City diners making the most of leftovers

SOME of the city’s biggest names in food and drink are coming together this month to showcase what delicious results can be achieved by reinventing humble leftovers.

Starting yesterday, 36 participating restaurants will put their sustainable credentials to the test as they participate in Plate Up for Glasgow, an initiative designed to address food waste and its impact on climate.

Venues from across the city including Sprigg, Ox and Finch and Crabshakk will take part in the challenge that asks them to create dishes or drinks using ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away.

Take for example Phillies of Shawlands’ “Leftover Orange Rum Gimlet”.

It said: “One of Phillies’ most commonly wasted food items is oranges. Mostly used as a drink garnish, fresh oranges are often disposed of at the end of the night, just because there’s no other use for them.

“Not anymore! “This cocktail sees any leftover oranges added to rum, infusing it to take on a delicious citrus note in this reimagined Gimlet.”

Any strong stomached eco-warrior will love gastro pub The Duke’s Umbrella’s offering of homemade haggis, neeps and tatties.

It said: “It would be impossible to run a food campaign in Glasgow without haggis making an appearance at some stage, would it not?

“The Duke’s Umbrella make their own haggis on-site, using all of the sheep or lamb’s ‘pluck’.”

Alison McRae, initiative lead at Circular Glasgow, which backs the campaign, said: “Globally, food is currently one of the most significant waste streams, and we cannot ignore these uncomfortable truths any longer.

“Plate Up for Glasgow was created with the thinking that by coming together, hospitality businesses can rebuild the local economy.”