(Edinburgh, Scotland, November 2011) "“ Connoisseurs Scotland's Boath House invites food enthusiasts to join Chef Charlie Lockley, Scottish Chef of the Year 2010, for an exclusive three-day foraging course that delves into the culinary secrets behind the Georgian mansion's Michelin star and 4AA rosettes. Guests spend the first day exploring Boath House's extensive grounds, which includes 20 acres of gardens and wilderness, before getting their first taste of Michelin-starred cuisine with a six-course dinner. Chef Lockley, a keen proponent of the UK's slow food movement, leads guests through the local foraging areas and teaches them how to choose the correct plants and harvest in a sustainable manner; provides a demonstration on how to incorporate the foraged foods into award-winning fare; and introduces guests to local suppliers, including a cheese maker, pig farmer and garlic grower. The program leaves free time for guests to indulge in the wide range of treatments available at the in-house spa or take in the castles, distilleries and wildlife in the surrounding countryside. The course is priced at £675 ($1,077)* and includes three days (May 8-10 or June 5-7) bed and breakfast, all tutoring and instruction, tea on arrival, light lunches and three six-course daily changing dinner menus. Additional nights can be added at a rate of £265-335 ($418-528) per night, based on double occupancy, and include accommodation and breakfast. For reservations, contact info@boath-house.com.
The cooking ethos of Boath House and Chef Lockley is based on their association and involvement in the slow food movement and organic food. The hotel's impressive garden, which was revamped and expanded by the proprietors, provides most of the organic fruits, vegetables and herbs found in their menu, and the honey is derived from their own hives. Other locally-sourced ingredients include high quality seafood, caught and delivered daily by West Coast fishermen, and meats and cheeses from an organic dairy. Using a highly imaginative yet simply preparation, Chef Lockley and his team "let the ingredients do the talking" in their dishes, which always make use of the best seasonal flavors and an expanding range of foraged ingredients.
Connoisseurs Scotland’s 27 members include three of the world’s finest golf resorts, Gleneagles, Turnberry and Old Course; Inverlochy Castle, recently voted the best hotel in Europe; several outstanding city centre properties including Prestonfield, one of only two 5 Red Star Hotels in Edinburgh, and the recently refurbished Sheraton Grand; a 19th-century castle health spa; a collection of intimate country house hotels; the ultimate luxury train; the finest hotel afloat and an exclusive use property. Five of the members boast Michelin-starred restaurants.
Information on Connoisseurs Scotland, its member resorts, partners and special offers can be found atwww.luxuryscotland.co.uk.
