How did that journey begin? What led you to start growing your own ingredients?

Well, probably started off when I was a kid and we came down here on holiday with my dad and we came down to the caravan, we had a plot of ground, we put the potatoes in in Easter time, we harvested them in the summer holidays, we went out fishing, caught mackerel, had mackerel, fresh new Ayrshire potatoes and I took it from there.

I was into fishing, I was into catching rabbits, I was into food.

I didn't bother taking any O grades at the time, left school, went to catering college, then went down to London, then went to France and started travelling and just I took it from there and that's where the whole connection.

30 years ago I stopped the full-time chefing work and I started the growing and supplying hotels and restaurants on the island and on the mainland as well.

Why has that approach always made sense to you on an island like Arran?

It's just been so natural.

It's probably made sense to me when I was out in France.

How did that journey begin? What led you to start growing your own ingredients?

Well, probably started off when I was a kid, and we came down here on holiday with my, with my dad, and, uh, we came down to the caravan, and we had a plot of ground, and we put the potatoes in in Easter time.

We harvested them in the summer holidays.

We went out fishing, caught mackerel, had mackerel, fresh new Ayrshire potatoes, and I took it from there.

I was into fishing.

I was into catching rabbits.

I was into, I was into food.

What is it about Arran's landscape and climate that allows you to grow such interesting produce?