On this special partner episode of Scran Rosalind pays a trip to an historic hostelry in the South of Scotland - the one and only Globe Inn in Dumfries and Galloway. Famed as the favourite haunt and second home of Robert Burns, it was purchased by David Thomson and Teresa Church in 2018. Their investment in this famous bar and restaurant has seen it go from strength to strength.
Rosalind's visit starts with a tour of this fascinating establishment, guided by Kathleen Cronie (Mostly Ghostly), the resident storyteller who regales her with stories of the Bard and his fondness for the inn.
Following the tour Rosalind was treated to an outstanding tasting menu lunch prepared by Head Chef Fraser Cameron and Head of Cuisine at Annandale Distillery and The Globe Inn, Johnathan Brett. She talks to them about their experience of running the kitchen and what plans lie ahead for The Globe Inn and the 1610 restaurant. Michelin star anyone?
Finally, Rosalind sits down with owners David and Teresa to talk about the Inn's new lease of life. They fill Rosalind in on their relationship with this famous venue and how they have now become 'custodians' as they like to be called for this and future generations.
You can book a tour of The Globe Inn or a table in the 1610 restaurant by visiting www.globeinndumfries.co.uk
Rosalind's visit starts with a tour of this fascinating establishment, guided by Kathleen Cronie (Mostly Ghostly), the resident storyteller who regales her with stories of the Bard and his fondness for the inn.
Following the tour Rosalind was treated to an outstanding tasting menu lunch prepared by Head Chef Fraser Cameron and Head of Cuisine at Annandale Distillery and The Globe Inn, Johnathan Brett. She talks to them about their experience of running the kitchen and what plans lie ahead for The Globe Inn and the 1610 restaurant. Michelin star anyone?
Finally, Rosalind sits down with owners David and Teresa to talk about the Inn's new lease of life. They fill Rosalind in on their relationship with this famous venue and how they have now become 'custodians' as they like to be called for this and future generations.
You can book a tour of The Globe Inn or a table in the 1610 restaurant by visiting www.globeinndumfries.co.uk
Category
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Scran, the podcast passionate about the Scottish food and drink scene.
00:09I'm your host Rosland Erskine and on this special partner episode I paid a trip to an
00:14historic hostelry in the south of Scotland, the one and only Globe Inn in Dumfries and
00:18Galloway.
00:19Famed as the favourite haunt and second home of Robert Burns, it was purchased by David
00:24Thomson and Teresa Church in 2018.
00:27Their investment in this famous bar and restaurant has seen it go from strength to strength.
00:32I started my visit with a tour of this fascinating establishment.
00:35Kathleen Cronie, resident storyteller, regaled us with stories of the bard and his fondness
00:40for the inn.
00:41We've got Tam o' Shanter and Sooter Johnny, fairly enjoying a wee dram o' tour, a pint
00:48o' four o' ale.
00:52Following the tour I was treated to an outstanding tasting menu lunch prepared by head chef Fraser
00:57Cameron and head of cuisine at Annandale Distillery and the Globe Inn, Jonathan Brett.
01:02I sat down with him to talk about their experience of running the kitchen and what plans lie
01:06ahead for the Globe Inn and the 1610 restaurant.
01:10Michelin star anyone?
01:13The main thing that we focus on is being consistent, whether that's, you know, you come for Wednesday
01:19lunch or Saturday dinner, it's always got to be at that standard and that's both the
01:23kitchen, front of house, you know, everything matters.
01:27Finally, I wanted to find out how the business got to where it is today and believe me, it
01:33is a long story, but for the most recent chapter, I sat down with David and Teresa to hear all
01:38about their passion for its past and its future.
01:44The key motivations for us was to preserve the Burns rooms, I mean, that was the motivation
01:49because we think of the prices we've got, Robbie Burns etched poetry on the windows
01:54of one of the rooms that he etched with a diamond stylus and, you know, that just is,
02:00that just can't be lost.
02:04First up, Kathleen gave me a thoroughly entertaining tour of this richly atmospheric meeting place.
02:11Well, a very warm welcome to the historic Globe Inn in Dumfries, dating all the way
02:19back to 1610, a really remarkable character in the story of our town and indeed somewhere
02:26that Robert Burns considered to be his favourite house, his haunt, somewhere where he chose
02:32to come and relax, to be entertained and to entertain and I think as he crossed that threshold
02:39as he walked into the Globe, you really get hit with a sense of history and you think
02:43of all the characters who've stepped over it in the centuries that have gone by. Indeed,
02:48it's quite a sensory experience coming in here, our walls are wood panelled, we've got
02:52some wonderful murals, lots of artwork, old and new, that has been inspired by Burns and
02:58his various works, none more so than Tam o' Shanter, which we will come to in just a wee
03:03minute and there's so much going on in the Globe, it's a really vibrant, lively place,
03:08lots going on in the background as people are preparing to welcome guests here today
03:13and I'd just like to begin by setting the scene a wee bit as to what Dumfries was like
03:19during the time of Robert Burns. So, we have a really busy town, very vibrant, there are
03:24animal fairs, there are hiring fairs, there are ships coming up the River Nith, which
03:29is sadly something we no longer see, but they come up as far as the Col. There are merchant's
03:36houses, there is the large clock tower in the centre of town, which you may have seen,
03:41called the Mid-Steeple, and back in Burns' day it was described as the awkward town hall
03:45due to its slight lean, although the lean has become more pronounced in recent years.
