I would like to offer you the opportunity on 29th November to savour a menu based on one of the most influential Scottish books ever written. No, not Smith's 'Wealth of Nations', or even Burns 'Kilmarnock Edition'. In 1824 Europe's most popular author Sir Walter Scott wrote an unusual book called 'St Ronan's Well'. Part romantic history, it was also in part a food-based novel.

“So how can I enjoy this book's influence?” you may ask.

This year our popular St Andrews Sunday Lunch celebrates a classic book based on the 'anti-heroine' of St Ronans. She was a bossy, nosy, argumentative cook - Mistress Meg Dodds, proprietor of the Cleikum Inn. Her name was taken as a 'nom de plume' by Edinburgh housewife Isabella Johnston who two years later wrote.

'The Cook and Housewife's Manual'

In front of me as I write you lie the 1828 second edition, and a much-loved and used 1862 eleventh edition. The latter contains over 1200 recipes ('receipts') – and we have a lunch menu taken directly from her amazing cornucopia of Scottish originals.

You'll start with a welcome Lanark traditional 'Het Pint', before you taste receipt no. 736. It's a rich potted beef (a rare cut), served with pickled organic beetroot, and our Trustee tasters loved it. Next comes no. 750, “Pan-kail – a maigre soup” unanimously declared “excellent” by the tasters.

This will be followed by the kind of main course gourmet Sir Walter and friends would welcome. Indeed poet John Home was moved to write thus:

“Bold and erect the Caledonian stood Old was his mutton and his claret good”.

It's “Dressed breast of Mutton with Sauce Robert”. The Pentland Hills reared mutton comes, well-aged, from the Cowan's family farm at Carlops. Naturally it will be served with a good claret. The final course is one you are most unlikely to have tasted before. It will be “Hartshorn Jelly with a bramble coulis”. You'll love it... our tasting panel thought it “super”.

Whilst you enjoy good wines and real Scottish ales with the St Andrew's meal, you will equally get great pleasure from our principal speaker, who will celebrate the influence of Meg Dodds on the national table. There is a direct line - from Dodds through F Marion McNeill's “Scots Kitchen” - to CATHERINE BROWN. Whether through her many books like “Scottish Regional Recipes” or “Broths to Bannocks”, or her prolific journalism, Catherine is another 'National Treasure'.

Catherine will be followed by the much celebrated local farmer HUMPHREY ERRINGTON, one of the most influential cheese-makers in Europe. Humphrey will talk about his researches into Scottish cheese, 200 years ago.

So that's it. A St Andrews celebration of our nation's food. As usual the lunch will be held in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, New Lanark Mill Hotel. At £29.75 to INCLUDE wine or ale, it is exceptional value for money. Moneys raised will go towards the Food Trust's Education Fund. So please e-mail info@thefoodtrustscotland.org.uk or call Ann Smith today on 01968 660 727 and book your place quickly.

Yours truly,

Arthur J A Bell CBE FRSA
Chairman, Food Trust Scotland


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Scottish Charity number SC026587