With a busy working vegetable farm, Channel of Pittendreich Farm, growing over seventeen different types of vegetables, (along with oats and wheat), at its heart, it’s no surprise that the latest Larder Café menu from Loch Leven’s Larder in Kinross-shire, is not only bursting with seasonal vegetable goodness, but uses nature’s summer harvest with flair and imagination.
With breakfast and lunch available seven days a week in the Larder Café & its outdoor canopy, Loch Leven’s Larder, one of Central Scotland’s leading farm shop, deli, cafe and retail destinations, complete with its own in house bakery and deli, is keen to ensure that there’s always something fresh and delicious to discover on its menu for both its regular and new customers.
And with all front of house staff having personally sampled all thirteen dishes on the new menu, learning about both the ingredients and inspirations behind them, The Larder Café is ready and waiting to showcase one of its most ambitious menus yet.
“We are absolutely thrilled to present this new summer menu,” said owner and Managing Partner of Loch Leven’s Larder, Emma Niven, who runs the business with her husband Rob, and brother in law, Mike.
“Rooted in our farming heritage at Channel Farm, Loch Leven’s Larder was created by our family of vegetable farmers to showcase the very best of our homegrown produce,” said Emma.
“As regards our café offering, we’ve created a destination where visitors can enjoy fresh seasonal vegetables straight from our fields. We have our own in house bakers, creating fresh sourdough bread every day, baking our own signature sausage rolls and tempting us with cakes, scones and tray bakes. Providing exceptional local food, to eat in the café, and to sell in our deli & farm shop, is a constant focus, and, of course, we will always be in tune with the seasons.”
“Our head chef, Brian Padmore, has described one of the dishes on the new menu – our farm grown Hispi cabbage with herby, coconut yoghurt, masala dressing & pickled cabbage – as the best dish he has ever created,” continued Emma. “It’s certainly a stand out dish which we are proud to present.”
“Prior to the launch of each new menu, we like to prepare and lay out all the dishes for our front of house staff to try. Everyone tucks in. It’s important to understand what we are serving to our customers. If we have tasted and enjoyed the dishes, you will too.”
Inspiration has come from cuisines throughout the world. A taste of the Middle East is seen in the charred Channel Farm cauliflower, served with smashed Hummus, Dukkah & Olive Bread, whilst the classic flavours of Italy feature in both a potato gnocchi dish served with garden peas, roast courgette, and a spinach cream sauce, and a starter/small plate option of sweet cherry tomatoes, baby mozzarella, Lilliput capers, basil oil and garden herb salad. Two choices of summer soups are available – carrot and Yester Farm sour cream with toasted seeds and olive, or potato, spinach & roast garlic.
“Our soups are popular all year round, but we think these two flavours offer a taste of summer,” said Emma. “Naturally, the carrots are grown here at Channel Farm, along with other vegetables such as leeks, beetroot, curly kale, brussel sprouts and cauliflower.”
Going on to acknowledge that the farm’s expertise with vegetables would always ensure that eating out at Loch Leven’s Larder is a top choice for vegetarians and vegans looking for a delicious lunch, Emma said: “They know that they’ll find inventive vegetarian dishes where the vegetables really can’t get any fresher. They are literally pulled out of the ground and onto the plate. But we also cater for those that love their meat and their fish, there’s something for everybody. As farmers, the provenance of our ingredients is extremely important. Our top class suppliers include Campbells, Heatherfield Smokery and G&J Wilson Fishmongers.”
Loch Leven Larder’s signature Caesar Salad features Channel Farm little gem lettuce, corn fed chicken, Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan and croutons made from granary bread baked in house, whilst the Larder’s own charcoal sourdough features in a Light Bite dish of home beetroot cured Scottish smoked salmon with horseradish cream.
A succulent Scotch lamb & mint burger on a toasted brioche bun is another main course choice, served with shredded lettuce, tomato, spiced pear chutney and thin cut fries. A taste of Scotland, which fish lovers will enjoy, comes in the East Coast smoked haddock frittata, with Channel Farm kale, broccoli, preserved lemon salad, and a fine herb vinaigrette.
As Emma outlined, there are some dishes – and some ingredients – that are popular that they literally cannot be taken off the menu.
“Our delicious Ayrshire ham hock terrine, which is served with our home-made piccalilli, is a dish with a huge following. Containing our own cucumber and cauliflower, the piccalilli is made to a secret family recipe!” she said.
“Similarly, Stornoway black pudding is something else our dining guests regularly look for. Brian and his team of chefs have been very inventive this time, by offering an open sandwich which combines the back pudding with premium links sausages, a fried Kilduncan egg, and a hot heather honey dressing. We can’t wait to receive feedback on this dish.”
Emma explained that as part of an ongoing PR campaign, leading Scottish food critics had been in to sample the new summer menu.
“We’ve had excellent reviews so far,” said Emma. “We’re very grateful to these reviewers for coming along. If they are impressed in how we are elevating the finest Scottish ingredients, then we are very pleased.”
Details of Loch Leven’s Larder’s new Summer Menu can be found at:
About Loch Leven’s Larder:
A family run business established in 2009, Loch Leven’s Larder is part of Channel Farm, a busy working vegetable farm which supplies local wholesalers & businesses. Much of its produce is sold in its own Deli & Farm Shop, along with being used in the delicious seasonal recipes available in its two cafes, the Greenhouse Café, and the light filled Larder Café & Outdoor Canopy, where all day dining is available.
Dining options include the light filled Larder Café & Outdoor Canopy, where all day dining, covering breakfast, lunch and sweet treats, is available. Or opt for the Greenhouse Café, which serves light bites, sandwiches, soups, cakes, scones and hot drinks.