03:51There were schools, there were hospitals, there was a library, the windmill tower was
03:55being built, now known as Dumfries Museum, in 1796, and in our minds we can picture the
04:02Dock Park, which borders the River Nith, and avenues of beautiful lime trees where
04:08Burns would have walked, and on a lovely summer's day, beneath the shade of those cool, refreshing
04:14lime trees, he would make the walk north to Lincoln Abbey, which is now a very crumbling
04:20ruin, but a place that greatly inspired Burns, and probably took him back to his rural roots
04:25there at Ellisland when he had worked there just a short time before, although the farm
04:31did not yield for him and it was back-breaking work, it was a place that is so enchanting
04:36sitting on the banks of the Nith, and greatly inspiring, particularly in relation to Tam
04:42o' Shanter, because it was at Ellisland Farm where he wrote it, and we've got this wonderful
04:49mural on the wall here, just to set the scene a little bit, featuring images, scenes from
04:56Burns' supernatural masterpiece, we've got Tam o' Shanter and Suitor Johnny, fairly enjoying
05:02a wee dram or two or a pint or four of ale, and we've got a rather cheery soul who's actually
05:09pouring the ale, and this is based on the doyen of the Globe Inn, Jane Brown, who was
05:15manageress here for many years, and you can see she's got a twinkle in her eye as she
05:20pours that ale, and you've got various animals, you've got a man sitting in the corner who
05:26looks like he's maybe had one or two too many, and then you've got Tam o' Shanter's wife
05:31Kate, who is clearly nursing her wrath to keep it warm, and she's got a cat there who's
05:37looking a wee bit, well he's a wee bit morose let's say, but I love the horse Meg, the way
05:42that she's just kind of, her eyes are bright and wide, and she looks very cheery for having
05:47her tail lopped off, maybe it's not happened yet. We've got the moon, we've got the church,
05:52we've got the crows or ravens, and various revelers having a wonderful time in the background.
05:58This was created by Joe McSkimming, and it's a real centrepiece here at the Globe. Now
06:04to give you a wee bit of sense of Burns...
06:08Kathleen regaled us with tales of the bard and his time spent at the Globe Inn. I could
06:13really listen to her all day, as she told stories with such enthusiasm, but we have
06:17lots to share with you, and so to the food. And what a treat I was in for. Here's a little
06:22taster of what I experienced on the 7 Chord lunch tasting menu. Please be aware this
06:26doesn't unfold in real time, we've edited down the clip so you get a feel for some of
06:30the different dishes.
06:31Okay, so yeah, just get stuck in. It's a mousse-y, mousse-y topped dish. It's kinda like a gazpacho.
06:57There's like, tomato consomme or something in there. And texture from the couscous.
07:09It's really, really light, very refreshing. Oh, there's like fennel or something as well.
07:21The caraway seeds are in. And then the bread. You can see the bits of apricot through it.
07:32The green butter is kinda herby. There's a kinda sweetness there, it's a bit like a brioche.
07:37Good crust. And then the other butter, I'm assuming it's gonnae be sweet, because there's
07:42honey in it. The other butter, there's a sweetness there, but you can taste the rosemary more
07:47than anything. It's a good combo.
07:52So this is cod with really creamy risotto. I've just eaten a bit of apple, I think, it
08:06was really nice. It all looks, both dishes look like a work of art. There's lots of lovely
08:11decorative edible flowers. Really nice, vibrant beetroot. Yeah, it's been very tasty.
08:22This is the venison beige.
08:26Just a little bit of bouillon sauce.
08:30Great, thank you.
08:37So I've basically got two medallions of venison. What looks like a little pie, like a pastry
08:42topped, which will be the venison loin with black pudding. And then big brambles, but
08:47they're probably blackberries. And some beetroot, so different colours of beetroot. It's very
08:51colourful, again, there's edible flowers, some leaves, and like dots of gel, so red
08:57and yellow. It looks very nice.
09:04Venison's really soft, it's kind of pink in the middle, which is nice. There's a gravy
09:09here, which again, there's a sweetness to, which I feel like I've said about every dish.
