Welcome to the 9th series of Scran! We're back after a short summer break and we have another wonderful season ahead full of interesting tales from the world of Scotland's food and drink.On this episode we are fully embracing the summer and talking all things ice-cream. 

A few weeks back Rosalind visited two ice-cream producers. The first, new kid on the block, Peacocks, on the Southside of Glasgow and the second, a Scottish institution, Lucas of Mussleburgh.

At Peacocks Rosalind met ice-cream entrepreneur Jennifer Clapp who has brought her own signature North America style of ice cream to Scotland. 

At Lucas Yolanda Luca, the third generation of ice-cream makers told Rosalind all about the family business and how it has evolved over time.

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On this special partner episode of Scran Rosalind is joined by legendary Scottish actor James Cosmo.  In recent years James has worked alongside Annandale Distillery to create a blended whisky. 'Storyman' is named in honour of James, and for his reputation as a great raconteur, which you'll become very aware of in this podcast!

Rosalind chats to James about his great passions; acting, whisky and food. He shares memories from his days working on the cinematic giant that was Braveheart, including a story about coincidence that is hard to believe.  Rosalind hears more about the process for developing his blend working alongside the master blenders at Annandale. James gets very animated when asked about his passion for cooking - in fact, he might call it an obsession!

You can find out more about Storyman and Annandale Distillery by visiting their website. Tours of the distillery run every day of the week from 10am until 4pm. Each tour includes up to 5 dramsincluding a taste of James' blend Storyman'. 

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When we set out to record this episode of Scran we wanted to investigate the impact of Italian food and the businesses associated with it in Scotland and what we ended up making was an episode about 'generations of strong women'.  

Rosalind's first guest, Giovanna Eusebi, who runs Eusebis Deli in Glasgow, used those exact words to describe her family and business.From her fascination with capers to the touching memories she's helped create around the table, Giovanna shares her passion for Italian food and culture and the story of how her business has been so successful.

From Glasgow to Edinburgh and the home and kitchen of Sabrina Damiani. Rosalind was treated to a beautiful afternoon tea prepared by Sabrina when they met. Rosalind hears all about her journey from Sicily to Edinburgh via Oxford, and a career in academia, to now running her own private dining and catering business, Damiani Fine Dining.

This episode is like a sonic hug so grab a glass of your favourite Italian tipple and settle in for a listen full of tradition, family, love and most importantly...food.

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Rosalind's guest on this episode of Scran is Julie Lin. In their chat you'll hear all about how Julie's upbringing in Glasgow and her path to where she is today. She's just brought out her first cook book Sama, Sama and they discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with it.

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind is at Inver restaurant on the shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll and Bute to hear about the Dived not Dredged campaign. This campaign, which is being run by Open Seas, is aiming to raise awareness of the damage being done by dredging for scallops and encourage the more sustainable practice of hand diving, which they believe all consumers have a role in.

Rosalind spoke to Andrea Ladas, Sustainable Seafood Officer for Open Seas, David Stinson, diver, Will Branning of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Pam Brunton, co-owner and Head Chef at Inver.

In her discussions Rosalind looks at the issues with dredging for scallops, how this is impacting the sea bed and the fishing industry and considers what it means for chefs and consumers.

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This episode of Scran is all about Scotland's historical relationship with tea and more specifically the rise and fall of the great Glasgow tea rooms. 

Rosalind is joined by Dr Lindsay Middleton, Food Historian and Knowledge Exchange Associate at the University of Glasgow and friend of the podcast Peter Gilchrist, who is a Scottish food history writer. Lindsey and Peter organised the 2025 Scottish Food History Symposium on tea which took place recently and was delivered in partnership with Mackintosh at the Willow and the National Trust for Scotland.Roaslind went along to the tea Symposium at Mackintosh at the Willow in Glasgow. There she learnt how tea in Glasgow was linked to women, trade and slavery, art, class, tourism, Scottish identity, and diaspora. The event was truly fascinating and shared the rich history of Glaswegian tearooms.

