I grew up in a very health conscious, vegetarian household so when we had a treat it really was a treat! We used to go to the Loughs, the fantastic local bakers in Eyemouth for a pink iced bun. They were always my absolute favourite when I was little and I still adore them to this day. Scottish bakeries are full of gorgeous nostalgic pastries. From bright red glistening Scottish strawberry tarts, to tangy and proud pineapple tarts, wibbly wobbly pink custard slices, twisted sticky yum yums and well-fired rolls. I grew up eating these treats and the comfort and nostalgia that they made me feel is woven through the menu at Lannan. We’ve had all of the above on the menu throughout the two and a half years that we’ve been open. Our custard slice is a firm staple, seeing 20 liters of crème fraîche custard going into making them every single day. 

Low-key. We always have a haggis on Burns Night, paired with mashed potato, buttery chive-heavy neeps and lashings of whisky sauce.

“But little mouse, you are not alone” - Our little dog's nickname is Mouse so this has to be a favourite of mine.

If I have the time I’ll make cranachan to have after our Burns supper. I like to make it in my crystal trifle bowl for full effect. My top tip for cranachan is to fold a little Crowdie cheese through the whipped cream. It adds a lovely tang - and celebrates one of many incredible Scottish cheeses.

Sea buckthorn is native to Scotland. It grows all over the East Lothian coastline and it's a gorgeous ingredient to use when it’s in season. We make a Sea Buckthorn Jaffa Cake at Lannan. It includes a buckwheat and brown butter financier, a sea buckthorn pate de fruits and a silky dark chocolate ganache.

If I was doing something different to my classic Cranachan, I’d probably opt for a Clootie Dumpling. I like mine with a cold whisky custard and a dollop of marmalade. For maximum impact it’d be served in a fresh “Cloot” and cut tableside.

I think you can be sympathetic to tradition and still put a playful modern twist on things. It’s important to me to acknowledge my Scottish heritage in my work, despite working with mainly French techniques. Take our Scottish Strawberry Tart which is made in croissant pastry as an example. You have gorgeous laminated pastry, soft almond joconde and light, fluffy vanilla creme diplomat - paired with the best Fife strawberries, roasted and made into a jam. The remaining strawberries are sat proud and upright on the top of the tart, before being covered in a sweet and sticky strawberry jelly. This, for me is the perfect marriage of traditional and modern.