09:13The pie is really delicious, quite rich. There's like a spicy, sort of Christmassy spice there
09:18from the black pudding. Really, really crisp pastry. You could eat like a whole one of
09:22these. Yeah, lovely, lovely mix of fruit and veg and flavours and textures, and a lovely
09:29gravy.
09:35You can hear all the cups and glasses and crockery in the background there. It's a very
09:41vibrant hub here at the Globe. Always lots going on. Plenty of good banter as well.
09:50Please do come in and make yourself comfortable here. This is Mrs Hislop's kitchen. Meg and
09:59her husband Jock were like the landlords of this inn back in Burns Day. So this is where
10:05she would produce very wholesome, hearty fare that Burns and his cronies would indulge in
10:10from time to time. I think more than once, Mrs Hislop gave up her meal when Burns arrived
10:17late, and he would pen a wee poem in thanks for their kindness. I think there's something
10:23very special about this room. You know, all the old period...
10:29I sat down with chefs Fraser and Jonathan following the wonderful meal they had prepared.
10:33I started by asking Jonathan how he came to be in his current role.
10:37I'm from Stoke-on-Trent originally. Left home at 18, and kind of worked my way through the
10:42industry. Got married, had two children, and when the children became school age, we kind of had to
10:48settle down somewhere because we'd moved around as a couple. So we settled in Dumfries over about
10:5320 years ago. Worked in several roles. Knew David and Teresa, the owner, for about 10 years, and
10:59they were kind of like, oh, come and work for us. And I'm like, well, I don't really want to
11:03work in a coffee shop. Oh, no, no, come work for us, come work for us. So eventually they whittled
11:07me down, and that was about seven years ago, and I started with the business just over at
11:11Annandale Distillery, working in the coffee shop. And then the year after I started, we bought The
11:16Globe. So obviously food in The Globe here in the restaurant will be different from the distillery,
11:23so how do you sort of oversee both of those kinds of things? Yeah, so I do oversee both venues.
11:29I've got a really good team over there, so I've got a team of cooks over there and front of house,
11:34so I go once a week over there and just discuss any new produce. We write the menus together
11:42with the help of Fraser, and we just kind of work as a team, and then we do a tasting,
11:47put the menu on, photograph it all, and then the staff are all kind of trained,
11:51and then they go on with it. And it's just really kind of that communication about
11:56what they need, when they need it, and how that works. So it works really well.
12:01So it is a kind of bit of a collaboration that we've kind of tried to do. It's just trying to be
12:06very emphasised on fresh produce, like all the sandwich films are made, they're not bought in,
12:11and the local baker makes the bread for us. It's about that local produce and that quality,
12:16you know what I mean? And it's the same thing here, isn't it? We know from lunch we got told
12:20the beef was from however many miles away and stuff. Is that sort of similar? Yeah, yeah,
12:23very much so. We bought the pub in 2018 as a pub, and we kind of all looked at David and
12:31Theresa and kind of went, what are we going to do with the pub? So we had a bit of a conversation
12:36and decided that we'd go and try to do something really special with it. So yeah, it was all about
12:40that kind of local produce, really, really quality, the finest ingredients, about really kind
12:47of showcasing what Scotland has to offer, be it through the seafood or the beef that comes from
12:53three miles away, or the local guy that, we've got a little garden and now just a new supplier
12:58that we're starting, and he grows loads of herbs for us. So he starts to bring them in and he just
13:03comes up with bags of herbs, you know, it's just literally like a mile away, you know, it's
13:07brilliant. And do you find people are surprised? I mean, I know it's tasting menus have become more
13:12and more the thing, but from what was a pub, it's often quite a lot of high-end fine dining. Do you
13:17find people are surprised by that, or they're kind of really looking for that? Yeah, I mean,
13:21there's nothing else really locally that does what we're doing. So it was really kind of doing
13:27something unique. And we always say, you're coming out for an experience, you're not coming just for
13:31your dinner, you're coming for an experience. And it was that kind of, that attention to detail,
13:37the staff are really knowledgeable about what they're putting on them. So every Saturday night,
13:41the staff get a tasting of some of the dishes and they ask questions about what's on that plate. So
13:48they should be able to reel off everything that's on that plate to the customer if they ask. And so
13:53it was about that kind of really kind of precision. And we still get a few people coming in going,
13:58oh, it's changed. You know, I used to drink here when I was a boy, you know, but most people,
14:04I would say 98%, the people that come in kind of accept what it is. And they really,
14:09they've embraced it because there isn't anything. A lot of comments we get is, oh, you know, we'd
14:15go to Edinburgh normally and get something, or we'd go to Glasgow, and this is right on
14:18the doorstep. So, you know, it's here right for them. And it's, and we all get that transit trade
14:24as well. So we're starting to now get people from Glasgow coming to us and Edinburgh coming down and
14:28Newcastle. And so that's really good as well, you know. I suppose it makes sense because it's such
14:32an atmospheric place with history, you come here to experience that. And then if you get like a
14:35nice experiential meal as well. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that was one of the reasons that David
14:40and Teresa bought it, purely for the history of the building. The Robbie Byrne connection,
14:46our whiskey is called Man of Word after Robert Byrne's. So it was just a natural kind of, oh,
14:52well, we have the pub where Robert Byrne's used to be. It really ties in with the distillery.
