We round up our top stories served this month that proved a hit with foodies across Courier Country.
August was an important month for the hospitality industry as the government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme came into force from Mondays to Wednesdays across the nation.
It was a much-needed boost to the sector after a few months of disruption, uncertainty and, in some cases, loss.
But on The Courier’s food and drink team, we had a whole host of news, features, interviews and polls to offer up – and some tasty treats to try at home.
Popular articles this month included the response from an Angus publican group on the Aberdeen local lockdown, local businesses such as 71 Brewing and Kerr’s Family Dairy taking on new ventures, as well as our reader’s views on the lorne/square sausage debate and the most hated vegetable.
Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter here, which is delivered to your inbox every Thursday afternoon, and let us know of any food and drink stories at foodanddrink@dctmedia.co.uk.
1. ‘One pub, one day’ rule among measures as Angus pubs take swift action in response to Aberdeen lockdown
Thousands of you read food journalist Brian Stormont’s coverage of a group of Angus-based publicans and their reaction to the Aberdeen lockdown, including implementing a ban on pub crawls, and stricter booking systems at bars and restaurants.
2. Kerr’s dairy attracts 5,000 new customers with north depot and milk round
The Dundee-based dairy firm opened an Aberdeen depot just as the nation went into lockdown – and it has gone from strength to strength. Read more about it below, from food and drink journalist Julia Bryce.
3. Dundee’s 71 Brewing hopes sun will shine on new beer garden with sustainably-built bespoke bar
One of Dundee’s most popular breweries, 71 Brewing, recently announced it was opening a beer garden, with the outdoor bar being built from an old shipping crate. Launched on August 22, the beer garden is able to cater for up to 90 people every Saturday between 12pm and 10pm and Fridays from 2pm.
4. Lorne or square sausage? The great debate that rages over a fantastic Scottish breakfast staple
Forget Brexit, Scottish Independence and whether it’s pronounced “Preemark” or “Prymark”, this is one of the biggest debates the food and drink team is concerned about – whether it’s lorne or square sausage. The fact it was one of our most-read stories of the month is evidence that it’s an important subject for our readers too, but what was the conclusion?
5. Meet the Fife baker trying to make the nation healthier through bread
A 30-minute documentary film was released earlier this month to showcase Scotland’s emerging “breadvolution” featuring several artisan bakeries trying to make the nation healthier through bread. Food journalist Rebecca Shearer caught up with Andrew Whitley from Scotland the Bread to find out more about the film and what it means for the Scottish bread scene.
6. Revealed: The vegetable you hate the most – and it isn’t sprouts!
Following a recent poll that revealed Brussels sprouts are the most popular vegetable across the UK, we wanted to find out whether this was true by putting the question to our readers. Brian Stormont revealed the truth in the results below, and you may be surprised at the answer…
7. Food For Thought: Return of a Fife market ‘exemplifies the spirit with which we should all be living now’
Our weekly columnist Murray Chalmers wrote this insightful article on some of the East Neuk’s best food and drink businesses and the importance of buying and supporting local, featuring the likes of Bowhouse Market, Pittenweem Chocolate Company and St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company to name a few.
8. Can you catch coronavirus from food? Your safety questions answered
Recent outbreaks of Covid-19 linked to food factories raised new concerns over the prospect of contamination. Our team leader, Clare Johnston, looked into the latest findings and advice..
9. Graham’s The Family Dairy knocks Irn-Bru off top spot to become Scotland’s number one food brand
It celebrated turning 80 last year, and now Graham’s the Family Dairy is the cream of the crop after pipping Irn-Bru to the top spot as Scotland’s leading food brand – Clare Johnston reveals why even the grandchildren were in on the race..
10. Will the £10 meal discount make the difference for beleaguered hospitality firms?
As our favourite restaurants began opening their doors again after months of temporary closure, the UK government stepped in with a springboard in the form of a £10 discount per person off meals out from Mondays to Wednesdays. But was it going to make much difference for the local eating establishments that opted to take part in the scheme? Our analysis below was one of the most-read stories in August, and has been follows up with this more recent look at how the discount initiative performed.
