Ghillie Basan is one of Scotland's most talented culinary champions. She's been called 'The Original Spice Girl' and a 'World Food Expert' but what comes across most when you meet this author of more than 50 books, mostly on food, is her irrepressible spirit and thirst for life.

On a snowy day Rosalind went along to Ghillie's highland home to chat with her about her childhood in East Africa, creating a home from 300 year old ruins, raising a young family in difficult conditions, building a livelihood from her remote home and the challenges she's met along the way.

They talk about her close relationship with her children both in work and play and why her latest  food book, 'Food, Whisky, Life', may be her last.  She tells Rosalind the rather incredible story of how she got her first break in journalism, why she doesn't eat in restaurants very much and how a little bit of love can go a long way in cooking. They also look to the future and the hopes and dreams she still holds.

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On this episode of Scran we venture north to Craigellachie to preview the upcoming Spirit of Speyside festival and to set foot behind closed doors at the Craigellachie Distillery.

Rosalind meets with Brand Home Ambassador, Mike McGinty there who takes her through the history of the distillery as well as what they have planned for the upcoming festival and of course, their festival bottling. He also shows her around the wonderful historic distillery, which you'll hear peppered throughout their conversation.

Rosalind also had a sit down with Henry Angus, Chair of the Spirit of Speyside, who tells her all about his new role, what the festival has in store this year and how an event of this size comes together.

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On this episode of Sran Rosalind is taking a deep dive into the world of Scottish Cider. As it continues to grow in popularity, Rosalind wanted to speak to some of the people who are the heart of the cider industry to see how their businesses are doing and what we can all look forward to.

First up Rosalind speaks to Judith Gillies, who, with her husband Ron, runs Cairn o'Mohr winery in the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire. Since 1987 they have been brewing up fruity award-winning wines and more recently, cider as they are based in an area famous for its apples, pears and plums.  Judith tells Rosalind how they got into the business, how it is changing and what their hopes for the future are.

Rosalind also chats to Grant Hutchison and his wife Jaye about their store Aeble in Anstruther, Scotland’s first dedicated cider shop. Grant was previously the drummer in Frightened Rabbit who in recent years had turned his attention to cider. Now they are putting on their first cider festival, which is happening in Edinburgh at the end of the month. They tell Rosalind all about how Covid prompted their move to Fife and the store's opening, as well as how people's understanding and appreciation for cider is changing.  They also discuss their plans and hopes for the upcoming festival—one of the first of its kind for Scotland.

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On this episode of Scran we are talking pies! Love 'em or hate em', pies are omnipresent in Scotland and Rosalind wanted to find out more about our relationship with the humble and pie and how this has changed down through the years.

Rosalind's first stop had to be Boghall Butchers, winners of the Melton Mowbray Pie of Pies at the British Pie Awards last year.  She went along and met with owner Paul Boyle and his daughter Mariesha Boyle to find out more about the family business, how they go about developing their award-winning pies and what's on the cards for this year's competition.

Friend of Scran, food historian Peter Gilchrist of social media 'Tenement Kitchen' fame also joins Rosalind on this episode. Peter talks to her about the history of pies, our relationship with them, their evolution and how they are very much a part of our food culture. Which basically leaves everyone wanting a pie!

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind investigates how you go about operating a successful bakery in 2026.

First up, she paid a visit to Lannan in Edinburgh.  Lannan has been hitting the headlines and influencing people from all over the world via social media since it opened in 2023. Rosalind chats to baker and co-owner Darcie Maher about how the business came about, what that has meant for her life and the pressures that come with operating an extremely popular corner store bakery.

The Bread Maker in Aberdeen will turn 20 this year, and as a more established business Rosalind wanted to know what was the secret to their success. Donald Anderson runs this social enterprise and spoke to her about their ethos in the coffee house, bakery and the classes they run.  The Bread Maker aims to provide meaningful work opportunities to adults with learning disabilities. Donald fills her in on the truly inspiring work of the business.

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Welcome to this special partner episode of Scran where we are looking forward to Summer, and more specifically Scotland's biggest gathering - The Royal Highland Show.

Every year more than 200,000 people visit the show in Ingliston which has been running for more than 200 years now. Its popularity is testament to the huge amount of work and preparation that goes into putting on the show every year. I visited Ingliston to learn more about what that takes and what visitors can look forward to this year.

