That's us just finished our first week with new menu The Modern Age, so I thought I'd put pen to paper to tell you a bit more about it. We are absolutely delighted to have had such amazing guest feedback over this first week.
Two months ago I was drafting some Modern Age introductory chat for the menu, but approaching launch date I thought I'd restrict the wording. But then again, when I saw it actually set out on the menu and formatted, I thought it could stay as is.
Here we go:
Chef's Table series on Netflix is a very extensive six Emmy-nominated seasons of documentaries, meeting culinary stars around the world who are redefining food with innovative dishes and tantalizing desserts. I watched every episode whilst indoor cycling on my Wattbike, and I was certainly truly riveted to the screen!
In so many cases, there were also so many recurring stories of hardship, endurance, and perseverance. People who have resolutely stuck by their own creative beliefs and innovation, in many cases almost to the point of financial challenges necessitating potential give up and closure. Until eventually however, and sometimes after years, there was a sudden circumstance that totally changed the game, perhaps just via one single dish. A surprise visit and recognition from a very influential food writer, for example. And then boom, A Tipping Point creates and delivers something that then becomes in hospitality terms, unstoppable. In multiple cases then going onwards to create recognition within Planet Earth's Top 50 restaurants.
And then we have those who discover something by accident, or by having arrived at a new point simply by taking a course of evolution. El Bulli's mollecular gastronomy delivering something that looks like an olive, and is filled with olive juice, but is not at olive. Milkshakes infused with the flavour of cereal, who doesn't like that delicious cold milk at the bottom of the Frosties bowl? Or how about Central restaurant in Lima, Peru - which focusses on creating dishes which each originates from the country's massively differing ecosystems, and heights above sea level.
So amongst all of this, I am thinking about Balbirnie's past, and future. Over my 3 decades + in the hot seat, I've had the honour of working alongside multiple of Scotland's most accomplished Executive Chefs. The most successful of these in terms of continuity (eg each here for 5 or 6 years), Ian MacDonald, Alan Gibb, Mark Lindsey, they always managed to find many new ways to do things, albeit without losing sight of where we've come from.
So that then led to the start of conversations with today's Executive Chef Kris Currie. In April 2023 we had finished a multiple season run of Seven by Balbirnie, a regularly changing 7 course set menu. There have very obviously been massive changes across the span of hospitality, coupled with very significant increases in food costs, huge increases in energy costs, all amongst a cost-of-living crisis. Our next evolution took us therefore to The Grill @ The Orangery, and within this we also initiated a great value 3 course multiple choice menu as well.
So, we then decided to take the 3 course menu, and align it directly to The Modern Age, as a celebration of Scotland's culinary past, present and future - sometimes extending a long time back, reinterpreting, deconstructing, taking Scotland's incredible natural larder of today, and the capabilities that new methods and new equipment have also brought over recent years. This all to be in a regularly changing offer, with the team focussed collectively and creatively on evolving new dishes together.
All designed for a great night out at Balbirnie House.
We certainly wished to keep fabulous affordability to the fore, and NB The Modern Age sits alongside our main menu for The Grill at The Orangery, Scotland's finest steaks cooked on the mighty Josper Grill - legend of charcoal gastronomy, with sauces and sides as per this image:
Here goes then, with the first menu for The Modern Age. And our sincere thanks to Rachel Gillies of Lifetime Photography for these lovely pro images.
STARTERS
"Partan Bree" (crab brew, originally from the North East of Scotland) Brandied crab bisque, katy Rodgers crème fraiche, shellfish oil, saffron & chive Bannocks
Cock a Leekie Terrine Chargrilled syboes, crispy leeks, prune, peppered chicken Jus
Salt Baked Beetroots apple, pickled celeriac, pecans, beetroot tuille
MAINS
Venison Haggis Pan-fried venison, venison meatball, clapshot, pickled neeps, burnt onion granola, bilberry jus
North Sea Hake Dulse butter, chicken skin, Shetland mussel gratin
Herb Gnocchi Pumpkin, wild mushroom, nettle pesto, granola, parmesan
DESSERTS
“A not so Hot Toddie” (Hot toddy is a warming drink combining water, whiskey, honey and lemon juice. It is often drank as a nightcap and traditionally taken as a remedy to help ease the symptoms of colds and flu) Condensed milk cake, lemon curd, Glenfiddich & vanilla crowdie, almond, heather honey ice cream
Ecclefechan Tart Sailor Jerry’s Rum & Maple ice cream
Where did the wording of 'The Modern Age' come from?
How we were creating and delivering such consistency and innovation previously with Seven. Netflix. Evolution. A recognition of the massive underlying culinary talents of Executive Chef Kris Currie, Head Chef Sharon Munro, together with Neil Dunlop heading up all aspects for pastry and desserts. Then and now. Now and the future. Something slightly edgy, something that says exactly what it is, something that enables us all to say 'here we are celebrating our country, our culture, our origins and traditions', something that is a lot of fun, something that is joyful and happy, something that can accelerate our dining offer chef, straight into .... the here and now, straight into The Modern Age! That's basically how the conversation went. And I think we're onto something we can really evolve and work with, because the chef and I certainly couldn't stop smiling when we were talking about it!
The Modern Age is available of course, in addition to our Orangery, on Balbirnie's Chef's Table as well. In tribute to Netflix!
(Reservations and menus via our website. )
All best wishes in hospitality,
Nicholas
MD Balbirnie House
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