We’ve rounded up your favourite reads this month and served them to you on a platter.
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In the month where we could finally see the light at the end of the lockdown tunnel, pasta and flour were back in abundance on the supermarket shelves and a wealth of seasonal Scottish produce made its way into our bakes and our diets, we look back at the top 10 food and drink stories you enjoyed reading the most these past 30 days.
1. ‘We’ve never seen anything like it’: Community rallies round Dundee bar as it shares beer garden redesign’
Thousands of you read the story of Dundee-based bar and restaurant The Kilted Kangaroo‘s redesigned beer garden, complete with removable marquee, picnic benches, portaloos and even an outdoor bar. We can’t wait until we can stop in for a pint!
2. The beers go back on ice: Pubs who had transformed outdoor spaces in hope of reopening are left counting the cost
Our second most-read story of the month was this one, written on the day we expected there to be good news for beer gardens reopening before the Scottish Government said the opposite. We caught up with pub and bar owners around Courier Country to find out about their plans for reopening their outdoor areas and what the future looks like for them.
3. Local bakery ‘overwhelmed’ by support after selling more than 10,000 fudge doughnuts in lockdown
We were just as flabbergasted at the popularity of these fudge doughnuts as the team at Fisher and Donaldson after more than 10,000 of them were ordered to doorsteps across Fife and Dundee during lockdown. If you missed it, read the story again here.
4. Say goodbye to the buffet: Malmaison chief gives glimpse into what diners and guests can expect when hotels reopen
With hotels set to reopen on July 15, our food and drink team leader Clare Johnston spoke to Malmaison Hotel chief operating officer Scott Harper about the future of the group and what the new normal for hotels may look like post-lockdown. Disclaimer: don’t read if you’re a fan of hotel buffets.
5. How to have a successful socially-distant BBQ in lockdown
Our fifth most read story for the month comes from food and drink writer Julia Bryce who brings us the best news we’ve had in weeks – that it’s still possible to have a fun and safe barbecue while adhering to social distancing rules. If you are planning on having one then please be aware that the whole food and drink team is available as party guests.
6. Coronavirus: Fife publican hits out at ‘second-class treatment’ after pubs’ reopening hopes dashed
Will they, won’t they? That was the question posed to many pubs this month as the Scottish Government toyed with the idea of opening outdoor eating and drinking areas (i.e. beer gardens) as early as June 20. But unfortunately it was not to be. Food and drink writer Brian Stormont caught up with a pub owner in Fife’s Markinch to get his side of the story.
7. How food is at the heart of the community: ‘We’ve nearly done 30,000 free meals for over 70s at risk’
Coming in as the seventh was this story about two businesses delivering hot meals to frontline workers and the most vulnerable, completely free of charge. Both of the featured businesses Feldy-Roo and Must Eat Perth represent just a fraction of the amazing local businesses who have found ways to adapt over these past few weeks.
8. Best of Local: 10 independent fishmongers offering fresh produce during lockdown
The fish sector has really been struggling these past few months, particularly as fish counters remained closed in the majority of supermarkets. But all was not lost, as this story from our Best of Local series shows, featuring some of the fishmongers bringing you some of the best produce Scotland has to offer.
9. Meet the bib gourmands! The Insta mums taking their babies’ meals to new levels
Social media not only acts as a place of discussion, information and this weird video of a woman hoovering an egg, it can also be a great platform for foodies to share recipes and their top cooking tips. That’s exactly what Clare Johnston discovered when she spoke to some local mums changing the scene of baby weaning on Instagram.
10. Best of Local: The rise of the platter box and how antipasti goodies have become the must-have thing
To round off the month is this article, also from the Best of Local series, about the platter boxes and antipasti goodies you can have delivered to your door. I think we can all be in agreement here, the summer just got better.
