A SMALL family-owned restaurant in Edinburgh with nine types of mashed potato on its menu has just been announced as the winner of best restaurant in the UK for casual dining.

Makars Gourmet Mash Bar, located a stone’s throw away from Edinburgh Old Town, specialises in traditional Scottish comfort food, dishes like haggis, neeps and tatties and chicken in whisky sauce.

4

4

Advertisement

But what makes this eatery unique, is everything comes with your own choice of mashed potato.

There are nine flavours to choose from:

• Classic Scottish dairy butter
• Mature Scottish cheddar cheese
• Mild smoked applewood cheese
• Wholegrain mustard
• Smoked bacon and spring onion
• Scottish black pudding
• Chilli smoked bean medley
• Creamed horseradish
• Olive oil mash

Of course, if you’re not a fan of the smooth and silky side, you can opt out of having it – purple-sprouting broccoli is served up instead.

Makars was given the accolade in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Restaurants 2024.

Tripadvisor chose its winners by looking at the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings for restaurants from travellers over a 12-month period.

Makars was described by reviewers as an “Edinburgh legend” and “local gem”.

As well as serving up delicious food in a cosy, relaxed atmosphere, the restaurant focuses on using local ingredients and is moving towards plant based cooking.

Alongside slow cooked lamb shank, slow cooked beef shoulder, and wild board sausage, it offers vegetarian haggis and vegetarian sausage made from skirlie (a traditional Scottish dish made from oatmeal and onion).

Makers also has dishes with lions mane mushroom on offer for its vegan and vegetarian customers, an ingredient known for being packed with potent antioxidants to fight disease, with claims it can boost brain cell production.

The mushroom is described as having the taste of lobster and crab, with the look of a lion’s mane. 

Typically, they’re quite expensive, but Makers has developed an advanced lions mane grow facility in Edinburgh, allowing them to offer them at a cost they think is fair – that’s dedication.

Prices at Makers range from £18 to £23, not including sides or dessert.

One customer who visited the restaurant this month described their meal as a “feast to remember”.

They wrote in their review on Tripadvisor: “Quite simply – the best dining experience I’ve had in months! The place is buzzing, but not crowded.

“The staff were superlative, offering friendly assistance throughout the meal, without being obtrusive.

“The food was first class. Loved the black pudding mash. A feast to remember.”

Another penned: “Friendly and relaxed atmosphere for a truly gourmet experience.”

Makers also came in the top 10 restaurants for casual dining worldwide.

4

Advertisement

4

Sliding into ninth place, it joined the likes of restaurants in Spain, Italy, Argentina and Peru.

While Makers does accept walk in customers, it’s recommended you book in advance as it can get very busy.

THE type of food we see on flights today has changed massively from the early days of aviation.

The first in-flight meal was served in 1919 on the Handley-Page London to Paris route, and consisted of just a sandwich and fruit.

9

9

Advertisement

But in the decades that followed, in flight meals became a luxury experience.

Some journeys offered seven course dinners and menus with luxury food items like fillet steak and cherry souffle served with fresh cream.

For some first class passengers, meals were served on beautiful china plates.

Former Chief Pilot and Director of British Airways, Al Bridger has shared how food on flights has changed through the years in his book Flavour of Flight: The Food and Drink of British Airways.

His book includes a host of fascinating pictures of in flight meals from decades gone by, including recipes on how to make some of passengers’ favourite plane dishes.

He told Sun Travel: “British Airways and its predecessor airlines have always strived to give the best possible offering to their customers across all the cabins.

“From the very early days of introducing fine sandwiches to taking advantage of all the technological advances with onboard ovens and the highly innovative ‘height cuisine’ of the 2000s, designed with top chef Heston Blumenthal, by using flavours and the freshest ingredients to maximise taste at altitude.

“Flavour of Flight charts this journey of the airline’s drive to always improve and create better product, as we all know that food and drink play an important role in the overall customer experience when travelling.”

In the very early era of flying, food service was limited. There was no galley or ovens on the aircraft, which meant the only hot items available were flasks of coffee, tea, Bovril and chocolate.

Fast forward to the 1930s, the air travel industry was growing, and there was a move towards a much more luxurious travel experience.

Al writes in the book that the purpose-built aircraft had two toilets, and, importantly, a bar and a kitchen in the centre section.

This space allowed for exceptional table service to happen, in the form of five-course lunches and seven-course dinners.

And the quality of food onboard had dramatically improved from just sandwiches in the previous decade.

Typical menus from the time included roast chicken with green salad and peaches with Melba sauce for dessert, along with cheese and a wine list.