14:57So we kind of, it was really passionate, a project for them. And as you can see in how it's been
15:05sympathetically restored, it's beautiful, you know, down to the stained glass windows and stuff,
15:11everything is just quality, what they do. Has it always been known as the Globe Inn? And if so,
15:15what's the significance of that name? Yeah, the building has always been the Globe Inn.
15:20It's had various connotations of that. So it's been called the Globe, it's been called the Globe
15:24Inn, it's been called the Globe Hotel, but it's always had that kind of globe. But the restaurant
15:30is called 1610 and that's when the building was built. So when we took it over, how do we
15:35distinguish, how do we kind of try and break away from that globe? Everybody knew it as the Globe
15:41Inn as a pub. So it was kind of, well, let's put the restaurant as a different name. So we called
15:45it 1610 because that's the age of the building. So it's kind of like the 1610 at the Globe kind
15:50of idea, kind of thing. So could you tell us a bit about your role here and how you got into
15:55cooking? So I'm the head chef here at the Globe. I started in hospitality when I was 13 as a
16:01dishwasher. It was just an after-school job, you know, got a little bit money in my pocket and
16:08I think I just instantly kind of fell in love with the whole kind of kitchen banter,
16:12the camaraderie of everything. And from there I just kind of progressively moved on,
16:18working in different places. I actually worked for Jonathan when I was 14. That was another venue.
16:24He offered me a job and I turned him down, which he's never forgiven me.
16:28But, you know, after there I moved away to Perth. I managed to win the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship,
16:33worked at Andrew Fairlie's, Glen Eagles, moved into Edinburgh, worked at Martin Wishart's
16:39The Honours and then took on the sous-chef job at 21212, which was there for just under three
16:46years, which was a good bit of time. I then went away, did my own thing, was planning on
16:50kind of opening my own restaurant. That fell through, unfortunately, but, you know, every cloud
16:56has a silver lining. We obviously had COVID, which at that time would have, you know, not been very
17:01good to have my own business. And I was fortunate enough that Jonathan actually gave me a call to
17:05come and do some development work for the new purchase, which was the Globe Inn.
17:10And, you know, I have to spend in like five days with him. He hooks back into me and that was it.
17:17But yeah, I've been at the Globe for, I think it must be five years now.
17:21Started as sous-chef and then just recently was appointed as head chef, which was,
17:27you know, really, really nice.
17:28Well, congratulations. And like I say, we had a delicious lunch.
17:31Could you talk us through some of the highlights of those dishes?
17:35So the cod dish is actually not long gone on. It's probably one of my favourite dishes at the
17:40moment. So it's, you know, lovely Scottish cod, sustainable fish. And we've taken,
17:45we really kind of try and focus on not having any waste. So all like the belly trim,
17:49we've made into a lovage mousse, which gives you that lovely kind of green texture on the top of
17:55it. The bread is actually bread that we've used from the restaurant. So any bread that's a day
18:01old, we can't serve as fresh bread. So we roll it out and place it over the top of the fish,
18:06which gives us that lovely kind of crisp texture. And I just think it's really fresh, you know,
18:10with the apple that's got loads of dill and there's loads of little fennel crowns. And
18:15the rice pudding is a kind of nice take on a risotto. It's not made with risotto rice,
18:19which gives it a little bit of a different texture, but I think it's just a really nice
18:23dish for this time of year. The trout is, well, I mean, it's another favourite as well. It's again,
18:29sustainable fish. It's a lot of work in making the dish because it's quite time consuming to
18:35layer it all up and then roll it and cook it and slice it. But the finished product is
18:41visually stunning, I think. And that's something that we really kind of focus on. So lots of
18:46different colours, texture, flavour, smell. It just means quite a lot to us. The main courses,
18:53we're really fortunate that we work closely with the Carlisle family who are just three miles away
18:58from our front door. So they're our farmer, butcher, almost candlestick maker as well.
19:03But all the beef comes from their farm, which, you know, as provenance goes, it's
19:10just down the road. A lot of people drive by the farm to come for dinner, which is quite nice.
19:16They've got an abattoir in Lockerbie, so it only ever does a round trip of about 25 miles,
19:21which is special to be able to say that we can have that. The venison, again, comes from just
19:26outside Lockerbie. So that's Emma and her family. We've worked with them for a number of years now,
19:32I think. But the quality is second to none, which it makes our job pretty easy, actually.
