Seafood chef is a perfect Royal catch
A SEAFOOD specialist’s signature scallop dish may become the latest taste sensation in Campbeltown.
Ryan Ramage, 31, hopes when he spins his spatula at the Royal Hotel’s Harbour View Grille to tempt diners with some of his specialities.
Scallop en croute is a melt-in-the-mouth split croissant with three chunky scallops delicately covered in parmesan crème.
Some of his dishes were designed during a two-year stint in Naples with Jamie Oliver’s Italian operation Paolo’s Italian Kitchen.
The corporate ex- ecutive chef, American Dawson Frock, 49, of the Royal’s parent company, Southworth Developments, said: ‘Our goal is for Ryan to elevate the quality and consistency of the Harbour View food by focusing on local purveyors of meat, fish, bakery and every variety of fresh seafood.
‘We are letting Ryan get comfortable and through current specials are trying out some of his and our ideas. During this testing period hopefully people will be able to sample some of his chef-crafted creations.’
Ryan said that cooking was in his genes and he left school as soon as possible to join the Hilton Group where his granddad was regional UK chef.
His beginning as a Youth Training Scheme apprentice was somewhat more prosaic on a starting salary of £34, £24 from the government and £10 from his employer.
‘At the start I was the last of the generation of chefs who took City and Guilds 706 qualifications one to four, with the final one being an HND in business management.
‘I went to Lanarkshire Catering School in Motherwell where I was inspired by Rita Kelly.
‘I returned from Italy aged 21 having been head-hunted by Derek Donaldson who was then at Crearar Group.
‘I started as junior sous chef, but soon rose up the ranks, at the Golf View in Nairn which we took to five stars with a tworosette restaurant and up to a 24-course tasting menu.’
Ryan took a step backwards in rank when he joined the Isle of Skye’s legendary Three Chimneys restaurant.
Within six weeks he was back up to senior sous chef and eventually running the kitchen under executive chef Michael Smith, who is now a judge on TV show The Great British Menu.