Paul and Nick’s Big Food Trip – A Review
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 12:32 amFor the fifth episode of their series Big Food Trip, Scotsman Nick Nairn and his Northern Irish friend Paul Rankin served up a beautiful trio of dishes on their visit to Campbeltown. We could not taste the food but I am wondering, if a little belatedly, how the programme scored with viewers? I give a few thoughts here.
The two chefs were inspired to create an Ulster scotch egg as their starter, a sort of Celtic fusion using local produce, after a visit to the Kintyre Smokehouse. This was well received by the dining party, a selection of employees and trustees of the Campbeltown Picture House.
Away from the table, the chefs visited Bellochantuy, pronounced erroneously as you would expect, lauding the efforts of the organic produce stall situated by the roadside.
Later the diners were blown away by what looked a tremendously tasty rack of lamb, before Les Oman offered us some interesting historical information, in the process swatting off any suggestion from the Ulsterman that whisk(e)y could have originated there! Calm and informative, but subtly defiant, and it made me laugh in a good way. Not the same kind of laughter some other parts provoked!
With any Campbeltown or Kintyre-oriented TV programme, there are the inescapable cliches that local onlookers helplessly and consistently have to endure; messrs Nairn and Rankin visited a farm in East Kintyre, Ifferdale Farm, before asking the farmer about sheep farming on the Mull of Kintyre, despite being at a location at least 25 miles away from the Mull by road.
This oversight in itself is understandable if annoying, but the descent of the conversation into an inane volley of questions, culminating in the absurdly philosophical point put to the farmer by Nick Nairn that his sheep, sensing their unique dwelling in the lush fields at Saddell, are of a higher culinary quality as a result, actually made me burst into laughter.
The emotional hurly-burly was to continue at the other side of an amazing looking dessert of bramble tart and, after hearing the excerpts from the dining party, a dish that was sumptuous in taste as well. And to think that not long before this they were frolicking so hilariously, like carefree youths in the plentiful rows of bramble bushes, the marquee ingredient for the dish. I was surprised they had ample time to bake for their eager guests!
The dish was sprinkled with almonds, not everyone's 'cup of tea' but an ingredient that added complexity and a unique taste.
For the guests asked to speak, it was obviously a pressure situation, wanting to express their thoughts on the meal without becoming a bumbling incoherent mess or going on for too long. Everyone spoke well and the appreciation of the dishes and of the occasion itself was obvious; as much as Nick Nairn looks like someone with an overwhelmingly self-absorbed nature (as interpreted through a TV screen I hasten to add) he and his colleague are unquestionably top-class chefs.
The last cringe of the night was prompted, with almost melodramatic timing, by one of the guests quoting Fred Astaire: "Heaven, I'm in heaven", and to break the sure-fire silence a fellow guest responded with "That was so cheesy!"
On reflection I can only imagine the discomfort of being at the table at that moment, never mind on seeing such a contextually vague regurgitation broadcast on national television. There should be an exponential scale created for the severity of such experiences.
Nevertheless, the Big Food Trip has hopefully succeeded in showcasing local produce and vindicating the efforts of various artisans to push what is a genuinely special part of the world into the national consciousness, gastronomically speaking. There is a feeling that Campbeltown is becoming closer to the rest of Scotland after some two decades of what can justifiably be called a state of post-industrial isolation.
In terms of food and drink, can Kintyre be beaten outright by another part of Scotland? While other areas of uniqueness exist and are famous themselves, Kintyre as an area will always be competitive in this sphere. While the presenters were frankly quite annoying, the programme did manage to fit a lot into the half-hour slot and represented a polar difference in quality when compared with such an horrific offering as August 2004's Campbeltown.
Most importantly, if I had tasted the food, I know it would have been unforgettable;the guests proved that in their reactions. Score - 8/10
The two chefs were inspired to create an Ulster scotch egg as their starter, a sort of Celtic fusion using local produce, after a visit to the Kintyre Smokehouse. This was well received by the dining party, a selection of employees and trustees of the Campbeltown Picture House.
Away from the table, the chefs visited Bellochantuy, pronounced erroneously as you would expect, lauding the efforts of the organic produce stall situated by the roadside.
Later the diners were blown away by what looked a tremendously tasty rack of lamb, before Les Oman offered us some interesting historical information, in the process swatting off any suggestion from the Ulsterman that whisk(e)y could have originated there! Calm and informative, but subtly defiant, and it made me laugh in a good way. Not the same kind of laughter some other parts provoked!
With any Campbeltown or Kintyre-oriented TV programme, there are the inescapable cliches that local onlookers helplessly and consistently have to endure; messrs Nairn and Rankin visited a farm in East Kintyre, Ifferdale Farm, before asking the farmer about sheep farming on the Mull of Kintyre, despite being at a location at least 25 miles away from the Mull by road.
This oversight in itself is understandable if annoying, but the descent of the conversation into an inane volley of questions, culminating in the absurdly philosophical point put to the farmer by Nick Nairn that his sheep, sensing their unique dwelling in the lush fields at Saddell, are of a higher culinary quality as a result, actually made me burst into laughter.
The emotional hurly-burly was to continue at the other side of an amazing looking dessert of bramble tart and, after hearing the excerpts from the dining party, a dish that was sumptuous in taste as well. And to think that not long before this they were frolicking so hilariously, like carefree youths in the plentiful rows of bramble bushes, the marquee ingredient for the dish. I was surprised they had ample time to bake for their eager guests!
The dish was sprinkled with almonds, not everyone's 'cup of tea' but an ingredient that added complexity and a unique taste.
For the guests asked to speak, it was obviously a pressure situation, wanting to express their thoughts on the meal without becoming a bumbling incoherent mess or going on for too long. Everyone spoke well and the appreciation of the dishes and of the occasion itself was obvious; as much as Nick Nairn looks like someone with an overwhelmingly self-absorbed nature (as interpreted through a TV screen I hasten to add) he and his colleague are unquestionably top-class chefs.
The last cringe of the night was prompted, with almost melodramatic timing, by one of the guests quoting Fred Astaire: "Heaven, I'm in heaven", and to break the sure-fire silence a fellow guest responded with "That was so cheesy!"
On reflection I can only imagine the discomfort of being at the table at that moment, never mind on seeing such a contextually vague regurgitation broadcast on national television. There should be an exponential scale created for the severity of such experiences.
Nevertheless, the Big Food Trip has hopefully succeeded in showcasing local produce and vindicating the efforts of various artisans to push what is a genuinely special part of the world into the national consciousness, gastronomically speaking. There is a feeling that Campbeltown is becoming closer to the rest of Scotland after some two decades of what can justifiably be called a state of post-industrial isolation.
In terms of food and drink, can Kintyre be beaten outright by another part of Scotland? While other areas of uniqueness exist and are famous themselves, Kintyre as an area will always be competitive in this sphere. While the presenters were frankly quite annoying, the programme did manage to fit a lot into the half-hour slot and represented a polar difference in quality when compared with such an horrific offering as August 2004's Campbeltown.
Most importantly, if I had tasted the food, I know it would have been unforgettable;the guests proved that in their reactions. Score - 8/10
