A new £2million food court that opened today (Monday February 13) at the Eastgate Centre in Inverness has dumped fast food in favour of home-grown, quality fare.
A traditional Scottish restaurant from former MasterChef: The Professionals champion Gary Maclean leads five new food venues in the newly-refurbished food court, which is called Loch n Larder.
Maclean’s Scottish Kitchen joins pizza restaurant Inver Mercato, Indian restaurant Ness n Korma, chicken outlet Cluck and dessert place Sweet Ness as the Eastgate looks to boost the appeal of city centre dining.
The new venues are a departure from the Eastgate’s previous restaurants such as KFC and Pizza Hut.
“It is a bit different,” says Eastgate Centre manager Chris Kershaw, who was on hand for the food court’s unveiling on Monday morning.
“But standing here today, it is set up for a good atmosphere. And once we get the customers down here, it’s going to be great.”
Chris admitted that getting a big name like Gary Maclean attached to the food court is a huge coup.
Gary recently launched his own seafood restaurant inside the newly-opened St James Quarter in Edinburgh.
Chris hopes Scottish Kitchen can prove as big a draw for Inverness.
“For sure, it’s great,” he continues. “From a tourist point of view, I think it’s also going to be huge as well, having that traditional [Scottish food] in the centre.”
The food court is open the same hours as the centre, which closes at 6pm (5pm on Sundays).
However, Gary says that while breakfast and lunch are covered, the food court could open for dinner as well.
“There’s definitely a possibility of that,” he says.
What food can I get at the new Eastgate Centre’s Loch n Larder?
Scottish Kitchen is the name of one of Gary Maclean’s cook books and the chef says his restaurant will carry a wide-range of dishes with the same background in traditional Scottish cooking.
“We’ve even managed to get haggis on the menu,” he says, highlighting the haggis bon bons Scottish Kitchen serves.
He also expects the fish and chips to be a big seller along with the seafood platter.
Gary says he is confident that Scottish Kitchen, along with Loch n Larder, can put the Eastgate Centre on Inverness’s culinary map – just as his food stall in Edinburgh has done for the St James Quarter.
“If we can do in the Eastgate what we’ve done in the heart of Edinburgh, we will be thrilled,” he continues. “And there’s no reason why we can’t. Inverness is a great city, and it’s a busy city.
“We’re really excited about being in Inverness. It’s a fantastic facility. And the amount of local suppliers on our doorstep – it’s just it just makes perfect sense.”
What else can I get at Loch n Larder?
Elsewhere in the food court, Cluck will serve dishes such as buttermilk chicken and fried chicken as well as vegan alternatives.
Pizzas and Italian salads are the order of the day at Inver Mercato.
The restaurant will be the first port of call for Eastgate manager Chris, who’s keen try the Italian pizzas.
“I’m going there for my lunch today,” he says.
Ness n Korma offers Loch n Larder an Indian street food option. Sweet Ness is the place for desserts, ice cream and other treats.
Loch n Larder has been about 12 months in the planning. The owners of the Eastgate Centre in Inverness have invested about £2million in the food court.
Compass Building and Constructions Services have been working behind the scenes at the site since June.
The aim is to revitalise the centre, which recently lost some big names.
Debenhams and other chains such as Game and Argos have moved out.
Who is Gary Maclean?
Gary Maclean is Scotland’s first national chef.
His job is celebrate Scottish produce and teach how to make the most of locally-sourced, healthy, sustainable and affordable food.
In 2016, he was crowned MasterChef: The Professionals champion. He defeated 47 other chefs along the way to win the prize.
His food stall in Edinburgh, called Creel Caught, has already won top reviews.
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