19:39And the desserts is, you know, we've brought in Talina, who's our pastry chef, and he's been
19:45such a great fit. He's from Sri Lanka originally, so it's been a bit of a culture shock for him
19:49coming to Scotland. When he first came, we asked if he had a coat and he didn't, which was quite
19:55fun, because he arrived in winter. But he's been a great asset to the team. It's a small team,
20:03but everybody plays their part, which, you know, I think we spend a lot of time together,
20:09so I think it's really important that everybody gets on and is pulling in the same direction,
20:13and it makes it quite a good place to work as well.
20:16When people come for the tasting menu, how would you sum that experience up?
20:21I think you've hit it on the head, it's an experience. You know, it's not coming in to
20:27have dinner and be away within 30 minutes. It's, you know, we don't ever turn tables,
20:32so that table is yours for the evening. So if you arrive at 5.45, 6 o'clock, if you want to
20:36still be here at 1 o'clock in the morning, enjoying food and drink, then that's, you know,
20:39we're more than happy to welcome people. I think it's quite an exciting thing to do. It's not
20:45something you'd maybe do every week, but it's a journey of flavours and textures, and as you said,
20:52it's an experience, and if you pair it with the wine pairing that we've put together as well,
20:57it's just a gastronomical delight, I think. And do you have a favourite dish just now?
21:04I do like the cod that's just gone on. The beef's always a favourite, the venison's a favourite.
21:10It's always too close to call, but they're probably my top three at the moment.
21:14We've talked about the menu, the tasting menu. Do you have any plans for late summer, into the autumn?
21:19Yeah, I mean, obviously we'll be into a slightly different season then, so there'll be some more
21:24produce available. You know, the menu probably changes fully every three months, but we'll
21:30always change dishes at a time, so maybe one week we'll change two dishes. So it keeps it fresh,
21:36not only for the guests coming, but also the staff. Summer's looking to be good. Hopefully
21:40we get some good weather. It always kind of plays into the mood with the food because, you know,
21:46we've got a lamb dish on currently that part of it's smoked and barbecued, and it just honestly
21:51makes you just sit thinking about outside and, you know, summer around the fire, and I think
21:57that's one thing that I really like about food is that it can evoke emotion. It's more than just
22:02having dinner, which is nice. And I ask chefs this question all the time, and I know what the answer
22:07might be. How do you feel about awards, and are you striving for a Michelin star?
22:12Isn't the only person that's ever answered that with a yes has been an American chef?
22:16I mean, to get a Michelin star, that would be incredible. They're not just handed out,
22:22which, you know, you have to work for a number of years and, you know, be consistently at that level.
22:27So the main thing that we focus on is being consistent, whether that's, you know, you come
22:33for Wednesday lunch or Saturday dinner, it's always got to be at that standard, and that's
22:37both the kitchen, front of house, you know, everything matters. Awards are great, you know,
22:43it's a real kind of boost to the team as well, but the main one would be to get a Michelin star. I
22:49mean, that would be incredible. Yeah, we're both looking at you.
22:55I mean, I'm assuming as well, like, given both of your past history, like, you'll be on the radar,
23:01but I find it fascinating how, like, they kind of follow people about, don't they? They kind of
23:04watch what folk are up to. Yeah, I mean, I think it is about skill and refinement and precision
23:14and consistency, and that's the main thing. We both worked with Andrew Fairlie in the past.
23:20I worked with Andrew Fairlie at One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow, which was, you know, where he
23:25got his first Michelin star, and then Fraser obviously went up to Gleneagles and won there
23:31under Fairlie's scholarship. So, yeah, you know, I mean, we've won several awards in the business
23:38so far. Chef Fraser, he won Junior Chef of the Year. I was in the Scottish Chef of the Year. I
23:44came third, the senior one. The restaurant itself has won Best Restaurant in southwest of Scotland,
23:51Best Restaurant in Dumfries and Galloway. We just came second in the Scottish Excellence Awards for
23:56the Best Restaurant in Scotland. So, you know, these awards are all, for us, it's just about,
24:02it's not so much about the award, but it's about getting the restaurant noticed, because if you
24:06get the award, then you get noticed, and it's also been in with your peers. And, you know,
24:11so you're going to Glasgow award ceremonies, you're sitting in Edinburgh, you're sitting in
24:15Glasgow, and people are going, oh, that's the Globe Inn, that's in Dumfries. It's not in the
24:19central belt, you know what I mean? And it's, for us, that means more because we're getting our name
24:25out there, and the more we can kind of do that, the more we can get noticed. And I feel like the
24:30south of Scotland's having kind of a bit of a moment, just seems to be more sort of food and
24:34drink kind of coming up from here, which is nice. Yeah, yeah, I think, you know, I mean, we did the
24:38thing with the Hairy Bikers early in the year, but things like that, we're always trying to look for
24:44the next, how we can, how we can get our, you know, our name in the conscious of people
24:50locally and nationally, you know what I mean? People want to come and visit, when are you open, and what
24:54are you serving when you open? We open Wednesday through to Saturday, lunch and dinner. Lunchtime,
24:59we do an à la carte, and we do a lunch to marsh menu, which is a small tasting menu. And then in
25:04the evening, we do an à la carte, and then we do the degustation menu, which is a tasting menu again.
