital, says Rosamund Urwin
Hoose special: Deeney’s Macbeth haggis toastie
Rosamund Urwin11 November 2015

We haven’t always been kind about Scottish cuisine down south. All that talk of deep-fried Mars Bars must have been fuel for Alex Salmond’s pro-independence fire. But food from Beyond the Wall (Hadrian’s, that is) is having a moment in London. Come St Andrew’s Day (November 30) and Burns Night (January 25), there will be no shortage of bonnie spots to celebrate.

Deeney’s, which has a stall at Broadway market on Saturdays, has gone from pop-up to permanent, with a new cafe in Leyton. Its “hero” dish is the Macbeth toastie, with haggis, cheddar and caramelised onions. Founder Carol Deeney describes them as merging nostalgia (the toastie part) with the niche (haggis). “Haggis has this fantastic identity,” she says. “Meaty, peppery, rich. It’s good for hangovers, and quite a lean meat because it’s offal.” Deeney’s is also serving Scotch broth — stovies — made with beef, potatoes and beetroot.

Then there’s Dram & Smoke, founded by chef Nick Fulton and former restaurant marketing man Paul Ross, who went to school together in Edinburgh. The pop-up — whose supper club will be taking over a London Bridge warehouse for four weeks from November 27 — is known for its “tongue-in-cheek” inventions such as a duck doughnut served with Irn Bru chilli jam.

Ross describes Scotland’s second drink as “one of those classic products and one that perplexes people a bit — someone asked me to describe the flavour in detail the other day and I struggled. It’s just... Irn Bru!” Dram & Smoke also does a haute version of deep-fried Mars Bars: in tempura batter with home-made shortbread ice cream. Best sellers include haggis bon bons with smoked ketchup.

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This summer also saw the opening of game restaurant Mac & Wild on Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia, which has a fibreglass stag outside and a long whisky menu. Dishes include a Venimoo burger with a double patty of beef and venison (voted London’s best burger 2015) and its riff on a Tunnock’s teacake. Critics loved it: Grace Dent’s only complaint was her hangover the next day; Giles Coren’s the bill.

Ross says the appeal of Scottish food lies in the produce: “Unbelievable game, seafood, wild mushrooms, hedgerow fruits”. For those who feel they’ve seen almost everything, there’s also still some novelty. “We’ve found that Londoners are particularly keen to have a bit of an alternative dining experience like ours — people are sometimes a bit jaded.”

So all hail the Tartan Army keeping us southerners well-fed.

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