Whenever anyone mentions Helensburgh, it makes me remember a line from a Billy Connolly performance from years ago – he referenced the town when he was looking for a way to allude to affluent, Yacht Club types. Beyond that, it’s failed to register much on our radar, beyond the time, last year, that Jarvis Cocker organised an afternoon tea in the town.
It’s main appeal for Glasgow daytrippers has been the fact that Helensburgh occupies an enviable position on the banks of the Clyde where the river opens out to embrace the lochs, peninsulas and islands of Argyle and Bute.
Inland, it’s a short drive to the hotels and restaurants that dot the shores of Loch Lomond. We’re in the Glasgow sphere of influence but straying into a realm dominated by established locals, tourists, the Great Outdoors and picture-perfect views.
You can drive there in about 45 minutes, or you can take the train from Queen Street on the commuter line that runs through Partick, Hyndland and Jordanhill, then out through Balloch to Helensburgh Central.
A few weeks ago, Sugar Boat bistro opened here on Colquhoun Square. What had been a modest deli, run by Michael Curley of the Curley’s grocers clan, was replaced by a new restaurant from Will Smith, co-founder of London restaurants Arbutus and Wild Honey.
Incidentally, the name Sugar Boat entered the vocabulary of Helensburgh residents and those along the Firth of Clyde following a fateful night in January 1974 when the MV Captayannis – a 121 metres long ship laden with a cargo of sugar – succumbed to the ravages of a winter storm. Its hull was holed by a nearby tanker’s anchor chain and it rapidly keeled over on a sandbank whilst the captain and crew were safely rescued and taken ashore.
With no-one ever having stepped forward to move the hulk – the MV Captayannis remains clearly visible from the shore to this day.
I’m here for a first look and to meet Will Smith for a chat about his new enterprise over lunch. When I arrive, he’s outside, in the sunshine, chatting to some of the fine Burghers of Helensburgh. The cafe bar area at the front of Sugar Boat is an ideal place to wait.
It’s a beautifully designed prelude to the dining room. There’s an eye-catching selection of wine bottles displayed beyond the service area but the focus of attention is the marble bar top and carefully placed selection of furniture in front of it. In the evening, this would be a buzzy location for lounging and chatter. Right now, cups of tea and scones seem to be the order of the day.
Will Smith breezes through the door – well dressed, relaxed, an easy host in a room he has been working on for months. We move to a large round booth at the back, passing the semi-open kitchen and a large, plush banquette. Our table has a view of the full restaurant, populated by smart, square and round tables. There’s an outdoor seating area on a terrace. Inside, there is a sense of space and purpose. Lunch service is ticking over right now but I bet when things get going, this room really hums.
Much of what we see was built or repurposed to accommodate the new bistro. The kitchen was moved to a more central position – the counters are a hive of activity with a small team whizzing between pans, chopping boards and plates.
The Head Chef is Scott Smith who is originally from Oban. “Scott worked with us at Arbutus and Wild Honey for four years” Will explains. “Before that he was at Cail Bruich in Glasgow. He also worked at Odette in London.”
When Scott expressed an interest in moving home, he bonded with Will over a shared affection for places like St John restaurant in London that had a particular attitude to presentation and classic cooking. He packed his bags for Helensburgh and returned with his wife and some sketches of dishes for the new menu.
Meanwhile, Will had sold his stake in two Michelin star restaurants. “Arbutus was in Soho and Wild Honey was in Mayfair. They were only half a mile apart but very different crowds. Soho is cool, advertising, television personalities. Mayfair is the art world, fashion, hedge funds. The way people were dressed was different. Their attitude to food was different.”
I wonder what he had learned from his London experience in particular?
“There’s so much competition. You’ve got to be constantly looking at what you are doing, what your competitors are doing, how you are pricing things. You’ve got to be very focused.”
“When you come to Helensburgh, it’s different, it’s a small town. It’s still exciting and it is about developing and making changes and improving.”
The reason he is now in Helensburgh? “I wanted to get out of London. This is my industry, it’s what I know and what I do. I used to work at Cameron House in the mid-nineties, I lived in Helensburgh then. I met my wife here around then, she’s from Balloch and Dumbarton. We’ve holidayed up here for the last 15 years.”
The couple had looked for locations around Loch Lomond and were sitting having a coffee on the last day of their holiday when they saw an Estate Agents’ sign above the door at this place.
We continue chatting as we place our lunch order from the main menu.
My introduction to the food at Sugar Boat is light, pretty and compelling. The colouful salad is a nest of roast beetroot, balanced with shaved endive, studded with sharp pickled pear and a smooth blue cheese yoghurt (£7). This is summer on a plate. Refreshing, simple and well presented.
We also had a plate of braised and grilled leek, served with goats’ curd, a sprinkling of hazelnuts and a merlot dressing (£6.50). This led to further discussion of produce and cooking styles. Will stresses that a Michelin star is far from his mind. “You can come here for a one hour quick lunch, it’s not a four hour rich banquet. It’s a neighbourhood bistro. I want to be the great restaurant on people’s doorstep for Helensburgh”.