25:09Thank you very much, and I'm sure the more people that come here, the more that they're going to
25:12tell their friends and family, and I know I certainly will be. Lovely, thank you very much,
25:15that's very kind of you, thank you. When he would come in here of a night,
25:27he would sit, I mean, this, after all, this was his table, and if this was in a museum, we probably
25:35wouldn't be able to touch it and interact with it, and I think that's one of the wonderful things
25:40about the Globe. It's like an element of living history, it's an element of connecting ourselves
25:46to the people of the past, and somehow, because these objects are here, people like Burns and all
25:53other characters who've come to the Globe feel closer to us. It's like it kind of transcends
25:58time in a way. Now, this is where Robert Burns would have sat after receiving the news at the
26:05Globe on a night about eight o'clock, and people gathered out there, and they gathered around him,
26:13and there were so many faces clamouring to get a good view, and they were all listening to Burns,
26:20and of course, he would bring the news to life in his own unique way, and there'd be stories of the
26:26French Revolution, and he would be encouraging people to talk, to ask questions, and I'm sure
26:32they would have loved the whole experience of Burns bringing this to life, and of course, he would
26:36have enjoyed having his position there, nice corner chair, so he can get a great view of what's going on.
26:43Nobody's behind him, he's holding court in here. It's lovely to see the chair in situ in the Globe,
26:50and that people today, including hopefully yourselves, will enjoy sitting in the chair and see
26:57what it feels like to you. So, if anybody would like to have a go, now I must give you the rules first,
27:02because the rules are very important. So, if you do sit in Burns' chair, you have to either recite
27:09some poetry, which if you don't know any, there is some in the book, or you have to buy everyone in
27:15the Globe a drink. Now, this place is going to be filling up really soon, so I would suggest saving
27:21the pennies to treat yourselves, and reciting some Burns.
27:25Well, it feels, first of all, this room feels really atmospheric. The whole way through, like the kitchen to here
27:30feels really atmospheric, and this is quite a pivotal moment, so here we go.
27:34The Burns grace at Kirkcudbright. Some have meat and cannot eat, some cannot eat that want it, but we have
27:41meat and we can eat, so let the Lord be thank it. Which is not the Phil Scots, but you'll have heard that before.
27:47Thank you very much.
27:48Brilliant. Perfect. Absolutely lovely, and it's nice to...
27:55I wanted to square the circle and find out how the Globe Inn has come to this new lease of life.
28:01Dave and Teresa filled me in on their relationship with this famous venue, and how they have now
28:05become custodians, as they like to be called for this, and future generations.
28:13I'm joined now by David and Teresa, who own the Globe Inn in Dumfries. Hi both, how are you?
28:19Hello.
28:19Yes, very well, thank you. Good morning.
28:21Good morning, thanks for joining us. David, I'll just start with you. Could you give us
28:25a bit of background on how you came to own the Globe Inn?
28:28Well, I'm originally from Dumfries, and I consider it very much to be my home,
28:34although I don't live here permanently anymore. So I've known about the Globe all my life, really,
28:40and drank in here when I was under 18, and things like that, so I knew it very well.
28:49But also, the Robert Burns connection was very important to us as well.
28:53So we knew the previous owners quite well, and it really came to our attention when we were
29:00actually building the distillery, or refurbishing Annandale Distillery, and the then owner approached
29:06us and said, we think it'd be highly appropriate for you to own the Globe as well. To which we
29:11said, sorry, we can't do it, we're stretched in every single direction, we just couldn't possibly
29:16take it on. But as time went past, and because we knew them, we discussed it with them, and
29:21eventually it happened. I'll let Teresa explain how it actually happened in practice.
29:26Yeah, well, the key thing was that we're employing a manager at the distillery,
29:30and he was ex-Heston Blumenthal, and he had run three of his establishments. So we thought,
29:38he'll do, because of the experience and the standard that we wanted to aspire to.
29:44And the other thing that was really fascinating for me as a non-resident, you know, in my
29:50childhood of Dumfries, is the fact that the historical significance of the Globe was really
29:57interesting to me. And the fact that Robbie Burns sat in this chair, we have his original chair,
30:02as you saw, that was priceless to me. And where else would you find that in the whole world? So
30:08those things really set my imagination alight as to how this part of Robbie Burns's life could be
30:16appreciated fully, but not by locals alone, but, you know, just in a wider audience, really.
