£1.5m boost for advice service
the bone and the children are standing next to it holding their noses.”
David Umpherston, a chef from the Borders who has worked at both Castle Terrace and The Kitchin, will be overseeing operations at the new venture.
Kitchin says: “His real passion is for hearty, home-cooked stuff like steak and kidney pies and cloutie dumpling.”
The two chefs both have young children and the plan is to make the pub a place for families to eat together.
The idea is to have a children’s menu very similar to the adult menu but in smaller, plainer portions.
Kitchin’s Swedish wife Michaela, who is pregnant with twins, has been overseeing the decor of the new premises – as she did with the Kitchin and Castle Terrace.
Tom Kitchin says the look is simple and rustic, with tartan trim and illustrations taken from old recipe books. “When we stripped back the walls there was all this incredible old stone. We even found the old doorbell for calling the servants, so we are keeping that.”
Although they have put a lot of thought into the food, the chefs are keen to stress they will be also be putting a lot of emphasis on a range of traditionally brewed ales. Kitchin says: “Most exciting for us will be the beers. We are planning to have artisan ales, all made in Scotland. We won’t have Stella, Tennents or Guinness, but we will have the equivalents from breweries all over the country.
“We are both forward to that.”
really
looking CONSUMER minister Jo Swinson announced a £1.5 million boost to Citizens Advice Bureaux in Scotland when she visited a CAB office in Paisley.
A total of £9.5m is being given to the service across the country as it takes over responsibilities previously carried out by Consumer Focus.
The government argues that expanding the remit of CABs will make them more efficient.
Swinson said: “Citizens Advice has built up trust in communities to become a respected household name; consumers know that when they have a question or a problem they can approach their local Citizens Advice with ease. That is why the Citizens Advice Service is setting the standard as the consumer body and will take on new func- tions from 1 April. am confident that these changes will boost consumer confidence and protection enormously.”
Margaret Lynch, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “The CAB service in Scotland is in the front line of helping people deal with the prob-
Ilems they face as a result of the recession and the changes to the benefits system. Here in Paisley, as across Scotland, CAB staff and volunteers are stretched more than they have ever been, and the level of demand is set to continue to rise. Our advisers need the best possible support if they are to continue the vital work that they do – not just in giving free, confidential and impartial advice to those who need it, but also in taking on these enhanced responsibilities for providing consumer information and advice. “The funding that is being announced today will help and every penny of it is sorely needed and will be put to good use. But it must not be a one-off. Our service needs sustained investment which recognises the crucial role the CAB plays in Scotland’s communities..”