Launching a pop-up restaurant at sea must surely be a first for global tourism – and it’s happening off the beautiful Hebridean isle of Skye.
Such is the excitement about the lifting of lockdown restrictions from April 26, and the long-awaited return of tourism, that one of the island’s top chefs wanted to celebrate in style. He has joined forces with the owners of the SeaflowerSkye five-star luxury catamaran to offer diners the chance to sample the island’s world-class produce in a specially created tasting menu – with wine – while experiencing the beauty of Inner Hebrides.
I think this is a fantastic idea from two of the famous island’s most enterprising and passionate young locals.
Calum Montgomery (right), head chef at Edinbane Lodge and a native of Skye, will for two nights cook onboard SeaflowerSkye, owned and run by Ewen Grant and Janice Cooney.
Chef Calum, nominated for 2021’s Scottish Restaurant of the Year, has developed a special tasting menu for both evenings - April 26 and 27 - which will come with accompanying wines selected by Edinbane Lodge’s restaurant manager, John Grant.
The two trips will celebrate the reopening of hospitality and tourism returning to the Hebridean Island for the first time since December.
Calum said: “We have a fantastic relationship with SeaflowerSkye. We’ve both always wanted to work together and with the restrictions lifting on outdoor dining, it presented us with this unique and exciting opportunity to allow us to do something particularly special.”
Guests will be treated to a champagne reception with canapes as the boat sets off towards the island of Rona. This menu will include locally reared beef, barbecued on the deck, served with langoustines creel caught by Ewen’s family., and Konro Barbequed Oyster with Brown Crab and Foraged Sea Vegetables (pictured).
“A number of restrictions remain in place which, for the moment, are preventing us from offering our full dining experience at the lodge itself; however, we will open at the end of May.”
SeaflowerSkye offer a range of luxury trips allowing visitors to experience unique sights of Skye, Rona and Raasay, which can only be seen by boat, and the chance to spot wildlife on land and sea. Ewen and Janice were accredited with five stars by Visit Scotland in 2019.
Ewen, also a local of Skye, said: “Coming from a fishing family, we have been lucky to grow up enjoying all that the Scottish coastal waters have to offer.
“We love being able to share this beautiful local produce with our guests, right where it is caught. We often pass the family fishing boats during our regular trips and enjoy showing guests where their lunch has come from and how it gets to their plate.
“Our shellfish has also made its way to Calum at Edinbane Lodge on many occasions and we are always proud to see it on the menu.”
The connection between the two businesses has been strong since opening in 2018, while the personal relationships go back over 30 years as Ewen and John are cousins, and Calum was a childhood friend of both.
Calum, an AA three rosette chef, is chef/patron of Edinbane Lodge which has won several awards since opening in 2018 and is one of only four shortlisted for Scottish Restaurant of The Year at the prestigious 2021 CIS Excellence Awards.
Tickets are priced at £200 per person for an Evening Cruise leaving Portree Harbour at 5pm aboard the Seaflower including Five course Tasting Menu with Accompanying Wines provided by Edinbane Lodge.
Limited spaces are available and will be on sale at www.EdinbaneLodge.com from 10am Monday 19 April 2021.
(SeaflowerSkye will take bookings from May 1. Edinbane Lodge will reopen on May 29. )
