Delicious home recipes originating from Aberdeen & Grampian have been captured in a new recipe book being launched today (Tuesday, December 8).
Produced by VisitScotland, You’ll Have Had Yer Tea? Treasured Tastes of Scotland features more than 40 recipes submitted by members of the public and local chefs following a nationwide appeal by the national tourism organisation.
Each recipe is accompanied by a special memory giving the background to each dish. Whether it’s a childhood recollection of helping mum bake shortbread, or frying the catch of the day after a fishing trip with granddad, each delicious recipe is brought to life by the story behind it.
The book also offers some ‘foodspiration’ so that people can embark on their own culinary adventures around the country, highlighting regional specialities and food and drink experiences unique to certain locations.
From the spoils of the sea to the finest from the fields, Aberdeen & Grampian is the perfect example of how Scotland’s rich natural environment helps create the highest-quality ingredients.
Aberdeen & Grampian recipes in the book include ‘Boiled Brisket with Salad’, submitted by Rhoda Murdoch, which took her back to her first rough camping holiday with family; and ‘Raspberry Jam’ by Brenda Anderson.
You’ll Have Had Yer Tea, which is available free of charge in VisitScotland Information Centres throughout the country from today, is published as new research reveals that more than half of families in Scotland do not sit down for meals together on a daily basis.
The national tourism organisation is now urging families to enjoy dining together and create more mealtime memories.
The research, carried out by Scotpulse on behalf of VisitScotland, showed that only 47 per cent of people in households of two or more sit down as a family to eat dinner every day, while 8 per cent said they would never do this and 9 per cent had not done this in the last week. The survey of more than 800 adults also revealed the following:
- Participants with children in household are less likely to sit down every day to eat dinner (34 per cent vs 51 per cent of those with no children)
- Over 55s (69 per cent) are more likely than average (47 per cent) to sit down as a family every day compared to 35 per cent of under 35s (least likely to sit down together every day)
- Participants from the north of Scotland are more likely to sit down every day as a family (52 per cent) compared to the average (47 per cent)
You’ll Have Had Yer Tea’s foreword is provided by Scottish chef and food enthusiast Shirley Spear. She writes: “The idea behind this recipe book was to create a legacy for the Year of Food & Drink 2015, reminding ourselves of our local Scottish roots, our home-cooking skills and memories of days gone by when family food, cooking and eating together were more prevalent. I would love to see more of this in future.”
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “From ‘Mum’s Traditional Scotch Broth’ to ‘Granny Norma’s Custard Creams’, You’ll Have Had Yer Tea is a mouth-watering collection of recipes that serves as the perfect accompaniment to the Year of Food and Drink.
“Many of the treasured memories contained within the book are of Scottish people sitting down to enjoy meals together as a family. We would encourage people to do this more often, where possible, so they can create their own precious memories around mealtimes and I am sure this book will give them some fantastic inspiration for traditional Scottish cooking.
“The Year of Food and Drink has been a great success, helping to raise the profile of Scotland’s outstanding natural larder on the world stage. It has built on the momentum generated by previous focus years and Homecoming Scotland 2014 in further developing Scotland’s reputation as a Land of Food and Drink. It has also helped to debunk any myths about Scottish cuisine being all about fizzy drinks and deep-fried chocolate bars.”
You’ll Have Had Yer Tea? Treasured Tastes of Scotland is available free of charge from VisitScotland Information Centres throughout Scotland and can also be obtained online at: www.visitscotland.com/ebrochures/en/recipe-book/
Scotland’s Food Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland has a stellar reputation as being a Land of Food and Drink. We are fortunate enough to have a fantastic natural larder right here on our doorstep and more people should take advantage of that, helping Scotland move towards being a Good Food Nation. Using this new recipe book to create traditional Scottish dishes, using locally sourced produce, is not only good for the food and drink industry here; it also ensures the food on your plate is in-season and fresher.”