I've been eagerly waiting to share this book with you. The Three Chimneys by Shirley Spear is truly exceptional, and one of my all-time favourites.

I often find myself flicking through it, and I can’t believe how old it is. The dishes are a brilliant collection of ingredients from the Isle of Skye, where the restaurant is located. The ability to transform these ingredients and old recipes into food that’s still relevant today is truly remarkable.

These days Skye has so many incredible places to eat. There’s Loch Bay, Edinbane Lodge, The Oyster Shed, The Stein Inn and Kinloch Lodge with their talented, hard-working chefs achieving fame and accolades. But this wasn’t always the case. 

I have immense respect for Shirley and what she, her husband Eddie, and their children created on Skye—it was truly trailblazing. Their story is wonderful; moving to the other side of the country, which back then felt like moving to the other side of the world, was a bold move.

The food I’ve had there has always been excellent—not pretentious or poncy, just really well done. I’m grateful to call the whole Spear family friends, having worked with several of them over the years. They are such lovely people.

The images are by another old pal, Alan Donaldson, a fantastic photographer. This book will always be an inspiration for me. It’s so similar to the food I love to cook and eat. If I were a young chef starting out, I’d buy this book right away. It covers everything you need to know about modern and historical Scottish cuisine, all still relevant today.

So many dishes stand out, and there are so many to choose from. Just imagine grouse, a perfect terrine, and a gooseberry tart—all absolutely delicious. Sadly, Shirley doesn’t cook at The Three Chimneys anymore, but I bet what she cooks at home is absolutely blooming delicious. She’s a real, genuine food hero of mine, and I adore this book. Thank you for creating it, Shirley.