In the 1970s almost every teenage girl bought copies of Jackie magazine – how else were they to know whether a boy liked them or how wide their flares should be? Jackie the Musical visits Inverness and Aberdeen this summer, but we were heading down to Perth to catch it there first.
Initially the plan had been to try the Jackie menu at the venue as we thought it would have 70s favourites such as prawn cocktail and Black Forest gateau, but it didn’t, so instead we stopped en route at The Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry which proved to be an ideal curtain raiser for a hugely fun night.
The inn is currently celebrating its own brush with stardom having just been named the best Scottish Inn for 2016 at the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards. For owners, Fiona and Angus John, it’s well deserved news. Some 20 years ago they bought Victoria’s Restaurant on Pitlochry’s Atholl Road and transformed it from cafe to top dining spot. In 2012 they bought The Old Mill Inn then sprinkled their magic to make it the warm and welcoming venue you see today.
Although well signposted, the inn is tucked behind the main parade of shops on the main street. It’s a very bonnie building with a lovely big waterwheel turning outside. There’s a stylish outdoor seating area and as the sun was out, lots of people were enjoying a wee refreshment in this sunny, sheltered spot.
As we stepped inside we found ourselves in a smart bar/lounge area, stylishly dressed with subtle tweeds and tartans, comfortable sofas and chairs and well-spaced tables for casual dining. After being warmly welcomed we were shown through to the more private restaurant area at the rear, another pleasant room with large windows overlooking lush gardens.
Jugs of fresh water appeared on our table along with menus featuring local, seasonal produce. The inn is a member of the Scotch Beef Club and also VisitScotland’s Taste our Best scheme. The chicken is all free range and corn-fed, the pork outdoor reared and regionally sourced while the fresh fish comes from sustainable sources around Scotland.
As well as the regular menu, there are daily specials, and a chance to have some dishes as either a starter or main course. We all started with a salad. Caesar salad with Parmesan, croutons and anchovies for one; a warm seafood salad with raspberry vinaigrette for another and for myself a salad of chicken, bacon and garlic mushrooms from the specials board.
Beautifully presented in large bowls, our first thought was, oops, they’ve given us main course portions by mistake, but no – these massive salads were starters. And what a joy they were thanks to a combination of crisp salad leaves mixed with cucumber, small and large tomatoes and peppers, which created a nice mixture of textures. The seafood salad had generous quantities of prawn, squid and smoked salmon; the Caesar salad had the right blend of sweet and salty flavours while my salad was piled high with sweet, garlicky mushrooms, salty slivers of bacon and sweet chicken.
We ate at 5pm and within minutes of sitting down, the restaurant began to fill up quickly. Non-residents can’t book in advance to dine here but even at busy times, potential diners shouldn’t have too long to wait for a table. Take my word, it’s worth the wait.
From a nice selection of main courses we ordered chicken Killiecrankie – chicken breast stuffed with haggis and served with roasted root veg, mashed potatoes and a whisky cream gravy; Scotch steak, mushroom and ale pie served with mash, green beans and carrots; and MacSweens of Edinburgh haggis, neeps and tatties with an Edradour whisky cream sauce.
Again, these portions were very generous. My chicken was deliciously sweet and succulent while the mash was as creamy as ice-cream. The whisky gravy was first class as was the whisky cream sauce served with the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties dish. The haggis had a nice feel and a good level of spiciness.
I have a slight issue with dishes described as pies when they’re really stews served with a piece of puff pastry cooked separately. That aside, this was a lovely main course with large chunks of melt-in-the-mouth beef stew cooked in warming, hearty ale packing a wholesome flavour punch, teamed with light, buttery pastry, more of that mighty mash and fresh-tasting veg with just the right amount of bite.
It would have been tempting to stay on and relax but Jackie was calling, however we couldn’t leave without sampling a sweet so shared a sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and creamy ice-cream, washed down with coffee and tea. Light as a feather and with a nice syrupy sauce, this was another winning dish and again, generous enough to give us all a good portion.
When asked why their business had been singled out, owner Fiona said she felt it was because they wanted to provide customers with what they want in their own, family friendly trademark style while ensuring each and every customer has a wonderful experience. Judging by ours, she’s absolutely hit the mark.
