The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
It’s a cliche, but if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life
“And making pizza was always in the back of my mind for years. But I just didn’t think it was achievable to do really.”
So why was Jamie so set on making pizza?
“I’ve always loved cooking,” he says. “My mum’s side of the family is Italian, so I have always loved Italian food and Italian cooking. I used to always make pizza when I was 15, 16, for my friends.
“This is why I went to Italy – it was my dream to open a pizzeria! I wanted to open it in Arbroath because that’s where I’m from.”
During his few weeks of study in Naples, the language barrier did not get in the way of Jamie’s desire to learn from the best.
“Nobody spoke English and I speak no Italian,” he laughs, “so it was a lot of learning by doing.
“But basically I learned how a pizza place is run, the technical dough aspects and what to look for in a flour.”
Five years on, Jamie is now the new owner of The Copper Oven, and is “so happy”.
Jamie joined the team a few months into its opening, and has worked there for the last five years. His favourite thing about working at the Arbroath pizza restaurant is getting to experiment and perfect his dough.
“What we are trying to do here is make a unique pizza,” he says. “The dough we use is pre-fermented. This gives it a unique texture.
“The dough is the most important thing for me – it’s the thing I obsess over.”
Jamie has plans to change things up at The Copper Oven now that he’s the owner. He hopes to add a retail section to the restaurant, which could include some Scottish baking and charcuterie, as well as a selection of Italian products.
But he likes to keep things simple, too. There is no monotony in a margherita for pizza lover Jamie.
“People always ask: ‘Do you get bored making pizza, because it’s the same thing every day?’” he says. “But it’s not!
“Everything changes, you’ve got the heat, you’ve got the humidity which affects dough, and the climate. We use different flours and experiment with different ingredients, and that always has an effect.
“So it’s always different and I don’t get bored. “It’s kind of a cliche,” Jamie adds, “but if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
“When I was working at the call centre, it felt like work. Doing only a six or eight-hour shift, it felt a lot longer.
“Whereas now, I’m in the kitchen for 13 hours a day, but it doesn’t feel like work. I love it.”
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024 | 9
Quaint tourist town Pitlochry is home to many well-loved restaurants serving excellent food and drink. And whether it’s your first time there or your 50th, you’ll always find something for you. Have a read of our Pitlochry food and drink guide to find some inspiration for your next trip.
BREAKFAST
If you’re in time for brunch, you should definitely try out Victoria’s.
Avocado is a firm favourite of many for your first meal of the day, and you can get it served with pretty presentation at the Atholl Road restaurant.
Their avo smash eggs combines Perthshire poached eggs with crispy Ayrshire bacon and, of course, plenty of smashed avocado.
It is topped with flame-roasted red peppers – something I have yet to try on my eggs – all heaped on the old reliable sourdough toast.
The family-owned Pitlochry restaurant 10 | SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024 also serves plenty of lunch and dinner options, and you can eat outside on the terrace during summer.
• 45 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BX.
COFFEE AND CAKE
There are a number of places to eat cake. The Pitlochry bakery serves up coffees, pastries and more on Mill Lane. Their pastries include croissants, pain au chocolat, cinnamon buns and both sweet and savoury danishes.
• The Old Mill Inn, 1 Mill Lane, Pitlochry, PH16 5BH.
Next up is Mackenzie’s Coffee House. This independent coffee shop serves a range of homemade bakes. These vary but can include coffee and walnut cake, Victoria sponge, scones and more.
• 115 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5AG.
LUNCH
Whenever I visit Pitlochry, I often head to Cafe Biba for lunch. There is a great laid-back atmosphere which, combined with delicious food, makes for an ideal lunch setting. You can get anything from a toastie or filled baguette to pizza, chilli or a burger.
• 40 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BX.
SNACK
A blast from the past, traditional Scottish sweet and ice cream shop Scotch Corner is a must-visit on your day sampling the food and drink in the town.
The wee shop has just celebrated its 29th anniversary, and for last 10 years it has served the award-winning ice cream of S Luca of Musselburgh.
They also have a Flavour Blend machine which can turn vanilla soft serve into eight different flavours, and they offer up to three on the same cone.
And they supply locally-made favourites like tablet, shortbread, fudges, macaroon, plus other old-fashioned sweets, novelties, gifts and souvenirs. • 131 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5AG.
DINNER
In the middle of the main drag, you’ll find Fisher’s Hotel.
One of the prettiest Pitlochry restaurants, the four-star hotel has several dining areas, including The Castle Restaurant.
Though the salmon is a popular main, you might also want to go for the short rib of Scottish beef (£26.95) which looks divine. The beef is served with a cauliflower and celery puree, potato fondant Persillade, crispy onions and a red wine gravy.
• 75-79 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BN.
You won’t run out of places to eat dinner in Pitlochry.
The Fern Cottage Restaurant is where “Scotland meets the Mediterranean”.
They have a pre-theatre menu as well as a dinner menu, and a lunch menu if you’re visiting earlier in the day.
