it simple
A food-orientated pub that lives by the motto of "keeping it simple" is pulling in the punters. Alice Whitehead reports on the winning formula at a Scottish village inn
The Kippen Inn is a testament to the fact that pubs serving chicken nuggets, ploughman's or scampi and chips are a thing of the past. Among its many accolades, the Scottish pub has been described as "a country inn for the 21st century" and its menu as "a classy, confident attempt to bring city cooking to a corner of Stirlingshire".
Owners and business partners James Fletcher and Laurie Newlands have certainly stamped an avant-garde edge on the food, but the emphasis is still very much on no-frills dining, using the best of local, Scottish produce.
And with the help of newly-acquired head chef Rick Truesdale, who spent five years working with Nick Nairn, at Nairns, in Glasgow, they're really on to a winning formula.
"Our motto here is keep it simple'," says Fletcher, who bought the inn using his life savings in 2003. "There's no point in hiding the meat under heavy sauces or overdressing the salads. The produce is so good, we let it speak for itself. The wow factor is all very well but if it doesn't taste good then what's the point? We create dishes that are a reflection of the countryside we live in."
And there's plenty of countryside to choose from. Kippen lies in the Fintry Hills, 10 miles west of Stirling and on the southern edge of Flanders Moss (a huge expanse of mossland), nestling in the Trossachs. It is said thatthis was the place where thelegendary outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor hid the cattle he removed from the wealthier land owners.
Therefore, of the 14 starters, 14 mains, the fish board and the daily specials board, much is sourced in the surrounding area. Beef and lamb come from Kippen village itself, scallops from Scrabster, smoked salmon from the Outer Hebrides, and delicious bread is baked at Fallin, a nearby village.
On top of this, Fletcher and Newlands regularly visit Glasgow's vegetable markets, and three times a week get up at 3am so they can grab the best catch of the day at the fish market.
"We all work together to produce the menu because we all believe very strongly in promoting and utilising Scottish produce," says Fletcher.
"The menu changes daily depending on what's good that day. The fishmonger might ring up and say the sea bream is particularly good, so we'll think up some way to use that. It evolves all the time."
Considering the extensive choice the menu offers, it's surprising that Fletcher's personal favourite is fish and chips. "When it's done well, with thick, hand-cooked potato chips, homemade tartare sauce and mushy peas, it's simply fantastic, and happens to be one of our most popular dishes."
To complement the food, the inn also has a very good wine list, with six reds, six whites, two rosés and three Champagnes, all available by the glass. And it seems wine has always been in thevillage's blood. In 1891, Duncan Buchanan planted a vineyard here and one of its vines grew to be the largest in the world covering some 5,000sq ft and spreading across four greenhouses.
And the village also seems blessed with good pubs. Despite it's diminutive size, it can boast of having another award winner, the Cross Keys Hotel. But Fletcher says he's not worried by the competition. "To be honest, I don't see them as competition we're all in this together," he says. "The Cross Keys has an excellent reputation and does similar stuff to us, but it's great to have that kind of neighbour who's also raising the expectations about pub food and promoting the same cause."
And despite their palpable success, Fletcher is not ready to be complacent. On quiet, rainy Tuesdays, for example, he plans to introduce breakfasts and afternoon cream teas, and intends to have regular "guest chef" nights, bringing a little Eastern or Mediterranean cookery to the countryside.
James is also keen not to neglect the village's burgeoning family market. He plans to install a clay oven so he can provide hungry families with freshly-prepared pizzas and bruschetta. "I want to get across that eating in a pub doesn't have to be about drink, it's about socialising and enjoying food with your parents, in a relaxed environment. In some ways it's about educating children about good food," says Fletcher. So the inndoesn't offer children the conventional beans, burgers and chips but smaller versions of what adults might have. This encouragement has clearly paid off, with little diners asking for scallops with chilli sauce or steak.
"We've had to be aware of our market here and the locals have been very supportive," says Fletcher. "It's thanks to them we will grow this place to its maximum potential."
On the menu at the Kippen Inn
Starters include warm partridge with orange and a crispy pancetta salad or twice-baked smoked applewood and thyme soufflé.
A trio of black puddings come from the "chieftain of all pudding-makers", Cockburns of Dingwall, and is served with haggis (white and black) and rumbledethump (an old Scottish recipe meaning mashed potatoes pounded together), as well as a dash of Drambuie cream. "The puddings fly out of the door, we can't seem to do enough of them!" says Fletcher.
A plump breast of pheasant, stuffed with cognac, raisin and apple and served with a calvados gravy comes next as a main course, or there's haunch of Highland venison with cherry relish and celeriac purée.
In the summer, hog roasts are held outside in the back garden. Then again, you may want to choose from the elaborate fish menu. Even the inn's prawn cocktail is a bit different, with langoustines garnished with caviar, on a bed of rocket or red chard, a handful of jumbo prawns and the pub's own secret, seafood sauce.
Even the desserts are full of Scottish charm. Drunken trifle is served with Drambuie, Clootie dumplings, caramel sauce and cream, and the Scottish and Continental cheeses come served with quince jelly and bannocks (a cross between a chewy oatmeal cookie and a cake).