A Place at the Table – challenging assumptions on Scotland’s identity

 

Reflections from Marc Millon, food, wine and travel writer and OCC Patron

 

Leading chefs, authors, broadcasters and activists gathered in Glasgow from 30th July to 1st August for A Place at the Table, a three-day cultural festival organised by OCC in partnership with Glasgow Life and the University of Glasgow.

Staged to coincide with the Commonwealth Games, the festival’s contributors used food as a tool to explore Glasgow and Scotland’s place in the world, including their relationship with Commonwealth nations. This provided opportunities to tackle challenging issues including the city’s role in transatlantic slavery and legacies of colonialism, as well as to examine its contemporary character, defined by diverse communities and their distinctive food traditions.

The festival started on Thursday with a meal at Swadish in the Merchant City, prepared by chef-proprietor Ajay Kumar, joined in the kitchen by chef and broadcaster Romy Gill MBE who had started her cooking career in Scotland. Chef Ajay noted, “Our menu and discussion explored how Indian cuisine has evolved as a defining part of Scotland’s food landscape, shaped by migration, shared histories, local produce and generations of cultural exchange.”

Panel discussions took place on Friday, including between Don Sloan and chef Pam Brunton, owner of Inver restaurant on the banks of Loch Fyne, focused on her award-winning book Between Two Waters. They touched on the hidden histories of Scottish cuisine and how the country might develop a more conscious relationship with food and drink, defined by a collective sense of responsibility.

In a session entitled ‘Affirming Humanity’, renowned broadcaster Kirsty Wark and a panel comprising poet Jackie Kay CBE and food writers and broadcasters Andi Oliver and Jessica Harris, considered the role of food and food professionals in advancing individual empowerment and collective social justice.

Friday evening’s special dinner was a joyous and delicious Scottish-Malaysian feast at Drygate Brewery prepared by author and chef Julie Lin and food writer and podcaster Noby Leong. Highlights included a ‘fried chicken cook-off’ between Noby and Julie to create a new Scottish dish to compete with the great fried chicken dishes of the world. Noby’s take, of chicken rolled in pinhead oats before frying, then seasoned with his own ‘haggis salt’, narrowly won over Julie’s Chinese sweet and sour chicken with a sticky Irn-bru reduction (the tangy soft drink claimed by some to be Scotland’s second national drink). The main meal included Scottish-Malaysian dishes such as a broadbean sambal and a wonderfully rich and spicy venison rendang. The evening’s cool vibe was provided by DJ Sloan of Lezure.

 

Much loved Scottish poet and former Makar (poet laureate) Jackie Kay shared her life experiences through stories and readings of her powerful and life-affirming poems. When Jessica Harris and Andi Oliver, both fellow OCC patrons, got together on stage with Don Sloan, it felt like we were eavesdropping on an intimate and informal chat between friends who shared their insightful observations on food cultures and social change. Torgi Squire spoke with Julie Lin, Noby Leong and restaurateur Fariya Sharif about how young food professionals are enriching the diverse multi-cultural tastes of Glasgow.

As a spectacular final event, the incredible culinary talents of Andi Oliver, Pam Brunton and Dean Parker, in his own Celentanos Restaurant in the Arthouse Hotel, prepared a warmly generous Scottish-Caribbean feast. Jackie Kay began the evening with poetry readings which captured the spirit of Glasgow as politically engaged city. Highlights of the meal included a lightly spiced Crab Bujol Bree (cold soup) and a sensational main of pressed local mutton, raised by Charlie Buchanan-Smith of The Free Company, served with Kelewele Plantain and Rice and Carlin Peas. After a moving rendition of Old Man River from jazz singer Suzanne Bonnar, the meal finished with Ashom Corn Doughnuts and Blaeberry Sherbet.

 

Sunday lunch was an opportunity for OCC patrons and festival participants to continue the lively and thoughtful discussions over a relaxed family-style lunch at Gloriosa Restaurant in Glasgow’s West End. The vibrant food, wine and conversations were briefly interrupted by the sound of drums as a group of Orangemen marched loudly by, a reminder, alas, that this is the marching season and sectarian divisions are also part of the city’s traditions.

OCC’s motto is ‘eating, drinking, thinking’ and the weekend provided much food for thought. Bravo and congratulations to the OCC team, and a huge thanks to all the exceptional people who contributed to such a thoughtful and life-affirming event.

Marc Millon, OCC Patron