Getting your teeth into the Kingdom of Fife

Michael Alexander joined renowned Fife chef and food writer Christopher Trotter on a pioneering food tour of Fife.

S creeching seagulls wheel through the sky over picturesque pan-tiled roofs as a group of lobster fishermen return from a fruitful morning at sea.

There’s the faintest hint of spray in the salty air as roaring waves break on the far side of the harbour wall, and the amazing light for which this most beautiful part of the world is renowned glints on the crashing surf out at sea.

It’s not the warmest of spring days admittedly – downright chilly out of the sun, in fact.

But there can be few more unusual yet life affirming places to have found myself on a Tuesday afternoon than sitting at a table on Crail Harbour pier – dining on freshly caught crab accompanied by a cheeky glass of white wine. It was very different from the sandwich meal deal I might usually experience at weekday lunchtimes in Dundee.

But this was no ordinary weekday! I had been invited by award-winning chef, food writer and Fife food ambassador Christopher Trotter to join him, and a group of special guests from Visit Scotland, Welcome to Fife/fife Tourism Partnership, Scotland Food and Drink and The Wee Travel Company, to experience one of the Fife Food Tours he is offering ‘foodie’ tourists.

The aim was to familiarise us with what Christopher does. But it was also billed as a learning experience for him as he taps into the rich variety of food and drink producers in Fife and hopefully encourages more tourists from home and abroad to visit – and experience – the rich culinary cuisine in Fife and beyond.

Our 10am meeting point was the family-run farm Braeside of Lindores, between Cupar and Newburgh, where we all met for coffee and were introduced to our chauffeur for the day, Anna Black.

Mother-of-two Anna – a farmer’s wife who worked in banking for 10 years – helps run Lindores: Stay Ride Relax which is aspiring to be Scotland’s top relaxing rural retreat.

The third generation of the Black family to farm there, the backbone of the Braeside business has diversified from an arable and stock farm to offer equestrian training facilities, luxury accommodation, driven shoot days and more importantly, a holiday destination.

As we take to the road bound for the East Neuk, Christopher talks through local landmarks – for those who don’t know – and explains what the ‘behind the scenes’ tours aim to achieve.

“Fife is a very special place,” he said. “It is a microcosm of Scotland as a whole, we have everything.

“From game and wild foods, in the hills and on the coastal path; shellfish on our coasts, high quality beef and lamb on our pastures, and of course great soft fruit and vegetables.

“You can see and sample everything in Fife, and on my tours, meet the people behind it all.”

Our first stop is the St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company near Pittenweem. Founded in 2008 by the Stewart family who have been farming in the area since the 1930s, we meet proprietor Jane Stewart in the coffee shop and sample some of the awardwinning cheeses including Anster, Red Anster and Mature Anster.

Jane warmly welcomes what Christopher is trying to achieve because she said Fife – and Scotland in general – is “streets behind” other parts of the world when it comes to food tourism.

“I don’t think there is an awareness in general of the wonderful products available in Fife,” she said.

“I go to other places in the world and I