On the pre-theatre menu you can get two courses – this could be a homemade fish cake for starter and medallions of Perthshire venison for main at for £29.95.
The dinner menu is more extensive, with highlights including pan-seared duck breast or linguine aglio e olio (in a garlic and olive oil sauce).
You can – and should – top your meal off with a delicious affogato (vanilla gelato with a shot of espresso). • Ferry Road, Pitlochry,
PH16 5DD.
A short drive from Pitlochry, you’ll reach Bridge of Tilt. This unassuming village is home to the most romantic restaurant in Scotland.
They recently were awarded this title in the Scottish Restaurant Awards.
The Loft Restaurant is family-run and has the perfect combination of a homely atmosphere and stellar food.
I would recommend trying the grilled goat’s cheese and black pudding to begin your meal. This surprisingly light starter is full of flavour, and the unlikely pairing is a delight to the palate.
You might be lucky, too, to get a seat beside the window, with an excellent view out towards the Perthshire skyline. • Invertilt Road, Bridge of Tilt, Pitlochry, PH18 5TE.
DRINKS
For drinks in Pitlochry, you should try The Auld Smiddy Inn.
Their bar snacks aren’t basic packets of crisps. They serve a trio of oysters for £12, which with shallot vinaigrette, Edradour whisky, Tabasco and lemon.
You could also go for a cheese board with your after-dinner drinks if oysters aren’t your thing.
• 154 Atholl Rd, Pitlochry, PH16 5AG.
Where are the dancing shoes? My mother’s great-uncle, Pat Campbell, a retired schoolmaster, lived in a cosy cottage on his family’s farm at Blackhillock near Forres. Uncle Pat was one of those comfortable, warm people who had lived a quiet, kindly life, and his inner goodness beamed out of his round shiny face and sparkling blue eyes.
His faithful companion was a matronly springer spaniel called Nanny who lay devotedly at his feet, her soft brown eyes never leaving her master’s face.
My sister and I loved visiting Uncle Pat because he wove enthralling imaginary tales – there was always an adventure to be had at Uncle Pat’s.
One bright summer day, my sister and I were sent to look for the “fairies’ dancing shoes”.
According to Uncle Pat, local fairies danced all night and, in the morning, hid their shoes in the foxgloves before retiring to sleep in their toadstool homes.
Look carefully into a foxglove and you will see their shoes nestled quite far back into the throat of the flower.
But you must not touch because, if you do, it will break the magic spell and the fairies will be unable to wear the shoes or dance again!
Uncle Pat’s housekeeper, Mrs Forest, was more like one of the family – a marvellous cook, she could produce a feast in a twinkling.
Probably just as well, for we no doubt developed a healthy appetite on our trips beyond the cottage garden gate.
A neat, tiny, bird-like person, I can see her yet, dressed in a rich blue lace-collared dress, her snow-white wavy hair framing her smiling face.
In the kitchen she would wrap a huge apron round her finery and set to work with great patience, for she never complained about the two little girls who frequently got in her way.
She made amazing lemon iced treacle gingerbread, the lightest of scones and, favourites of ours, melting moments and gypsy creams. (MAKES 22)
INGREDIENTS
z 45g butter or margarine z 75g white fat z 85g caster sugar z 150g self raising flour z 1 dessert spoon custard powder z 60g crushed cornflakes z 1 small egg – beaten
METHOD
Heat the oven at 180C/160 Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4. Cream the butter or margarine, fat and sugar together. Stir in the flour, custard powder and cornflakes with enough beaten egg to bind to a soft dough.
Place heaped teaspoons on oiled trays, leaving room for them to spread. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes till golden. Cool on the tray then on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
If you like, top each biscuit with a quarter of a glace cherry before baking.
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(MAKES 26 BISCUITS)
INGREDIENTS
z 60g butter or margarine z 60g lard or vegetable shortening z 85g caster sugar z 1 tbsp golden syrup z 1 tbsp hot water z 1 tsp vanilla essence z 115g self raising flour z 115g porridge oats z ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
METHOD
Heat the oven to 180C/160 Fan/350F/ Gas Mark 4 and oil two baking trays.
Cream the fats and sugar till light, then beat in the syrup dissolved in the hot water along with the vanilla essence.
Stir in the remaining ingredients to make a stiff mixture.
Place teaspoons of the mixture well apart on the baking trays and bake for 12 to 15 minutes till firm and golden. Cool a little on the trays then on a wire rack.
Sandwich together with chocolate buttercream and store in an airtight tin.
To make the chocolate buttercream, cream 115g margarine for 4 to 5 minutes until it is pale and increased in volume.
Scrape down the bowl and add 135g of sieved icing sugar. Mix on a very low speed to mix to avoid clouds of sugar!
Beat on high for another 4 to 5 minutes then repeat with the another 135g of icing sugar along with 15g of cocoa powder dissolved in 1 tbsp of hot water.
The icing will keep sealed in the fridge for up to one week and freezes for up to one month.
Some prefer a chocolate flavoured biscuit – if so, add 2 tsp cocoa powder to the flour before mixing.
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