The initial flurry of interest in the opening has drawn visitors from Glasgow and Will hopes this will continue. “In London you wouldn’t think twice about travelling 45 minutes for some dinner but up here it can be a bit different. We’ve had many come up. I’ve big dreams – I want the locals to take us on board but I want to pull in a wider audience from Bearsden, Balloch, Clydebank. Use it as an excuse to come visit us here, take a walk along the front in Helensburgh, sit in the square.”
Mains dishes arrive. The confit pork belly, puy lentils and morteux sausage ‘petit salé (£13.50) has that classic bistro feel. I can imagine this being a very popular dish. The pork belly was well fired but ultimately very tasty. I’m not convinced the morteux sausage added much to the dish but some pork crackling brought another texture.
The wine list is extensive, taking in new and old world wines and a wide variety of price points. We shared a carafe of Côtes de Beaune, a fruity Burgundy (£13.50).
Will initially orders the beef, then switches to pan-fried cod with olive oil mash (£16.50). This is a quite straight forward dish but, again, relies on strong constituent parts to raise the standard. It’s safe, well executed and it works. “It’s not all foams, froths, gels and mousses here” Will says. I like the idea of the strength of the cooking shining through with well balanced combinations.
There’s been some light tinkering with the menu but no major changes yet. It’s early days. They’re watching to see what diners respond to before looking at introducing updates.
Local farmers and a dairy have visited since they opened so there’s options to introduce more Scottish produce. A chance meeting with some fisherman might lead to more langoustines on the specials board. That’s all part of the fun in opening a new restaurant.
For sides, we made our way through broccoli with garlic, a delicious tomato salad with shallot dressing and a bowl of wonderfully chunky, fluffy chips (our idea of a Glasgow salad). All were £2.95.
Scott joins us from the kitchen, younger than we expected, late twenties, confident without being gallus, enthusiastic about what lies ahead without lapsing into bravado.
The two Smiths are not related but seem to come at things from a similar standpoint. Will is very much the businessman and impresario, the kitchen is Scott’s domain.
Both have sought to assemble a team around them with local workers eager to join the venture and aim high. If they continue to be ambitious here then hopefully working in Sugar Boat will come to mean something in west coast dining.
Before Scott returns to the kitchen I ask for his dessert recommendations.
Rum baba is a small yeast cake saturated in syrup. Ours resembles a booze-soaked muffin, served with crème Chantilly (£6). It’s a real treat. Immensely satisfying, surprisingly light.
Paris-Brest is made of choux pastry with a hazelnut flavoured cream filling (£6). It’s what Mary Berry might call a show-stopper. Remember to save room for dessert. Other more Caledonian option include Ecclefechan tart or a cheese plate with Highland oatcakes.
We finish by talking about the whole process of opening a new restaurant. People arrive having seen pictures, read reviews, looked at menus. From the very beginning they come with a particular image in mind, poke and prod their way through their first meal and try to make a connection.
I left feeling like I’d found somewhere I’d like to visit again. Will says his ambition, for now, is to have a good summer and become an important part of the local community, so that’s exactly the type of reaction he’ll be seeking to foster.
The next time I’m wandering around town with a few hours to kill on a sunny day, I may just catch the next train to Helensburgh.
Sugar Boat
30 Colquhoun Square
Helensburgh
G84 8AQ
T: 01436 647 522
ON THE MENU: Sugar Boat
STARTERS
braised and grilled leek, goats’ curd, hazelnuts and merlot dressing 6.5
hand-cut pappardelle with rabbit and mustard 5.5
potato and green peppercorn soup, poached egg, haggis 5
homemade corned beef, ravigote relish, soda bread 6.5
salt cod brandade, black olive tapenade, chive 7.5
roast beetroot salad, shaved endive, pickled pear and blue cheese yoghurt 7
MAINS
whole roast chicken, watercress, bread sauce 12.5
grilled piece of beef, glazed shallots, ox shin and beef dripping boulanger 15.5
confit pork belly, puy lentils, morteux sausage ‘petit salé 13.5
roast heritage carrots, kale, vinaigrette, cumin 10.5
pan-fried cod, olive oil mash, mushroom duxelles 16.5
crisp stone bass, red pepper sauce, confit fennel 15.5
roast and caramelised onion, wet polenta, vadouvan, braised chard 12.5
sugar boat bouillabaisse – mullet, bass, cod, fennel, potato, leek 16.5
(a donation of £1 is made to Helensburgh RNLI for every sale of this dish)
SIDES
all 2.95
chips // kale, chilli
grilled baby gem, ‘nduja emulsion
tomato salad, shallot dressing // broccoli, garlic
bread & butter – 3.5 per board
DESSERTS
classic crème brulée 11 for 2 people
ecclefechan tart, whisky cream 6
warm chocolate mousse, honeycomb, sweet pecans 6
rum baba, crème Chantilly 6
hazelnut paris-brest 6
warm clafoutis, salted caramel ice cream 6.5
selection of george mewes’ cheeses, highland oaties 7.5 for 3 / 12 for 5