The owners of a Fife luxury holiday lettings business are celebrating a top prize on a BBC series.
Last month, viewers saw Lindores, near Newburgh, beat off competition from 1,400 businesses to win the food category on Scotland’s Greatest Escape.
This qualified Richard and Anna Black’s business, which diversified to offer food and drink experiences, to compete in Wednesday night’s grand final against the six other category winners.
But although BBC Scotland viewers saw them come up short in the series two finale, Anna says the TV experience was “amazing”.
“We were very grateful for being included,” she added.
“There has been very positive feedback from people who have watched the series.”
Scotland’s Greatest Escape judges give Lindores top marks
The couple have run holiday lets at Braeside of Lindores since 2014.
But it wasn’t until 2021, when Covid intervened, that they fully embraced the catering industry.
“Chef Andrew Wilkie lost his wedding market overnight so he started producing wedding standard three-course meals to our guests in holiday houses,” Anna recalled.
“And that is how it started.”
As well as its four luxury holiday houses on the farm, Lindores offers exclusive barbecue experiences in The Hide.
Here, guests can connect with local producers, which is how Richard and Anna wooed Fiona Campbell and Masood Khodadadi – two of the judges from Scotland’s Greatest Escape.
“They stayed here as if they were normal guests,” Anna said of their visit in November last year.
“We took them for lunch in The Hide, which is a showcase of local people and local food and drink.
“We then picked them up with Land Rovers and drove them back to their holiday house.
“They had an evening in enjoying the space and the views of the Tay.
“We won our category because it was such an immersive experience.”
Fife firm’s ‘fully immersive’ food and drink experiences
The business collaborates with neighbouring food producers such as Lindores Abbey Distillery, which helps provide whisky tasting.
Andrew, the head chef, also has a key role.
“We do one lunch a day and our full experience is on that customer,” Anna explained.
“This includes Land Rover experiences, and the chance to sit with the chef who explains the providence of the food, how it is produced, and how they create the flavours.
“That is why it is fully immersive. It is very different to being in a restaurant.”
Lindores also offers horse holidays and farm tours.
“It’s not just a self-catering accommodation with a hot tub – it is an agritourism experience,” Anna continued.
“It is the only place you can enjoy a ‘farm to fork’ and a ‘seed to sip’ from barley grown in the surrounding fields.”
- The episode in which Lindores won the food category can be seen on BBC iPlayer, which also has Wednesday’s grand final.
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