30:22The key motivations for us was to preserve the Burns rooms. I mean, that was the motivation,
30:28because we think of their priceless, we've got Robbie Burns etched poetry on the windows of
30:33one of the rooms that he etched with a diamond stylus. And, you know, that just is, that just
30:39can't be lost. We then have to think, well, how could we actually make the whole place run in such
30:44a way that it becomes self-sustaining? That's the journey we're on now, actually.
30:48So we're the whisky hub of Dumfries and Galloway, aren't we? We have a great selection of whiskies.
30:54We're linked in with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, but our principal aim in that regard
30:59is that we really feature single casks, single malt Scotch whisky. So it's one cask bottled at
31:05a time. That's what we do at Annandale Distillery. That's what the Scotch Malt Whisky Society does.
31:09So I think we've got the largest selection of single casks, single malts, probably in Scotland.
31:15Sitting closely towards that, as you experienced yourself, is the standard of the cuisine we
31:21wanted to promote using all local products. So all the meat that comes from three miles down the road
31:29or the other products that we use, we try to source as much as possible locally. And also,
31:35the other aspiration is that we don't want to just give jobs, we want to give careers.
31:40And in Dumfries and Galloway, people have to go away to get careers. And we want people to
31:45love the place that they were born and live in. So that was another motivation,
31:51as it is at the distillery too. And is your guys' background in
31:55hospitality or is it something you've always aspired to?
31:59No, not at all. We're both scientists.
32:05That's why we need to build a really strong team. And hence, the manager from Heston Blumenthal
32:11was a key, because that was the standard we aspired to. And also,
32:16you can't just walk into this profession, you have to have a depth of knowledge and experience.
32:22It should be said as well, though, that we knew Jonathan Brett very well before that.
32:27And we many times tasted his food and greatly admired what he did. So he was an obvious person
32:34to bring on board. So he was part of the decision as well, to be honest.
32:37Yeah, no, he was key.
32:39Yeah, he was fundamental.
32:40And also, he's a very good mentor as well. And Fraser...
32:45Cameron, yeah.
32:46Who, as you know, is an award winning chef now. I mean, he's just so enthusiastic. And again,
32:53he's a bit experimental, but using Scottishness as the key to his cuisine.
33:01Do you call yourself the custodians of the Globe? So you can kind of explain a little bit about that?
33:05Yeah, that's very easy. I mean, we're not going to live forever, but we want the Globe
33:11and Annandale Distillery and all the other projects that we're working on here
33:14to live on beyond us. So that's why we call ourselves the custodians. And
33:19our ambition in all of these businesses is to make them financially self-sustaining,
33:25so they have a future beyond us. So I thought custodian was the right expression.
33:29Yeah, and typically, all our projects have a historical significance. So Annandale Distillery
33:35has a significant historic background. The Savings Bank Museum, the Henry Duncan,
33:42that is very historic and key to our thinking. The castle that we're taking on and renovating,
33:49and we'll have a different type of cuisine there and also different experiences. But up and running
33:55is the Globe. So the historic connection is key to us. And you've mentioned Robert Burns,
34:02obviously, and that's a huge, huge part of the Globe. But have you guys always had a sort of
34:08fondness? I mean, David, I'll come to you first, because obviously you grew up in Dumfries.
34:12Yeah, well, yes, I have, because I was at Dumfries Academy. And when we're doing English
34:18lessons there, we had a sort of choice between Robert Burns and Shakespeare. And frankly,
34:26I've never enjoyed Shakespeare and I still don't enjoy Shakespeare. I'm sorry if that offends
34:30anybody. But you do. I've always loved Burns. And I love the way in Burns's poetry in particular,
34:39he mixes and integrates the Scots language with English. So it can be in the same line
34:43or the same stanza. And I think he gets beautiful rhyme out of doing that. So I was always attracted
34:50to that. And I mean, who couldn't be attracted to poems like Tam o' Shanter, for goodness sake. It's
34:55just a wonderful poem to be able to recite. Although I can't recite it in full any longer,
35:00but I used to be able to do so. In fact, I'm an ambassador for the Robert Burns World Federation
35:05as well. So that really helped cement the connection with us too. But we think the future
35:11has to be in the up and coming generation. So we sponsor an event, which is a schools event.
35:18And it is astounding the level of performance of the young children. They recite poetry,
35:25they sing songs, they play instruments. And we feel really, really proud and uplifted to see.
35:32And humbled actually.
35:33And definitely very humbled at the level of performance that they give. So we want to give
35:39them a platform to promote their careers as well in that area of entertainment and culture.
