Provenance
Knockderry Country House aims to offer food created from the finest and freshest of local and Scottish ingredients using modern and traditional Scottish recipes. We work hard at securing produce from reliable local and Scottish sources briefly outlined below. Scotland has much to offer and we try to demonstrate the range and diversity of our country’s produce in the dishes we serve.
Fish/Seafood
Only fish and shellfish sourced from Scottish waters make it onto the Knockderry menus.
Perched on the west coast of Scotland with some of the best fishing grounds around the UK if not the world on our doorstep, fish and shellfish play a large part of the menu at Knockderry House. Scallops are hand dived from the Sound of Jura, lobsters from Oban and mussels from Shetland, razor clams (spoots) from Arran and oysters from Loch Fyne.
Of the more unusual species that pop up on our menu from time to time is sea urchins, a bi-catch from lobster creels and are fantastic raw with a squeeze of citrus, gently folded into scrambled duck eggs or made into an interesting soup. Squat lobster, a small crustacean similar to langoustines also make a regular appearance. They are fantastic in a seafood cocktail with spider crabs.
Beef, Lamb, Pork and Venison
Our beef is from Edinvale Farm which is situated above the Moray Firth. Edinvale Farm was started by the firm’s founders Michael and Susan Gibson in the 1970s who specially age our mature Scottish beef for at least 3 weeks. Gloucester Old Spot pork is reared at Geddes Farm outside Nairn. Known as the ‘Orchard Pig’ it was traditionally reared on windfall apples and whey, by-products of local agricultural enterprises. Scotland is almost as well known for its lamb as its beef and the Moray hill farms have a great reputation for their naturally reared Scotch Lamb. The majority of our lamb comes from a farm outside Grantown, Loch Gorm.
The Isle of Lewis, home of Murdo MacLeod the owner, is renowned for its glorious black pudding and ours is supplied by W.J. MacDonald who produces the famous Stornoway Black Pudding.
Venison is reared on the local hills that surround us and is brought to us by local stalker Pat Leonard.
Fruit and Vegetables
The Knockderry chef foraging for wild garlic in the Knockderry grounds.
Sea kale is sometimes called winter asparagus and is supplied by Sandy and Heather Pattullo’s Eassie Farm (near the Glamis Estate) in Angus where they grow sea kale in long tunnels. Meanwhile, in the summer we offer local strawberries, fruit, vegetables and heritage potatoes gown in Cardross Nursery. Wild garlic is gathered from the garden and slopes around the hotel.
And finally… We bake our own wonderful bread and cakes each day and our ice cream is made in house to our own recipe. Cheese is supplied by Ian J Mellis based on Great Western Road in Glasgow and their famous shop is worth a visit just for the aroma alone.
