Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to help us see things differently. And when it comes to promoting Glasgow as a foodie destination, that works both ways.
The first Taste for Tourism conference takes place in Oban in November, and will ask whether Scotland has got what it takes to be a global food tourism destination. Food tours are a burgeoning market, and exist in every major city across the world as well as in Scotland.
Glasgow, however, seems to be a little behind in this respect. Tasting Scotland offers unaccompanied champagne afternoon tea at the Willow Tea Rooms, and Eat Walk Glasgow mixes architecture with food in stunning buildings such as Alston Grill underneath Central Station and the A-listed Hutcheson’s.
American-born Madeline Miller goes one step further. Shocked to find so little competition on the websites of VisitScotland and People Make Glasgow – especially in the wake of the foodie success of Glasgow 2014 and the current Year of Food and Drink – she actually began to wonder if there was an anti-Glasgow bias. So she launched her own accompanied Wee Food Tours in her beloved adopted city, and its focus is the city’s long and, shall we say, colourful culinary history.
On arriving at Glasgow airport, she says, tourists are whisked away to play golf or drink whisky elsewhere. But in her eyes, this is the best city in the world. The food scene struck her as very special, and she realised the people and the stories behind it were unique. As she puts it, the food eaten on her tour can’t be replicated in New York, Sydney or Paris.
She has already hosted visitors from the US, Canada, Australia and Germany on a tour that takes in restaurants, speciality shops and family-run businesses. Most of them had been on culinary tours of the rest of Scotland, had never been Glasgow and had never thought of it as a foodie destination. They, like me, were gobsmacked by the experience.
Ubiquitous Chip’s Patrick Harens presented a history of the iconic restaurant, and described how the Highland crowdie taster came with rooftop flowers from the raised bed above us. Stunning tiny plates of locally sourced beef stovies, venison haggis, neeps and tatties followed. At George Mewes, Stephen Sweet had a presentation platter of four top Scottish cheeses at the ready and spoke passionately of their individual notes. Cafe Gandolfi’s Cullen Skink and Arbroath Smokies were presented by the restaurateur Seumas Macinnes himself, who sat with us to tell his story.
A knickerbocker glory at the 1918 University Cafe and tastings at the 112-year-old Glickmans sweetie shop at Glasgow Green followed. The founder’s grand-daughter and great-daughter made boilings in his original copper pans.
The icing on the cake was Guido’s Coronation Cafe at Barrowlands’ deep-fried Mars Bar. Grinning, our server told us the only people who ordered DFMB were tourists.
What made me proudest were the Glaswegians themselves. Professional, knowledgeable and friendly, they knew they had a good thing going, and were proud to have the all-too-rare opportunity of showing it off.
Someone should give this girl a job. No, wait. She’s already doing a good one all by herself.
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