9

9

Advertisement

9

9

9

9

Advertisement

9

Fast forward again to the 50s, culinary progress was made with more complex dishes – the likes cream of pea soup, seafood cocktail, fillet of sole, and soufflé Montmorency appeared on menus.

In the 60s, whole roast joints were being served in the cabin.

Al writes: “These were presented on a trolley and carved individually to the customer’s taste, making this a moment of inflight theatre.”

While this was popular, Al can’t see this making a return.

In recent years, budget cuts have led to plane food and the way it’s served on many airlines being more basic.

However some of the food from the early days of flying, such as lamb cutlets and the great British pie, are still around today, but with a modern twist.

Al has been privileged to have eaten many meals across his time flying with British Airways, but one of his favourite meals has to be roasted cauliflower risotto.

He told Sun Online Travel: “I love the roasted cauliflower risotto from the current Club World menu. It is my go-to meal, and the recipe is in the final chapter of Flavour of Flight.

“Simple and quick to make, it blends the flavour of cauliflower with Parmesan cheese so its filling and very tasty.”

SUMMER may be drawing to a close, but there’s still time to make the most of a new National Trust pass that’s perfect for autumn day trips.

The Explorer Pass was launched earlier this year by the National Trust.

4

4

Advertisement

4

The pass lets you visit sites across four, eight or 14 days from just £44 for a single parent family or £69 for two adults in the same household and their children.

That’s quite a saving on a full-year family membership which costs £99 for one adult and their youngsters or £159 for two adults and their children.

It’s an absolute bargain, given that one-day entrance into some of the more popular National Trust places can cost almost as much as the four-day Explorer Pass, so essentially you’re getting an extra three days of visits free.

Plus the pass includes parking, which can quickly add up at some sites if you’re not a member.

There’s a couple of National Trust sites that charge £5 for all-day parking if you’re a non-member, so once you’ve factored in entry costs and car parking fees, you may well be better off using an Explorer Pass, even if you won’t use all the days it comes with. 

Some of the more expensive places to visit include Cragside in Northumberland, which costs £60.30 for a two-adult family or £38 for a one-adult family.

And Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire, family entrance costs £60.50 for the two adult option or £36.30 for single parents.

One thing to be aware of is that the one-off entrance price generally only covers up to three children, while the family memberships cover all the children or grandchildren of the named adults.

So if you’ve got a bigger family with more than three children in tow, family membership, whether with the Explorer Pass or the annual option, could be the way to go.

There has been a similar overseas visitor pass for foreigners holidaying in the UK for years, but you couldn’t buy it if you were living here.

So making this pass open to everyone is a great move, especially if you’re visiting a different area of England or Wales for a staycay and there’s a few different National Trust places you want to visit while you’re there.

If you only want a short-term pass to use while you’re away, this makes it a more affordable option, rather than paying for a year.

You can’t buy on arrival though, so you need to go online before your first visit to sign up.

And you also need to check that the properties you’re interested in visiting are covered by the Explorer Pass as there’s a list of almost 40 sites that aren’t included on the National Trust website.

This includes some like Stonehenge that fall under a reciprocal agreement with English Heritage. But do your research and you could be quids in.

We love a family day out at National Trust and if we had bought an Explorer Pass to cover my family of five to visit the four nearest sites to us, we would have saved almost £100 on entry fees, as paying to visit each place individually would have added up to £161.75, compared to £69 for a four-day family pass.

My top picks would include Belton House in Lincolnshire, which has a huge woodland play area with a miniature train ride through the trees, and the Children’s Country House at Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, which has a museum full of toys from different eras you can try.

I’ve been blown away by the Summer of Play this year at all the National Trust places we’ve visited.

From garden games to den building to outdoor music making, there’s been so much to keep my boys busy that at some sites, we’ve had to go back for a second day just to do the bits we didn’t have time for first time around. 

My favourite was the hobby horse racing in the Garden of Imagination at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, which we visited right at the start of the holidays.

It set the tone for all the other National Trust day trips we took over the summer, as we knew there would be loads of kids’ activities included. 

We also made the most of vouchers for free kids’ meals at National Trust cafes, a nice little bonus from the boys’ Starling Kite bank accounts.

So there’s lots of ways to keep costs down if you fancy a heritage visit but without a hefty price tag.

4

A SEASIDE town in North Wales is famed for having some of the best weather in the UK.

Alongside beautiful scenery, rich maritime history and lots of family-friendly attractions, Porthmadog has become known for its good weather.

4

4

Advertisement

The coastal town, which has a population around 4,200, regularly tops the UK weather charts.

