10 OF THE BEST
The couthiest Scots dishes
Glasgow restaurant Ox and Finch has made a name for itself serving up great plates inspired by world foods just made for sharing. So you might be forgiven for thinking that meals in head chef Daniel Spurr’s own kitchen might involve a riot of different dishes every time – but Daniel has a confession.
‘To be honest, I don’t cook much at home. I normally eat out on my days off. I’m just always interested in eating food from other places.’
Originally from Strathaven, Daniel’s love of food started young. ‘My Dad is very into food and I was taken to good restaurants from a young age,’ he says. ‘I started cooking when I was about 15.’
The 28-year-old admits he didn’t take cooking that seriously until he was 20, but once he did, things moved quickly. From studying and working part-time in a local restaurant, he went to seafood restaurant Rogano before going to be sous chef at Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond. He joined the team at Ox and Finch in 2013, working with owner Jonathan MacDonald to plan the diverse, globally inspired menu, which features more than 30 dishes that are regularly updated.
Since opening in May 2014, the restaurant’s tapas-style, small-plate dining concept has proved a hit. ‘We tried to make it as accessible as possible. It’s not one set cuisine, there’s something for everyone and we try to keep it as new as possible,’ Daniel says.
Daniel’s pursuit of fine food doesn’t stop at eating out locally, he also spends time off working in some of the world’s best kitchens.
‘You contact a restaurant you would like to work in and offer to work for free, in exchange for the knowledge you will gain working there,’ he explains. ‘I’ve worked at Tom Aikens’ restaurant, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and most recently at Nahm in Bangkok. I pick up inspiration from all of these places and it’s not only to do with recipes, it could be how the kitchen runs, different methods for doing things.
‘When I was in Thailand, I was at one of the best restaurants in the world and they are very traditional, they just have pestles and mortars, and everyone has one large cleaver, that’s it. They can fillet fish with that cleaver, they can do anything. I think that’s incredible. I was shown a thing or two by some young Thai people.’
With a head chef so passionate about new ideas, dining at Ox and Finch looks set to remain an exciting prospect.