Special visit at Inverness shopping centre as MasterChef winner Gary Maclean offers taster in promotion boost for food collective Loch & Larder
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VISITORS to an Inverness shopping centre were treated to some delicacies signed by one of Scotland's most popular chefs earlier today.
MasterChef: The Professionals winner and first National Chef of Scotland Gary Maclean, who has brought his recipes into Eastgate Shopping Centre as part of the new food collective Loch & Larder welcomed passers by with two appetizers from his recipe book in a bid to encourage more people to try the offerings in the revamped food zone.
Mr Maclean, who hails from Glasgow and is the author of The Scottish Kitchen – which gives the name to his venture in the revamped food zone – said Inverness has a special place in his chef's heart.
"I do love Inverness, it's that little hidden gem," he said.
"I travel a lot to the US and whenever I am there and I mention Inverness many – especially Outlander fans – get really excited! The tourism from television and film now is amazing.
"Today I spoke to people from Tasmania, a couple from Switzerland, and California. It's incredible the pull that Inverness has got!"
He praised the concept of Loch & Larder which he said is particularly great for families.
He said: "I just love the whole concept of the food market. It's accessible and great value for money. I am a father of five and despite both me and their mother being chefs, there is no certainty that they will all be foodies! So having a place where you can order various types of foods is ideal, there is something for everyone."
Now six months in since foodservice provider Aramark UK launched the concept inside Eastgate, there are more developments to come for the food zone.
Neil Kelso, who is the newly appointed general manager of Loch & Larder – with previous roles at the Mustard Seed, The Kitchen Brasserie and Fairways – said they are seeking to create a more restaurant-like experience for customers.
"There is still a lot of elements that we are looking to develop here," he said.
"We are looking at adding music in the near future and making some changes to improve the experience.
"We have recently launched an app which allows customers to order from the table by using a QR code. This will help avoiding people who want to order different foods having to wait at multiple tills.
Their latest addition, a burger corner called Pit&Pickle, is also part of the latest developments.
Mr Kelso said: "We wanted to switch it up and see what Inverness is looking for.
"We saw that there was demand for a burger offering in this space, so we are excited to launch this new space this week."
Tasters of Pit&Pickle's menu will be on offer at Eastgate tomorrow.