Its hottest temperature in 2023 was a scorching 31°C, which was recorded on Tuesday 14th June.

The Met Office considers Porthmadog to be one of the warmest places in the UK, and there are a number of reasons why.

Its unique location on the Glaslyn Estuary protects it from harsh winds by the Eryri (Snowdonia) mountains. 

It has its own microclimate that helps keep it warm – air funneling over the mountains sinks and warms.

And its located in the west of Wales, where higher temperatures last longer.

While British holidaymakers looking to chase the sun may want to head to Portmadog for this reason alone, there are many other things the town has going for it.

It has a lively attractive harbour to explore

Porthmadog Harbour is a popular mooring area for yachtsmen and pleasure boaters from all over Europe, and many visitors enjoy spending the afternoon watching the different boats roll in.

It’s also a great place to enjoy local cuisine with lots of restaurants to choose from.

You can take a ride on a steam train through the Welsh countryside

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways is a group of heritage railways in Wales that offer scenic journeys through Snowdonia National Park.

There’s a 13.5-mile journey that runs from the harbour in Porthmadog to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog offering incredible views of mountains, forests, lakes and waterfalls.

You can learn about the town’s rich maritime history

Porthmadog’s Maritime Museum is situated in the last remaining slate shed on the harbour.

It has a large collection of artefacts depicting the seafaring activities of the area – the development of the port, the shipbuilding, the ships, and the lives of the seafarers. There’s also a special area with activities for children.

It has a beautiful beach with lots of activities and mountain views

Black Rock Sands is a beach with some unique features – you can drive straight on to the beach and there are stunning views of the nearby mountains and Harlech and Criccieth castles.

There’s also lots of activities available including water sports, cave exploring and rock pooling.

You can pick up some vinyl from a famous record shop

Cob Records, close of Porthmadog Harbour Station, is a well-known vinyl store because of its large selection of both old and modern music.

4

Advertisement

4

The shop’s been open almost 50 years and used to mail out 7,500 LPs to customers around the world.

The fact that such a relatively small record shop in a small
town like Porthmadog was exporting in such volume worldwide attracted a lot of media attention, and lots of documentaries featuring the business were made for local and national TV and radio.

THE Cotswolds is known around the world for being one of the prettiest places – and I was lucky enough to grow up there.

But there is one village I’d often visit with my mates – and in my opinion is one of the prettiest.

6

6

Advertisement

6

My hometown was Witney, which I have often written about before.

It’s not as quaint as it’s surrounding villages – the market town is much more functional than pretty with the majority of shops being chain restaurants and high street brands.

It’s still got an element of the Cotswolds beauty, having just over 1,400 locals.

Most of the buildings are made from Cotswolds stone and there are still some amazing locally run stores and cafes (my favourite being Hunters, run by an old school friend).

And while many of the nearby villages often feature on the “worlds most beautiful” list (looking at you Bourton-on-the-Water) there is one a short drive away that I preferred to visit as a child.

The village of Burford is dubbed the Gateway to the Cotswolds, so you’d be forgiven for thinking it might be a bit boring.

But I often spent many an afternoon there, both as a child being dropped off by my mum or haggling lifts with mates as I got older.

It’s main appeal is it’s pretty high street, with a narrow road lined with pretty Cotswolds buildings.

Being on a hill, standing at the top means you get the best view of the whole village.

And it has remained relatively chain-free when it comes to shops.

There is the Burford Sweet Shop where I’d often fill a brown paper bag with, as well as another Hunter’s cafe selling the best and biggest brownies you’ll ever see.

And at the bottom was where we would take our crusts from sandwiches we couldn’t finish from lunch, throwing them over the river bridge to the eager ducks.

I was also a champion at Pooh Sticks – seeing as the World Championships was held in my hometown – so lost many an hour having them race down the river.

6

6

Advertisement

As I got older, I learned the joy of Burford Garden Centre.

You’re likely to spot local celebs such as Kate Moss or Jeremy Clarkson, who recently bought a pub in the village to restore.

But what can’t be missed are the huge scones with some jam and cream, so good we even ordered 60 of them for my sister’s wedding.

if you fancy staying, there is the new The Bull at Burford which opened last year, or The Lamb Inn.

The closest train station with a good service to Burford is Charlbury Station, which is around seven miles away.

Trains from London Paddington to Charlbury take just over an hour.

If you fancy exploring the Cotswolds, here is one place called the Venice of the Cotswolds.

And another Cotswolds village is bizarrely home to a sandy beach.

6

Advertisement