Nature’s way
Cooking the best local, seasonal produce on Skye keeps head chef Scott Davies passionate about what he does
‘Ialways loved t he kitchen,’ says Scott Davies, head chef at the Three Chimneys. ‘Ever since I was young, I was cooking and baking with my mum.’
The idea of being a chef took hold during work experience, aged 15, ‘I just loved the vibe, the buzz and how the chefs were all so passionate about it. That really made up my mind.’
Runner-up in MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013 – ‘It was an intense experience, you learn a lot’ – the 30-year-old has been at the renowned Skye restaurant since last June. Originally from Wales, he moved to Scotland 14 years ago. ‘My mum brought me over here. She’s from Scotland and spent 21 years in Wales, and then she said to my dad, “It’s time to go home” .’
Gaining qualifications at Kingsway Campus in Dundee, Scott’s first job was at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel, before stints at the equally prestigious Seafood Restaurant in St Andrews and the Isle of Eriska Hotel. ‘Then I went to Melbourne in Australia and worked at the Point Albert Park. Melbourne is fantastic – I’ve had some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten out there.’
A career Down Under might have beckoned had a visa issue not cropped up. Luckily for foodies here, Scott returned to Scotland to a job at Glenapp Castle. ‘I worked there with Adam Stokes for a season because I felt my pastry wasn’t strong enough. I really enjoyed it.’
A move back to St Andrews and the Rusacks Hotel saw Scott take the restaurant from one rosette to three during his tenure as head chef.
Seasonal produce is at t he heart of his cooking, in keeping with the ethos at the Three Chimneys. ‘The rule is that we go to Skye first. If the quality is there, we go for it; if not, we go to Scotland. The food’s a mix of Scottish and French, but just looking at the landscape and the produce we have, it’s very Nordic and Scandinavian – so smoking, pickling, fermenting, using ash in cooking. It’s got a big mix.’
The menu changes every month, based on what is in season. ‘As soon as a grower walks through the door with something, it’s usually on the menu that night. We have direct contact with all the farmers, fishermen and growers as well, so we always know what they’ve got.’
Any advice for aspiring chefs? ‘It’s one of these things you have to be really passionate about,’ he says. ‘You have to have a real love for the job, but it’s really rewarding.’