Page 26 - Homes & Interiors Scotland

[Clockwise from above] The elegant dining room at Port an Eilean,
where groups of friends and family gatherings tuck into the chef’s
repertoire of Scottish classics. There will often be John’s take on
Cullen Skink, Perthshire lamb and Atholl Brose (or Cranachan) on the
menu – the recipes for which are given opposite

of successful private cheffing. The first time John cooks for new
clients, there will be coming, going and menu-tweaking. After
that, they are pretty much happy to let him off the leash. “After
I’ve worked with them once, I know their likes and dislikes.”
There are generational differences. When a large family
gather at a Highland estate, the oldies expect to sit down to plenty
of game, pies and hot puddings. Their sons and daughters, living
a more cosmopolitan city life, demand lighter and more modish
meals. They are also more likely to be macrobiotic, or eating like
a caveperson.
The one thing all his clients have in common is that they
want the very best of everything. John relies on suppliers he
has known since his Killiecrankie days to provide the meat and
fish that showcases Scotland’s larder. “I’ve been with the same
butcher, Macdonald Bros in Pitlochry, for 25 years. It was the
father originally and Rory was the apprentice in the shop. Now
Rory’s dad has retired and he has taken over.”
Rory supplies John’s beef and lamb – “all Perthshire stuff” –
as well as bacon and sausages for breakfast. The black pudding is
from Stornoway, while the game and poultry come from a dealer
in Auchterarder, another old chum from hotel days.
“Some cooks and chefs go to the nearest super market, stock
up and get their Clubcard points. I have four or five different
suppliers. It would be embarrassing if a client asked me about
the beef and I said, ‘Oh, I’m not sure, I got it from the cash-
and-carry, I think it’s from Guyana.’ I can say, ‘It’s from the

HOMES & INTERIORS SCOTLAND