Nick Nairn

He has cooked for Her Majesty, the Queen, and Prime Ministers John Major and Tony Blair, but Nick Nairn's cookery beginnings were a lot more humble. Like most students at college and university, Nick ran out of money.

"I got into cookery by accident when I was a navigator in the Merchant Navy", says Nick. "Travelling made me interested in food, and later on when I was about 24-years-old I was studying at the Glasgow College of Nautical studies when I ran out of money. As a result I had to cook for myself. So I bought a frying pan and a cookbook."

Since then Nick may have published nine cookery books and fronted his successful television series, (Wild Harvest, Wild Harvest 2, and Island Harvest), which all focus on his passion of using local produce, yet he still finds it difficult to pick his favourite ingredients.

Nick says, "That is such a difficult question to answer. I can't just choose one or two Scottish ingredients, which come to mind because I know I’ll leave out others, which I’ll remember later on and I’ll regret not thinking of at the time. There’s just too many. I can give examples of what I love though. For example, I love all shell fish.”

Scottish Produce 

Nick is not only passionate about seafood, he wants the nation to love Scottish produce just as much as he does. "It’s so important to promote Scottish produce because in Scotland we have an abundance of food that is envied all over the world.

"At this time of year I eat a lot of strawberries. Scottish strawberries are the best in the world," says Nick. "My kids, Daisy and Callum, who are four and two, just love berry fruit, be it raspberries or strawberries. Oh, and they are another one of my favourite Scottish foods. I just love them."

Cooking for the Queen

Even when it came to cooking for the Queen's recent 80th birthday lunch celebrations, when Nick prepared roe venison with rosti, celeriac, cabbage, carrot and game gravy, Nick still insisted on using Scottish ingredients.

"It was a bit nerve wracking but like a lot of things you have to keep focussed. When you look back when it’s over it seemed that time passed by really quickly. It's great that it went well and when you hear people say nice things about the food.

"The Queen said that she thought the menu reflected the diversity of the food in the UK and that she enjoyed it very much," he says.

Scottish Roots 

Although Nick is at the top of his league, moving down south to England is out of the question. "In a way, with cooking the more you know the less you know because the subject is so huge. I love cooking so much because it continues to delight and amuse and challenge me," says Nick.

"Moving to London is simply not on my agenda. I love Scotland with a passion, and it’s difficult for me to articulate this. My roots are here, and when I’m not in Scotland I want to go back. I can't imagine moving anywhere else to live."

Beautiful Landscape 

"It is important to have careers outside Scotland, like moving to London or Italy, but for me personally, I would still return to my roots. I guess the easy option would be to have a second home in London, for example, and travel back and forth.

"There is so much work in London but Daisy and Callum are growing up in Scotland. I grew up in the Scottish Trossachs and I want them to grow up here in Scotland like I did. I want them to be surrounded by the beautiful landscape and have access to Scotland’s clean water and clean air. I don't want my children to be denied of this freshness."

Information correct at December 2007

Related Links:

• www.nicknairn.tv
• www.nicknairncookschool.com