You'll hear from Perilla Kinchin, Author of Taking Tea with Mackintosh: The Story of Miss Cranston's Tea Rooms - talking about Kate Cranston, the first lady of Glasgow's tea rooms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  You'll also hear snippets from Professor Andrew Mackillop's talk on some of the earliest presence of tea in Glasgow and how it became surprisingly political.

You can find out more about the symposium from @tenementkitchen and @lindsaymiddleton_ on instagram.

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind took a trip to Arran to learn a little more about food and drink production on the island. 

Her first stop was at Lagg Distillery where Fred Baumgärtner, Brand Home Ambassador and Head Tour Guide showed her around this ultra-modern distillery set atop a cliffside with the most spectacular views. She sat down with Fred and Graham Omand, Distillery Manager to learn more about the liquid and what they've got coming up.

From Lagg to Bellevue Farm where Rosalind met Agnes Madden who helps out and Donald Currie who is a sixth generation farmer to work this land. Rosalind got to learn more about their traditional farm and how they have adapted in recent years to work with Lagg as well as welcoming visitors to stay and experience life on the farm. You'll hear mention of Ailsa too - that's Donald's wife. Oh and did she get to hold and feed a baby lamb? You'll have to listen to find out.

Finally, where else but to James of Arran? The famous Scottish chocolate brand was Rosalind's final port of call before heading back to the mainland. She met James McChlerey there who told her all about the business.

If you would like to find out more about visiting Arran and it's wonderful food and drink please visit www.arransfoodjourney.com

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On this episode of Scran we are previewing one of the hottest whisky dates on the calendar - the Campbeltown Malts Festival. Despite being one of the smaller whisky regions, Campbeltown really does pack a punch and Rosalind wanted to find out what fans could look forward to at this year's event, particularly the bottlings.

Glen Scotia recently held a preview event in Edinburgh where Rosalind went along to hear all about the exclusive offerings to be had at the upcoming festival;

You'll hear from Gary Mills, Global Brand Ambassador who hosted a session to deconstruct the festival bottling and what an eye-opener it was. 

After that session Rosalind chatted with Ashley Smith, Master Blender for Glen Scotia who, will for the first time this year be on hand in her new role. She talks about the history of Campbeltown and its whisky heritage as well as what she's looking forward to at this year's festival. 

From Glen Scotia to Springbank! A few days later Rosalind caught up with David Allan, Director of Sales and Marketing for the sought-after whisky. David shared more detail on their festival releases and how they are trying to cope with demand severely outstripping supply.

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On this special partner episode of Scran we are talking about all things Angus. A region often associated with smoked fish and soft fruit - Rosalind found both when she visited but also a lot more. 

First stop was to meet with Helen and Wouter Margaroli of Rae's of Montrose. Rosalind went along to their beautiful rural cottage for a cookery lesson and to chat about their private catering business as well as the innovative experiences they offer like foraging tours and location dining. 

After some hard work it was time for a drink and so on to Arbikie Distillery. This distillery is unlike any we've featured before, they produce Gin, Vodka and Rye Whisky but do it in the most sustainable way possible. They have really gone to extreme lengths to ensure what they are doing is streets ahead of many distilleries when it comes to saving the planet. Brand Ambassador, Gilbert Ionescu gave Rosalind a tour of the distillery and she sat down with John Stirling, one of the founders, to find out how it all came about.

Finally, Rosalind paid a visit to Charleton Farm. This is an amazing destination attraction which was taken over by Graeme and Lisa McColl four years ago. They have transformed the business and expanded it dramatically whilst still operating a fully functioning farm. Graeme outlined their vision and the hard work that's going into achieving it.

Angus is a great destination for a short break or day trip and the food and drink is excellent. For more information on any of the businesses that featured in this episode and many more please go to visitangus.com

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind is riding the wave of Michelin star celebrations when she speaks to two new recipients. Stuart Ralston of Layla and Rodney Wages of Avery, both very new restaurants, join Rosalind to talk all about the process of gaining the star, how they have achieved it, what it means for their teams and what happens once they win.

This episode gives a great insight into the world of fine dining and just what it takes to reach the pinnacle of the industry.

Photo by Murray Orr.

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