The countdown to showtime is on for an Edinburgh steak restaurant this month as they prepare to reintroduce their hugely popular Film Club with a 90s Scorsese classic.
This time around, Ian Boyd-Thorpe is in the director’s chair thanks to his new role as head chef at the Rutland Hotel which serves Huxley, Heads & Tails Cocktail bar and Kyloe, where the cinematic series finds a home.
Talking us through an extensive planning process, Ian said: “It’s all about the timing.
“We rigorously rewatch the movie seven, eight, maybe even 10 times so that we find the perfect moment to serve each course.
“Sometimes we’ll send the food out just a couple of seconds before the onscreen cue which gets people wondering what it could be a reference to.
“Then suddenly they’re eating or drinking along with the characters on screen or hear a line that explains it.
“It takes the whole experience of watching a film to another level, especially when it’s the cult classics that people know and love.”
A diverse CV which ranges from working at the Michelin starred Peat Inn in his early 20s to mastering health-conscious recipes at a triathlon training camp has given Ian a knack for creative cooking that is ideally suited for taking on the challenge of bridging the gap between cinema and supper.
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The ambitious events at Kyloe will now see diners served a five-course menu and drinks pairings inspired by moments of onscreen action which have been carefully selected by the 33-year-old and his team.
He said: “The concept predates me joining the company, and launched with Pulp Fiction which is one of my all-time favourite movies.
“As soon as I came on board, I tapped into it immediately and began to develop ideas for what film we could do next.
“Everyone in the business shares the same enthusiasm and we’re always throwing around suggestions to each other.
“When one lands, we all sit down and watch it as a group.
"Right from the start it brings us all together.
“Trying to think about how we’re going create a tasting menu with matching drinks based on different scenes really gets everyone’s creative spark going.”
First up for the Film Club is Goodfellas, with audiences invited to follow the high-octane tale of wise guy Henry Hill from his first complimentary glass of Dom Pérignon to the sad ‘egg noodles and ketchup’ of witness protection program suburbia.
With a few tricks up their sleeve to surprise even the most ardent of Scorsese fans, Ian says that when it comes to ramping up movie magic, the real devil lies in the details.
“It’s all well and good being able to deliver a dish and get it out on time,” he continued, “but then you’ve also got to consider whether there is enough of a gap before the next cue or how long it will take to get plates cleared.
“The films we choose have to be quite long for that reason and working it all out is a very intricate process.
“For a film like Goodfellas, we’ve had to be quite clever about it because there aren’t actually that many obvious food cues.
“People not knowing when something is going to happen is a big part of the fun.”
With the Film Club's first run already close to selling out, Ian is hopeful that others will share his team's passion for fine food with a side serving of theatre.
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While he’s given little away as to what to expect from the upcoming Goodfellas menu, asked to choose a personal highlight from his previous events Ian said: “A real favourite of mine was showing Elf at Christmas time.
“There’s one scene where the main character pours maple syrup onto his pasta which we recreated with spaghetti and strawberry jam.
“Or with Jurassic Park, we had a dinosaur egg dessert.
“I could talk for hours about the best ones we’ve done because they really have been fantastic.
“Knowing that we’ve given people a menu that they’ll forever associate with these key moments in films is a great feeling.”
The Kyloe Film Club menu is priced at £75 per person.
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