35:46And in your own words, what can you say that people will expect when they come to the Globe?
35:50Teas, I'll start with you.
35:51Well, I think that some of them are a little bit intimidated by the fact it's fine dining.
35:57But when they come, they find that it's casual fine dining. And it starts with a warm welcome
36:04and people explain the menu. They try things that they might not have tried before, but they love
36:10it. And they always leave saying that they'll bring their friends. So that's very rewarding for us.
36:17The atmosphere here is also very important. So I mean, it's not a Burns theme park at all,
36:23even though I've got a picture of him behind me. But it's not a Burns theme park. But you can,
36:27well, I can sense his presence. And particularly when you go into the Burns rooms, which
36:31people are welcome to do. You know, you really do sense his presence. And
36:36so I think that's pretty important. But you can enjoy a meal beyond that, you know, it's not
36:42the centre of it all, really. You can come here just for a dining experience and enjoy that,
36:47irrespective of Robert Burns. But I think that plays an important part of it. And I don't think
36:52too many people leave here, not understanding that they've somehow been in the presence of
36:57Robert Burns.
36:58I think visitors particularly, they're really interested and surprised that that's part of the
37:04offering that they come and have a cultural experience.
37:08And one of our great ambitions is to make more of Robert Burns' time in Dumfries and the various
37:15things like Burns' house and his mausoleum and Ellisland farm that are around here. So we're
37:20very keen to kind of integrate them into a more holistic experience and create what we call the
37:26Burns Quarter for Dumfries. So that's a kind of ongoing project at the minute. It's taking a lot
37:31longer than I would like because we're working with other partners, but that's something we
37:35want to do to bring a greater focus to Robert Burns in Dumfries. So people come here specifically
37:42to understand and to learn about Robert Burns and to listen to his poetry and so forth.
37:47Yeah, I was going to say it's a really unique selling point you've got. It's a really lovely
37:51restaurant and the work you've done on upgrading it is lovely, but also with all the artwork and
37:56the Tam o' Shanter mural and stuff. And then to see the rooms is just, it's like
38:02you don't get that really anywhere else. So it was lovely to experience.
38:07So the rooms are historic, but if you go into the dining rooms, this is all Timorous Beasty,
38:12carpets and wallpaper. So that's a modern sort of movement that we want to have modern stuff that
38:22is Scottish as well. And Timorous Beasty is magnificent. Of course, Timorous Beasty fits in
38:29quite well. So that was a bit of a favour from them, I'm sure.
38:36And can you tell us a bit about the food?
38:38It is very fine. It's fine dining, but it's casual fine dining. So I wouldn't want people
38:42to be intimidated because you can come and you don't need a sophisticated palate to sit down
38:49and really enjoy it. And as the meal builds, particularly do something like the degustation
38:55menu. I mean, although each part seems to be quite small at the end of it, all you feel,
39:00you've really had a good tuck in and enjoyed every mouthful. And I think it's the delicacy
39:07of the flavours, you know, really, it's quite something. What Fraser Cameron and Jonathan
39:12Brett have achieved here, even if they do work for us, I think it's amazing what they've done.
39:18We're great fans of their cuisine.
39:21And what's inspired us to do is have our own kitchen garden. So we have our own honey now.
39:27And at the distillery, we want to use the spent grains to grow mushrooms. And we have our own
39:35vegetable garden at Cwm Lwng in the castle that we're renovating. So that's a work in progress,
39:41but it's a really important part to provide food products for the Globe and for the distillery.
39:47And we're just in the process now of, we've got an adjacent, a building that's adjacent to the
39:52Globe. And we're going to build within that quite a big prep kitchen for the Globe so that they can
40:00just cater for larger groups. But also a part of that will be we want to train local young people
40:08to become, you know, really high quality chefs as well. So that's really much the ambition of
40:15Fraser and Jonathan as well too.
40:17But the front with that is going to be where people can come and find out about Robbie Burns
40:21in Dumfries. So that would be like an information centre.
40:24Yeah, yeah. So come to the Globe, please. It's a lovely place to eat, but it's not fancy.
40:30And it can lead into a wider experience within and around Dumfries as well, which is important
40:37to us because we do want to support the local community because they give us an awful lot of
40:42support too.
40:44And you can almost have a nice dram of Annandale single cast,
40:47single box, just to finish it all off.
40:51Which is always a good way to finish a meal.
40:53I would say so.
40:54Well, thank you very much. It's been great to chat to you.
40:57Thank you Rosalind. All the best to you. Bye bye.
40:59Thank you.
41:03Thanks to all my guests on today's episode. You can find out more information about the Globe
41:07Inn on their website, including how to book the restaurant or a tour.
41:11Scran is hosted and co-produced by me, Ros and Erskine,
41:14and co-produced, edited and mixed by Kelly Crichton.