Loch Leven’s Larder has unveiled an ambitious new summer menu, taking inspiration from cuisines around the world while showcasing seasonal vegetables grown on its own Kinross-shire farm.
The latest offering at the Larder Café features 13 dishes influenced by flavours from Italy, the Middle East and Scotland, with produce from the nearby Channel of Pittendreich Farm taking centre stage.
With more than 17 varieties of vegetables, as well as oats and wheat, grown at the family-run farm, the new menu makes the most of the summer harvest through dishes designed to be colourful, fresh and packed with flavour.
Breakfast and lunch are available seven days a week in the Larder Café and beneath its outdoor canopy. Loch Leven’s Larder, one of Central Scotland’s leading farm shop, deli, café and retail destinations, also has an in-house bakery and deli.
Owner and managing partner Emma Niven, who runs the business with her husband Rob and brother-in-law Mike, said the menu reflects the family’s farming heritage.
“We are absolutely thrilled to present this new summer menu,” she said. “Rooted in our farming heritage at Channel Farm, Loch Leven’s Larder was created by our family of vegetable farmers to showcase the very best of our homegrown produce.
“As regards our café offering, we’ve created a destination where visitors can enjoy fresh seasonal vegetables straight from our fields. We have our own in-house bakers, creating fresh sourdough bread every day, baking our own signature sausage rolls and tempting us with cakes, scones and tray bakes.
“Providing exceptional local food, to eat in the café and to sell in our deli and farm shop, is a constant focus and, of course, we will always be in tune with the seasons.”
International influences are evident throughout the menu. A taste of the Middle East comes through in charred Channel Farm cauliflower, served with smashed hummus, dukkah and olive bread, while Italian flavours feature in potato gnocchi with garden peas, roast courgette and spinach cream sauce.
A small plate of sweet cherry tomatoes, baby mozzarella, Lilliput capers, basil oil and garden herb salad also delivers a Mediterranean note. Meanwhile, two seasonal soups are available: carrot and Yester Farm sour cream with toasted seeds and olive, or potato, spinach and roast garlic.
“Our soups are popular all year round, but we think these two flavours offer a taste of summer,” said Emma. “Naturally, the carrots are grown here at Channel Farm, along with other vegetables such as leeks, beetroot, curly kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.”
One standout dish is the farm-grown Hispi cabbage with herby coconut yoghurt, masala dressing and pickled cabbage. Head chef Brian Padmore has described it as the best dish he has ever created.
Vegetarian and vegan diners are particularly well catered for, with vegetables harvested from the farm and brought directly into the kitchen. However, the menu also includes a selection of meat and fish dishes, sourced from suppliers including Campbells, Heatherfield Smokery and G&J Wilson Fishmongers.
Loch Leven’s Larder’s signature Caesar salad features Channel Farm little gem lettuce, corn-fed chicken, shaved Parmesan and croutons made using in-house baked granary bread. Elsewhere, charcoal sourdough is served with home beetroot-cured Scottish smoked salmon and horseradish cream.
Main-course options include a Scotch lamb and mint burger with spiced pear chutney and thin-cut fries, as well as an East Coast smoked haddock frittata with Channel Farm kale, broccoli, preserved lemon salad and fine-herb vinaigrette.
Popular favourites remain on the menu, including Ayrshire ham hock terrine served with the Larder’s secret-recipe homemade piccalilli, made using its own cucumbers and cauliflower. Stornoway black pudding also features in an open sandwich with premium link sausages, a fried Kilduncan egg and hot heather honey dressing.
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Ahead of the launch, all front-of-house staff sampled each of the 13 dishes to understand the ingredients and inspirations behind them.
“It’s important to understand what we are serving to our customers,” Emma added. “If we have tasted and enjoyed the dishes, you will too.”
The new summer menu is now available at Loch Leven’s Larder in Kinross-shire.