First up Rosalind chats to Kaye Adams, Chair Designate of the show. To say the show has been a part of her life since she was born is an understatement, she's now risen up the ranks and in her current role is preparing for the top job. She tells Rosalind about her memories of the show growing up, its importance in the agricultural community calendar and how it's formed a significant part of her life.

Rosalind also took a walk around the event site with Catriona Brown, Competition Manager for the show. Catriona is definitely a logistics person - thousands of visitors, animals and exhibitors all need to be looked after and that's part of her job. She fills Rosalind in on some of the tasks this includes and explains the sheer scale and effort of putting on a show of this size.

Both Catriona and Kaye give Rosalind a flavour of what can be expected this year for old and new visitors alike. The Royal Highland Show takes place from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st of June. Early bird tickets are on sale now up until late April.  A new family ticket is also available this year which gives parents 20% of the standard entry free and remember, children 15 and under go free every day. See you there!

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind talks to South African Scotland rugby stars, Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman. Outside their day job they have launched Hirundine, a 12 year old Speyside single malt which is a part of their Against the Grain whisky collection.

During their chat they tell Rosalind how the business came about, the challenges they faced in getting it off the ground and the positive success it has seen to date. Duhan and Pierre have big plans and judging from this chat they will do their best to realise them.

Rosalind being the Scottish rugby fan that she is, couldn't miss the opportunity to ask them about the upcoming Six Nations and whether they will be drinking their whisky from the Calcutta Cup in a few weeks!

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On this episode we're looking at going sober - yes it's all around us as Dry January takes hold and whilst it's not for everyone there is no denying it has become more and more popular in recent years.

Rosalind speaks to two entrepreneurs about their alcohol-free businesses to hear more about this growing industry. First up she chats to Sonja Mitchell founder of Jump Ship brewing. A company born of a need for good quality, tasty, alcohol-free beer.  Sonja shares how she came to set up the business, the challenges and ire she has faced since then, as well as the huge opportunity she has grabbed and where she plans to go with it next.

Rosalind  also spoke to Kate Kenyon, founder of Sobrbar in Aberdeen, the city's first alcohol-free bar.  Kate tells her how health challenges led to her giving up alcohol and how that, combined with a distinct lack of social spaces for those who prefer not to drink led to her opening the bar.  She too has faced unwarranted criticism but despite this she has found there to be a really positive appetite for the service.

Happy New Year to all Scran listeners!

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Welcome to the second part of our Christmas specials for 2025. In this episode we're delving into Christmas even more and bringing you hints, tips, novel stories and things to think about.

First up, Rosalind went along to a Christmas Canapes class with Eat by Ailsa which took place in Leith. You'll hear some audio from the class and an interview Rosalind did with Ailsa McGuinness the following morning. They talk about how the business came about, what you can expect from one of Ailsa's classes and her hopes and plans for the future. Most importantly she has tips for prepping Christmas canapes that could save you a lot of time and hassle.Rosalind also went along to Copper Blossom in Edinburgh to hear about a rather surprising incident which has captured the public's imagination. Manager Paul Paxton filled her in on how they've managed to turn a crisis into a cause for good.

Finally Rosalind chats to Jozef Youssef from Kitchen Theory, a multisensory gastronomy design studio, known for creating experimental and immersive food and drink experiences. Jozef tells Rosalind all about 'The Science of Christmas', their latest event, which is a unique, sensory-led experience that explores the science behind festive flavours, traditions, and emotions. 

Thank you to all our listeners for being with us throughout the year, we hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026. We'll be back very soon with more tales from Scotland's food and drink industry.

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On this special partner episode of Scran Rosalind is joined by Fraser Cameron, head chef at the Michelin-listed 1610 at The Globe Inn in Dumfries. Fraser was recently named the first-ever winner of the Legacy Scholarship, a new award from Scotland Food & Drink and HIT Scotland supporting the country’s rising culinary stars.

As part of the prize, Fraser undertook a  five-day stage at London’s Ritz Hotel under Executive Chef John Williams MBE.Fraser tells Rosalind  all about the experience of going through the competition process as well as his time in the Ritz which has had a significant impact on him.

They also discuss his ambitions for 1610, taking what he has learnt in London and applying it there but also how he can further develop his knowledge whilst aiming for further recognition by the Michelin Guide.He tells Rosalind about how the team at The Globe Inn strive to be the best they can be and deliver for each and every guest and the developments in the kitchen to help them do this like growing their own produce and ensuring staff welfare is of utmost priority.

Fraser is truly passionate about his work and his untiring commitment to be the best is very clear from this interview. We hope you enjoy their chat.

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