“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, so get yourself a sexy raincoat and live a little,”. Never a truer word has been spoken by Scotsman Billy Connelly.
Thankfully I always have a back-up jacket in the car so when the heavens decided to open on the car journey to Stonehaven, I knew I’d thankfully be fine.
My partner and I were heading out the road to grab a bite to eat at the seaside town’s popular Seafood Bothy trailer at the Old Pier on the harbour.
The P&J recently reported on the firm’s proposed plans for a seaside hut at the harbour front being rejected, however, we were more interested in the crab toasties and monstrous brioche rolls packed with lobster and prawns.
The rain was relentless, so we got a bit soggy waiting behind the German couple who were ordering in front.
“We run a tour company so we’re here scouting the area,” the woman said grabbing at her hood. “We’re heading to Balmoral tomorrow”. I rattled off a few must-try places – Fife Arms, Braemar Butcher, Braemar Chocolate Shop, Tarmachan and Highlander Bakehouse – before they scurried away with their seafood platter.
My job today was to order a few dishes to showcase the street food firm’s offering. They’re exhibiting at this year’s Taste of Grampian on Saturday June 3 at P&J Live in Aberdeen, so I wanted to see what was in store for festivalgoers.
The food
Our order consisted of a lobster and prawn brioche roll (£12), crab toastie (£12), lobster and prawn mac and cheese (£12) and a toasted lobster and prawn quesadilla (£15).
It took a while for owner Maria Lewis and her new employee to fix up the dishes – purely because they are all made fresh and the trailer boasts a small induction hob.
The Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club were out training, so that distracted us from thinking about the rain for a bit while we waited.
It wasn’t long we were off with a bag full of goodies to try.
While we’d ordered four dishes for lunch, we knew at least two would be for inner that night.
As soon as we got into the car I tucked into the bag, setting each dish out on the dashboard. Queue a seagull flying to the nearest post, watching our ever movement.
The first to be enjoyed was the quesadilla. While it was a little greasy on the hands (tissues are a necessity) the flavours were excellent and it was packed with rice, beans, chilli, cheese, yoghurt and spinach. The cheese was melted well but I always find spinach releases a lot of water, and that, partnered with the cheese makes for a messy eat.
It, plus the roll was served with salad leaves and plain tortilla crisps.
Up next was the crab toastie.
Smothered in cream cheese with cheddar and mayonnaise in there too, it was the crab meat that made this dish. There was loads of it sandwiched between the toasted white bread and the salad provided a subtle crunch alongside the
I also really enjoyed the tangy mayo on the side to dip the crusts in.
We decided to have the mac and cheese for dinner. Maria informed me that adding a little milk would ensure it was just as good, although we did have a few spoonful’s when it was freshly made at lunch.
The thyme on top didn’t really add much, apart from looking nice. There was so many chunky pieces of lobster and plenty of tiny wee prawns, too.
While the macaroni wasn’t overly creamy or thick with a heap of melted cheese, I actually much preferred it for being slightly lighter and not overpowering the seafood.
I think when it comes to fish and shellfish the trick is simplicity.
The bricohe roll was stacked with shellfish.
The wild garlic and thyme sauce the lobster and prawns had been smothered in was superb, and it was deliciously creamy. The salad and the prawns dropped out of the roll quite easily, so my advice would be to eat this over the box if on-the-go.
It is a hefty eat, too, and could easily be shared if you’re looking to try a few things out.
Again, I couldn’t believe the quality of the lobster as it was so juicy and soft.
The verdict
While some of the dishes are a little more on the expensive side, the quality of produce is second to none. Wes, Maria’s partner, is a fisherman and uses his boat Even Less and creels to catch the lobster customers consume.
Their sea to plate ethos couldn’t be more locally focused and Maria also uses local fishermen for her mackerel and other specials.
Tickets for the Taste of Grampian festival are priced at £15 each plus booking fee and children under 12 go free. There is a booking fee of £1 and a £1 service charge on Ticketmaster.
If you love seafood, be sure to check the Seafood Bothy out at the event.
Information
Address:Old Pier, Stonehaven AB39 2JU
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