Gourmet weekends have never looked quite so appetising – make your next UK escape a foodie one thanks to Gleneagles’ new culinary pop-up series
Weekends are meant for two things, eating and relaxing. Luckily, the magnificent Gleneagles hotel is combining both and playing host to a series of pop-ups for food-lovers, inviting guests to take their pick from a shapeshifting line-up of seafood shacks, street food festivals and modern pie shops.
While international jet-setting remains limited for the time being, guests at Gleneagles can explore the world via the medium of food instead – enjoying everything from street-side snacks inspired by the hustle and bustle of northern India to Scottish seafood harking back to childhood days at the seaside.
Set within the hotel’s stunning grounds in the heart of Perthshire this autumn, the pop-up series cements the hotel as a true gastronomic destination, joining its extensive offering of Gleneagles’ eight restaurants and bars.
Post-pop-up, foodies have the option to dress up for a decadent affair at Scotland’s only two-Michelin starred restaurant, or enjoy more a plateful of relaxed yet refined dining at the hotel’s remaining outlets.
The delectable lineup is as follows:
The Seafood Bar, 29th – 31st August 2020
Seafood, eat food. Celebrating Scotland’s natural larder of fresh and sustainably sourced seafood, found in abundance in clear waters off the coasts of Scotland, The Seafood Bar at Gleneagles is perfect for evoking nostalgic days spent at the beach.
Overlooking the croquet lawn, Gleneagles’ two summerhouses will become the perfect seafood haven. Begin with small plates such as hand-dived Isle of Mull scallops, flavourful langoustines roasted in their shells, and Gleneagles & Co’s very own smoked salmon.
Move onto larger dishes such as a New England-style lobster roll packed with tender Scottish lobster, a Hebridean crab and mackerel salad, and crispy cod, landed in Peterhead.
Guests can take their catch out on to the gardens for a stroll, while those looking to truly indulge can soak up the late summer sunshine at one of the mint-green tables, feasting on a classic seafood platter alongside a glass – or perhaps a cheeky bottle – of chilled bubbles.
Indian Street Food Festival, 19th – 20th September
Far-flung flavours await. Come September, visitors exploring the grounds will discover a slice of colourful Punjab life with a pop-up Indian Street Food Festival, inspired by the cult hit London restaurant and Ennismore Group’s Tandoor Chop House.
The hotel’s brand-new summerhouses will be transformed into a technicolour roadside dhaba, decorated in shades of powder blue, burnt tangerine and earthy scarlet.
Choose from a menu of punchy bites, beginning with Bombay vada pav – a fried potato dumpling – and crunchy bhelpuri chaat, layered with puffed rice, roasted peanuts and tangy chutneys.
Appetite whetted, it’s onto hot skewers of Kashmiri chicken tikka, spiced seekh kebab, paneer tikka and tandoori king prawns in a yoghurt marinade, all served with fluffy naans and pittas to mop up every last morsel.
To finish on a sweet note, a fragrant saffron almond kulfi rounds off the menu, and, of course, the team will be pouring cup after cup of steaming hot chai.
The Gamekeeper’s Hut, 10th – 11th October
Eyes on the pies. As autumn gets into full swing and the game season comes into sight, Gleneagles will celebrate the glorious British traditions of pie-making and the hunt at The Gamekeeper’s Hut.
Making the most of Scotland’s exceptional autumnal produce, The Gamekeeper’s Hut will serve sustaining, hearty dishes to guests preparing for an adventure in the hills, or those simply looking to try the spoils of the hunt.
There will be a slowly simmered pearl barley, lentil and root vegetable broth, a sourdough roll stuffed with red wine-braised venison, and an innovative wild boar, sage and onion Scotch egg served with sharp piccalilli.
The chefs at Gleneagles will roll out fresh pastry each morning for their pheasant, bacon and leek pie, and a game, haggis and hazelnut sausage roll, with homemade mushroom ketchup.
To finish, red wine-poached pears will come with a baked vanilla cream, and there will be s’mores ready to toast over the fire pit, while glasses of hot spiced apple juice and mulled wine ward off any Scottish chill.
Make it happen
When: Selected dates from August to October 2020.
Wallet: Rates for a Country Double Room start from £395 including VAT and breakfast
How: For more information, please contact reservations at resort.sales@gleneagles.com or on 0800 704 705.
