Journey to the Source

With a desire to better understand the origin of our unique ingredients, Chef Xavier travelled to Scotland to learn more about where our scallops come from and how they make their way into our kitchens. 

Through our seafood supplier, our Executive Head Chef met Jane Grant and her son Phil who are part of a dwindling community of hand divers that play a significant role in providing sustainable Scottish seafood. People like Jane and her son spend their days on the boat in Loche Ewe, diving 25 meters to hand select exceptional scallops. Jane explained the importance of waiting the right amount of time for a quality product, not just because of superior flavour, but because this way the natural balance from which it came is maintained, keeping the ecosystem well populated. She is also actively involved in a project to hatch new scallops in Norway and rear them in Scotland, to provide a sustainable source of scallops on a commercial scale.

On the boat, Xavier tried the scallops raw and pure, with the essence of the sea still in them. There was no salt on the boat, but Xavier made sure he had some key complimentary ingredients with him, so he slipped a couple more scallops into the frying pan and served them seared with a sauce of garlic, butter, lemon and salt water. 

“If you get the chance to really see where

your ingredients come from, you respect

them 10 times more”