My main notion with all things Mothering Sunday is to reduce the level of commercialism and incorporate your own plans for a more personal touch. For a time tight generation this can be hard but so much of what is sold as “ideal for mother’s day” is actually available all year round (flowers, perfume, plants) and really unimaginative.  It’s time for a different approach!  

With this in mind and considering our eating habits are formed during infancy (I think that much of what we see as “mother love” is food related) food is a good place to start. 

 Dispensing with the classic “take mum out for lunch” notion (which often involves an horrendously overstretched restaurant and delays that only a certain amount of Prosecco can amend), how about taking the restaurant to mum - and avoiding the garden centre while you’re at it?

Menu Tips:

The Herald:

Working on the assumption you don’t still live at home then much of what you can do for a good Mum Menu can be done a good few days in advance, even while you’re cooking for yourself during the week. This means no Sunday morning panic and also that you’ll enjoy it as much as she will.

Most people spoil their mum during the day rather than evening so this is ideal day for a late Sunday afternoon tea.

Classic Sweet and Savoury Sundays:

The Herald:

Ok, pretty much everyone loves a good bit of home-baking and mums are no different. In the day and age of Bake Off and an internet overflowing with cake tips, there’s nothing stopping you from making your own. A quick trip to John Lewis’ kitchen department or Lakeland might be in order for some baking kit but hey, you can always reuse it next year or make your friends’ birthday cakes instead of buying gifts, so think of it as a moneysaving investment.

Cake-wise if you are not a massively experienced baker then stick with a classic. A good Victoria Sponge can be produced, baked, assembled (and eaten) all within an hour or two. The same applies to a gooey chocolate sponge or the omnipresent cupcake tower but you know what I think most mums love? Scones! Cheese, fruit, treacle, plain… you can’t go wrong. The tried and tested Delia way is ideal but I make a lot of savoury ones too so you could try doing a chive scone layered with cream cheese and Scottish smoked salmon or a mature cheddar one with mustard and bacon: guaranteed mum-friendly and utterly delicious with good tea.

If you fancy trying something sweet without the baking then little trifles, possets and syllabubs can all be whipped up within an hour or so and you could serve them in dainty tea cups for the Mother’s Day feel.

Whilst you’re baking, why not try your hand at some savoury tarts as well? You could cheat with some shop-bought shortcrust but trust me you can produce your own pastry really fast and you’ll notice the difference.  Have a look on-line at the classic Leith’s way: twenty minutes to make, ten to chill it, then pin it out and you’re off! You can fill them with simple fillings like crème fraiche and roast ham, blue cheese and red onion or make miniature quiches.  You can use a regular muffin tin for these and blind bake them individually beforehand ready to assemble on the Sunday morning.

Super-fast savouries to serve alongside could include classic wafer thin sandwiches or getting some great quality ham and pickles for a platter.

The Drinks Part: Alcohol

So we all know that you can buy some great, affordable Prosecco and Cava which can start things off nicely but think of the current fantastic Scottish gins on the market.  What about making a cocktail using something you know your mum loves: fruity, sour or classic drinks, however she likes them. Lakeland has some great syrups and garnishes (like hibiscus flowers) that you can use to make them look extra special.

The Drinks: Non-alcoholic

The Herald:

Scotland has some fantastic gourmet tea brands you can purchase in-store that will add a special touch.  Have a look at like Eteaket, Brewhaha and Pekoe.  Loose leaf tea somehow just feels more of an occasion but they all come bagged as well.  Coffee-wise you can go to some great coffee roasters (Artisan Roast, Mr Eion or Dear Green spring to mind) and get it ground there for an extra special cafetiere.

Going the Extra Mile:

If you want to go the whole hog you could consider a couple of the following options. For a truly authentic afternoon tea, a company called Vintage Blue Crockery hire out the sort of cups, saucers and plate stands that will add that special vintage feel. Or you could phone Splendid, a Scotland wide waiting staff agency, and they could send you a handsome butler to serve your cocktails, tea and coffee for a few hours. 

Adding this all up sounds expensive but in reality you’re saving money by producing food yourself and what you’re getting is way more special than being just another table in a busy restaurant.

Barry Bryson is one of Scotland’s foremost private chefs. He has catered for a diverse range of events, venues and parties and specialises in using the very best fresh seasonal produce.

Find out more about Barry Bryson’s catering at http://cateredinburgh.com.