Blackaddie House Hotel News

Summer draws on

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:35:22 +0000

I suppose technically summer is over and we are now well into autumn, certainly the garden is starting to show some wear, we’ve even had a frost on a couple of mornings recently. Today however the sun is shinning fit to burst so any thoughts of autumn are pushed to the furthest reaches of the mind. Summer is still here, we are still quite busy so all is well.
We’ve been serving some stunning food of late – even if I do say so myself. The boys in the kitchen are doing a great job. The wild mushrooms that I am normally out picking for the menu at this time of year are virtually non existent at the moment, it’s been so dry that they are just not growing; they keep trying but then come to nothing. The kitchen garden, considering it’s the first year for it, has done well and it has given me more idea of what to grow for next year too.
Next week – on the 16th we have a special Gourmet Dinner Evening in support of Scottish Food Fortnight but more importantly in support of Savour the Flavours – a D&G organisation trying to promote D&G as a food destination. We have some fantastic producers of world class products int h is area of Scotland and it is important for us to support them. The dinner we are hosting is billed as 6 courses but knowing me it will be more like 8! Called A Taste of Sunnyside Farm it is a menu based on Dominic Smiths products from Sunnyside from where we get our pork, veal, some lamb and beef. It will be a real treat – not cheap but then a menu like this and preceded by a champagne reception means it will be great value.
The good food guide is due out soon – and we’re in!! I do not know what we’ve scored yet but I have a copy of the guide on order so I’ll know soon enough – Keep your fingers crossed for a good entry for us and thank you to all that have written in to them.

John – Our Restaurant Manager

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:15:15 +0000

I know John has been dreading seeing his name appear here but he has no need to worry. For those of you who come to Blackaddie regularly you’ll have found it difficult keeping up with the comings and goings of our Restaurant Managers, I know I have. To date none have lasted that long, I’m aware that I am difficult to work for at times as I have exacting standards, but I’m only difficult to please nothing worse than that, I just want everything to be right – all the time. I don’t go around ranting and raving or shouting and screaming either, Gordon Ramsey and I do not have a lot in common!
John, our latest recruit, has been with us for almost 5 weeks now and is settling in well. He is extremely keen and just wants what’s best for Blackaddie, which is all I ask too. A Glaswegian he has lived stateside for 6 years only just returning to his native Scotland and we are his first job back here.
He brings with him an American outlook on service, no bad thing at all; they seem to understand service over the pond far better than we do over here. Nothing is ever too much trouble, nor should it be! My wish is that he stays for a long time; I think he should as he has the desire to.

Pandora, an update

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:04:43 +0000

Since I posted the last blog entry a couple of days ago Pandora, I’m pleased to say, has perked up. She is much more lively than she’s been for ages now so fingers crossed. (Willie’s much happier too!)

Pandora

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:45:31 +0000

It’s a very sad day today, Pandora, Willies (our gardener) cat is not at all well. Jane took her to the vets this morning and the outcome was not good, she does not have too long left it seems.

She’s had a pertty good innings though, well over 20 years old but we’re not sure how old she is exactly. She’s lived in the greenhouse since we took over here. She used to follow Willie everywhere he went. If you wanted to find Willie all you had to do was look for Pandora – sometimes far easier to find than the man himslef!

It’s always sad to lose a member of the family.

Rain – what rain?

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:37:28 +0000

The second wedding of the summer last weekend went really well, it too was only very small but they (and we) enjoyed it. The weather was again superb.

Rain was forecast for yesterday but it never came, it drizzled most of the day but never enough to get the ground wet. It’s forecast for tonight again but so far nothing yet, I am hoping for a downpour but also that it stops before morning, mind you we’ll probably only get a shower. We’ve been invited to a BBQ tomorrow afternoon so no doubt the rain will wait till then before it comes!

The garden looks an absolute picture as it always does at this time of the year, Willie has produced his magic again! The dahlias are once again stunning.

The veg garden is coming along but needs water, we’re getting some great courgettes. I’ve planted artichokes but they are being extremely slow to perform, a bit like England in the world cup – now that is a shower!

First Wedding of the Summer

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:02:40 +0000

Well our first wedding of the summer was a great success everyone very happy and all vowing to return. It was only small as we are not really geared for large numbers, and small weddings are so much more intimate. The groom organised a falconer to come with a variety of birds which we hosted on the front lawn. This was a great success and some of the birds were absolutely magnificent.

We have our second wedding this coming weekend – again only a small one and all the way from Canada this time. The weather is set fair – warm and sunny throuhgout according to the forecast so it should be another great week-end.

The summer is starting to look as though it is going to be a busy one! Let’s hope we keep this wonderul weather for a bit longer, that would be the icing on the cake.

Letter

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 10:27:36 +0000

We had the most fantastic letter from a customer yesterday and not only that but he also forwarded to us the letters he had written to all of the major guides too. It gives the staff a real boost when we get thank you letters like that through and it is so helpful to the business when they also write to the guides. Without endorsements like this we’d be nowhere. Thank you Mr & Mrs Hudson let’s hope your house hunting turns up trumps and we hope to see you as neighbours soon!

Good Food Guide

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:07:09 +0000

We were recently listed as in the top three for the award of Best Scottish Restaurant in the Good Food Guide, sadly we didn’t win but there’s always next year. Mind you to be one of three is an achievement in itself, thank you to all those that have written in about us we really appreciate it.

The winner was La Garrique in Edinburgh, Jean Michele Gauffre the chef used to be my Sous Chef many moons ago so I didn’t mind really.

Then guess what? We had the editor of the GFG in for lunch today! Fantastic! I hope this means we are going to be in it this time round and hopefully with a good entry too! I had no idea who she was but thought she may be a critic of some sort and when I had a chat with her after lunch she told me who she was. Nice lady and good to meet her. I used to know Drew Smith a previous editor of the guide very well so it is nice to meet the person at the helm now.

Garden

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:51:17 +0000

The vegetable garden is coming on a treat, mind you it would do a lot better if it wasn’t for the pesky rabbits! They’re into eating everything at the moment. I’ve been out and bought some chicken wire and started fencing everything in but they can eat faster than I can fence, I may have to resort to more drastic measures!

We’ve actually had a little rain overnight, the first for weeks now, the river is so dry, in fact I’ve not seen it this dry before. Up until a couple fo days ago the wind still had a very cold edge to it but that has gone now and we had 20 degrees yesterday – is this summer?

Did I mention our new restaurant manager? Gennaro started with us about 3 weeks ago now and is fantastic. He has just a quiet calm and thoroughly professional way about him and is a real joy to work with.

Vegetable Garden

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 11:47:18 +0000

I’ve started a vegetable garden, something I wanted to do last year but never got around to though. Two weeks ago I planted some herbs, the normal sort of stuff, two types of parsley, chives, bronze fennel, thyme and sage. I’ve now sown carrots, radishes and two types of beetroot. On Friday night I planted 18 asparagus crowns and ran out of ground I’ve still got three more to put in.

Asparagus has to be my favorite vegetable and I’ve always wanted my own asparagus patch but never had the opportunity. I only hope it takes! We had a hard frost last night, the ground was white when I got up this morning, not good for the seedlings.

I’ve also got a few courgette plants in doors and some butternut squash too. This means courgette flowers during the summer – fantastic!

I have plans to get more planting doen this week all being well although in reality it’s probably still a bit too cold out there. It may be sunny and bright but there is still a slightly sharp edge to the wind, Willie reckons we are about a month behind in the garden at the moment, its true the daffs are still strong when they would normally have died off by now, even the wild garlic has not flowered yet and it is normally over by now.