Posh & Collects
Food writer Juliet visits new Bonnie & Wild
AS I’M TRYING TO get my step count up at the moment, the newly opened and much anticipated Bonnie & Wild Scottish Marketplace might just be the eatery for me. And what might that be, you ask?
Well, it’s a posh food court to you and me, and let us all be grateful there’s no mention of “street food”. Aiming to deliver the best of Scotland’s larder, it features three bars, eight “chef led” food stalls, a private events area and demonstration kitchen. It’s rather an elegant and pleasant venue, situated on the upper floor of the new St James Quarter.
The idea is that with a plethora of cuisine to choose from, including Creel Caught by MasterChef winner Gary Maclean, Rico’s Pasta, East Pizzas and vegan offering Erpingham House, a group of fussy chums can all eat completely different dishes.
You can each order and pay for your food and drinks at the various stalls, and are given a buzzer to alert you to pick up your food. Now call me a party pooper, but if I were to be paying £29.95 for Creel Caught’s Six Langoustine, Kombu Seaweed Butter, Fennel Lemon Salad and Skinny Fries, I’d rather like it delivered to me, in part because I like to dine out in killer heels and don’t fancy the idea of tottering up to fetch my meal.
It’s a “build it and they will come” concept and time will tell if people take to upmarket self-service. It is a pity it’s not aimed at kids as my daughter and her pals would find it great fun. If you’re not dining in, then Bonnie & Wild also feature four speciality retailers including MacDuff 1890 which is a butchery counter - so you are in luck, the next time you’re doing a Zara haul and have a hankering for some lamb chops.
Of course Bonnie & Wild could perhaps do a novelty evening where the chefs berate you for not picking up your plates quickly enough and call you a useless cretin, or words to that effect.
Kitchen bullying has been the talk of the tables recently and it’s not surprising.
Chefs have a tendency to consider their job one of the most pressured and phrases such as “emotions run high” are bandied about like parsley garnish.
I would imagine another high pressured profession to be open heart surgery yet I doubt many cardiologists rant, rave and start chucking scalpels around when it all gets too much. Talented though many top chefs may be, if you have to behave badly to get the best out of your staff you simply aren’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Whether these allegations turn out to be true or not it’s definitely time to rethink kitchen culture. One of the happiest kitchens I’ve ever visited (apart from my own when I was a chef) was at Trump Turnberry - the executive chef, Callum Dow, was very aware of the emotional wellbeing of his staff. So if Donald Trump can own an establishment where kitchens are decent places to work, there really isn’t an excuse for anyone else.
If it’s charming table service you’re after, I’d highly recommend a visit to The Dalmore Inn in Blairgowrie where the utterly charming Arnaud will look after you well. The food here is excellent and in a warm, elegant setting. I asked Armaud what brought him from Italy to Scotland? He simply shrugged: “A woman!” She must have been a stunner. The highlight of my lunch was the pavlova with local berries.
Utterly delicious.