Earlier in the summer, Glasgowist spent ten days introducing a team of French journalists to the best people and places in our city. We visited street food markets, vegan cafes, cultural landmarks and music bars. There were dinners in Rogano, Hutchesons, Ox and Finch, lunch in The Gannet, drinks in the Kelvingrove Cafe. Their conversations took them to concerts at Saint Luke’s and King Tut’s. Some days they’d discover a new business to visit, a building to photograph. Our visitors found out what taps aff weather meant. Their arrival coincided with an unbroken period of glorious sunshine.
The trip was to get a sense of Glasgow. The journalists are currently writing the cover story for an international magazine published by Nespresso. It will be distributed to 700,000 readers in 45 countries, translated into five languages. The city is being profiled to coincide with a Nespresso store opening on Buchanan Street. More on that at a later date.
This will be a tremendous showcase for Glasgow right now. It comes at a time when tourist numbers are rising and Glasgow is competing with other cities for business investment.
Most of all, we’re looking forward to seeing the places we visited through the eyes of the journalists and photographers, who became more Glaswegian the longer they were here.
There were other journeys beyond Glasgow for features. We visited Andrew Fairlie. He has the only two Michelin star restaurant in Scotland, at Gleneagles. A world-class chef, it was a pleasure to spend some time with him. He took us to his secret garden. Not many people are allowed to disturb the tranquility.
Andrew spent years convincing a very private local family to let him take over the fascinating walled Victorian garden that was on their land. When they agreed, he integrated this garden into the entire basis for his restaurant. His team of 23 chefs, led by head chef Stephen McLaughlin, are in daily contact with the small team tending to the garden. When produce is ready it is immediately delivered to the kitchen at Gleneagles and shapes the menu.
With its sense of calm industry, curious period glasshouse, vivid colours and smells, Andrew’s field of dreams is a wonderful celebration of the best of Scottish produce in a well-ordered, idyllic country setting.
You can see some of our photographs below. A much more thorough examination will feature in the next So Nespresso magazine alongside portraits of the Best of Glasgow.
