Nick Nairn to open new restaurant, Nick’s at Port of Menteith

Nick and Julia Nairn are set to open a new restaurant on the same site as their cookery school in in Stirlingshire: Nick’s at Port of Menteith.

Welcoming guests from tomorrow, the restaurant will see Nick, once the youngest Scottish chef to receive a Michelin star, manning the pass.

The menu will revolve around the seasonal produce of Scotland, with fresh seafood from acclaimed fishmonger Willie Little in nearby Crieff, as well as dry-aged beef, local buffalo milk cheese and ice cream.

At Nick's side, chef Paul Hughes will serve up a range of Roma-style pizzas made using five-day aged dough, with such toppings as Great Glen venison salami, Campbells haggis and Katy Rodger’s crowdie.

Nick’s at Port of Menteith will seat 40 inside in a newly-refurbished setting, and a further 100 covers outside under a stretch tent and pergolas clad with festoon lights.

The chef said that after an "an incredibly tumultuous year for our family and our business," the new restaurant would herald "an exciting moment for the whole team."

He added: "We’ve developed things that we, and many others, have taken pleasure from during lockdown – from outdoor eating in beautiful natural surroundings to the simplicity of enjoying really great food and drink in a relaxed setting.

"I’m really looking forward to sharing this special place and being able to develop dishes from the best ingredients I can source on a daily basis.”

Nick Nairn

Raised in Callander, Nick opened his first restaurant, Braeval, near Aberfoyle in 1986 before being awarded a Michelin star five years later. In 1999, he opened Nairns restaurant in Glasgow, and in 2000, he launched Nick Nairn Cook School at Lake of Menteith, with an emphasis on fresh organic produce. In 2003, he closed Nairns in Glasgow to focus on the school.

As well as being known for his appearances on television, the chef was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Stirling for his contributions to Scottish cooking and healthy eating campaigns.

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