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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Welcome to a very special episode of Scran. This week Rosalind was invited to 10 Downing Street to partake in a celebration of Scottish food and drink in advance of St Andrew's day. 

Following the event Rosalind sat down with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer to learn more about why he has brought back celebrating Scotland's national saint's day to Downing St, more about his favourite Scottish food and drinks as well as his thoughts on challenges being faced by both the fishing and whisky industries. 

But first you'll hear some opening remarks from Satty Singh, owner of Mr Singh's Indian Restaurant in Glasgow who travelled to London to speak at the event and escort his team to provide their now-famous, tandoori salmon tikka for the event - a favourite of the Prime Minister's. Rosalind chats to Satty a little more later in the podcast to hear about the business and how it's evolved. 

Rosalind also caught a quick word with Scran-alumni and Scottish fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie who also attended the event. You'll hear music throughout this episode from Lussa, a Glasgow based traditional band who entertained guests at the event.  Happy St.Andrew's Day! 

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Welcome to our first Christmas special for 2025. On this episode Producer Kelly and Rosalind bring you a festive gift guide that has something for everyone, including more discussion of cheese with The Cheese Lady!

Rosalind also pays a visit to the Southside Community Centre which is hosting Christmas day this year with a partnership event, 'Communities at Christmas'. They will be welcoming people experiencing homelessness and isolation for a day they aim to fill with joy and community. 

Rosalind met Michael Traill, Chief Executive of the Southside Community Centre Association, Hannah Robertson-Newman, Service Lead of the Edinburgh Street Team of the Simon Community and Thomas Elsner who works on that team. They tell her about plans for the big day and how you can support them. 

If you are worried about someone who is rough sleeping please visit simonscotland.org there's also a number you can call for people in Edinburgh, it's 08081782323. 

You can find out more about the event here;

https://southsidecommunitycentre.co.uk/communities-at-christmas-the-gift-of-belonging-this-christmas/

And donate here;

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/xmas2025

For more information on supporting someone experiencing homelessness visit;

https://www.simonscotland.org

Scran's second installation of Christmas specials will be here just in time for Christmas with much more coming between now and then. Stay tuned and thanks for listening.

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On this episode of Scran Rosalind visits The Cheese Lady. Svetlana Kukharchuk owns and runs two cheese shops in East Lothian.  Rosalind went along to the Haddington store to find out more about how she came to make cheese into a business, how she sources and chooses her cheese and well, just more about cheese in general. Svetlana also shared some of her favourite cheeses with Rosalind for a tasting which, spoiler alert, was pretty delicious.

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On today's episode Rosalind visits Aberargie Distillery in Perthshire. The launch of the new Aberargie Whisky next March will mark the return to production for the Morrison family, arguably one of Scotland's most famous whisky families. Whilst there, Rosalind was given a tour of the distillery by Head of Distilling, Graeme Mackeddie, who shared with her what sets the new whisky apart and his hopes for the future of the distillery.  

Rosalind also met with Brian Morrison, owner and founder who told her about the previous generations of his family that worked in whisky and why after 25 years it's time for them to get back in the game.  Rosalind also spoke to MD, Niel Hendricks who shares the vision for the business and guides Rosalind through a tasting of what will become the new whisky come next March.

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On this episode the Scran team paid a visit to Seaton House in St Andrews to sample Ondine mark II and chat to Roy Brett, Chef Patron for Ondine restaurants and Valor Hotels in the UK, and Michael Davern, General Manager of Seaton House. You'll hear snippets from the meal we enjoyed and a tour Michael took us on of the new hotel. We hope you enjoy it.

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On this special bonus episode of Scran we take you to the launch of Galloway distillery. Previously the Crafty Distillery in Newton Stewart, actor and drinks aficionado Sam Heughan has purchased the business to develop his Sassanach brand of spirits further. 

In this episode you'll hear Sam giving a speech at the launch  and Rosalind's chat with him afterwards where he shares his childhood memories of the area and his hopes for the distillery. It was a rather windy day and a noisy space so apologies about the audio quality. 

You'll also hear from Craig Rankin, Master Distiller who Rosalind also chatted to about the new whisky brand as well as their other gin and vodka products.  He gave her great insight into the process of creating the spirits and blends and about just how committed Sam Heughan is to his drinks project.

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