The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Local produce at heart of new dining venture
As Brassica, a new social dining concept, is about to open in Dundee’s old city arcades, Caroline Lindsay finds out what’s different about it and what it will bring to the city’s new waterfront development
A couple of years ago Dea Mcgill was doodling on a notepad and wrote the word Brassica.
“It occurred to me that it would make a good name for a business venture,” says Dea, who moved from London to her husband’s home town of Dundee in 2016.
Encompassing broccoli, caulis, kale and sprouts, the brassica family is Scotland’s most commonly grown group of crops, and Dea felt the name would also reflect her passion for local produce.
So when she heard a 700 square metre space under the Caird Hall – once home to the city’s arcades – was available, she leapt at the opportunity to develop a social dining space that would encompass a café area, lounge and restaurant.
Capitalising on the industrial nature of the space but adding in quirky, cosy touches including a “living” wall of mosses and plants, a giant clock and a wall-mounted bicycle, Dea and the team have created a stylish, vibrant, airy venue, filled with natural materials – the silver birch wall is a stand-out feature – and with splashes of colour provided by chilli plants and orange trees.
Taking inspiration from the urban food markets of New York and Copenhagen, and open from morning to midnight, Brassica brings what Dea calls “laid-back luxury” to the city.
She said: “Social dining is all about sharing and talking – all the food is placed on the table in dishes and bowls and you just help yourself.”
With around 2,000 office workers in the area and a host of tourists and visitors, Dea hopes Brassica will appeal to all tastes.
She said: “We have an abundance of wonderful produce in this area, from St Andrews lobster, Arbroath smokies and smoked salmon to lamb, beef and the best soft fruits in the world.
“We’re taking all these and more and elevating them to create a modern, vibrant menu.”
She admits while she is excited about Brassica’s opening later this week, she is also a little apprehensive.
But with a several group bookings and a wedding already booked, it looks as if Brassica will be a roaring success.
“Brassica complements the waterfront development food and will hopefully be a part of Dundee’s destination and future,” she said.
Brassica, 4-5 Shore Terrace, Dundee, DD1 3AH, will open later this week.