An interview with Jessica and Richard Keeling of Three Hills Coffee, at their coffee school and roastery near Gordon. Coffee isn’t exactly a local product, but here - as across the world - it has become integral in our daily routine. Many of us can’t countenance getting through a day of work, or even getting out of bed, without it. And in our rural region where the drink-drive limit is zero, meeting for a coffee in one of our many independent coffee shops is fast becoming the most common way...

An interview with Anita and Ed Withers on their smallholding near Kelso.  The Withers raise Oxford Sandy and Black - a rare breed of pig, as well as goats, chickens, bees, fruit and vegetables. Being smallholders was never the plan, but as their operation grew they realised that being responsible for most of what they ate - from planting to harvest, and from birth to death - had changed the way they saw the food system and there was no turning back. We discuss the value of rare breeds, the...

A day out at the Borders Organic Gardeners’ Apple Day, and an interview with Laprig Valley Apple Juices. For many, apples are the quintessential flavour of autumn. But if we do eat an ‘apple-a-day to keep the doctor away’, it often comes from a selection of just 5 varieties available in supermarkets, which are usually imports. At a local apple festival I peruse around 130 varieties currently growing in the Scottish Borders, learn about our unique apple heritage in this region, the most...

An interview with David and Claire MacTaggart of Hallrule Farm, discussing their venture into venison farming and how this has also come to support their agritourism offering; Tiny Home Borders. We delve into the the differences between farmed and wild, venison’s reputation as a tough meat to cook, the long shadow of ‘Bambi’, why - given that we are overrun by wild deer - we still eat venison imported from New Zealand, and deer cheese. I also take my mic in amongst the stags and hinds in...

An interview with Lucy Wilson at Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen, discussing their transition from running a traditional Borders beef farm, to also becoming a food-focussed agritourism destination. We question why on-farm food experiences are so rare in the Scottish Borders, and whether the region could do more to celebrate its own produce. We mentioned: * GoRuralScotland.com * ScottishAgritourism.co.uk * SSDA - South of Scotland Destination Alliance And if you’d like to know more about...

After four months of gathering food stories, sounds and flavours from across our region, it’s time to step back and take a look out over our FoodScape. This episode is a tasting menu celebrating the people and places encountered so far, and the ways in which they are shaping our land and our lives through food.  And if it’s your first time listening to the podcast, perhaps it will whet your appetite to listen back through the episodes so far...  The podcast will return in September, after...

Looking for some holiday reading?  Seeing as it’s the Borders Book Festival in the middle of this month, here are a handful of food-writing classics to whet your appetite. These are all fantastic reads into the politics, philosophy, science and culture of food.  Buon apetito! - - - - - - - - - - - -  The FoodScape Recommended Reads: ’How to Cook a Wolf’ - MFK Fisher, 1942. North Point Press. ’Rooted: How Regenerative Farming can Change the World’ - Sarah Langford, 2022....

How we produce food around the world in the 21st century, is widely accused of being one of the main causes of climate change. Agriculture and nature are now seen as being at odds, and in the UK our government is putting pressure on farmers to change the way they operate and be more nature friendly. In some cases, this means ceasing to produce all together, planting trees or re-wilding previously productive land. Do we have to make a choice between nature or food production? I visited...

It’s loud, it’s fast, and when the auctioneer begins his call you’ve got to have your wits about you!  I accompanied Mary Howlett of Going Native to the Newtown St Boswell’s mart on one of her regular missions to buy native breed cattle. We experience the raw energy of the mart, discuss the importance of traditional breeds and animal welfare, and why these are vital in creating the tastiest steak.  Thank you to: Mary Howlett of Going Native, Hawick The Newtown St Boswells Mart  - - - - -...

Why is it so difficult in this agricultural region, to get a good variety of local vegetables? Is it just because our soil won’t produce them? Because we’d rather produce livestock? Or are we reluctant to grow and sell them? One way or another, shorter supply chains increases food security, local economic activity, and of course, the freshness of the food. And like many parts of the country, people in the Scottish Borders would like to be able to buy more locally produced vegetables. In...

Throughout history, people across the Borders would have expected to go hungry at this time of year. The time between March and May was known as the hungry gap, when larders were emptied after the winter, and the garden and farm hadn’t yet started producing. This period of scarcity was part of the seasonal cycle, forcing people to rely on an essential and common knowledge of wild foods to keep themselves going.  Nowadays, the average supermarket creates a convincing illusion of limitless...

Sadly, episode 5 hit a few hitches, and will be delayed by a few days. In the meantime, have a listen to some of the past FoodScape episodes!

They’re the places we go to celebrate, to work, to broaden our culinary horizons, or just to escape having to cook. Restaurants and cafes have become part of our everyday, but they’re facing unprecedented challenges in the face of energy price hikes, staffing shortages, supply chain issues and more. Last year, hospitality businesses across the UK were closing at a rate of about 3 per day, and times ahead don’t look any easier for the industry. How would the foodscape of a rural region like...

Sheep are one of the most common sights in the Scottish Borders farming landscape, but with the exception of Easter weekend, we hardly eat lamb or mutton at all. This episode explores our relationship with sheep from field to plate, and includes conversations with farmers, a trader and a local butcher, discussing the joys, challenges, flavours and future of bringing lamb to the table.  You’ll be hearing from Bairnkine organic farm and the lambing shed at Spital Tower Farm, gaining insight...

Surprising stories from a giant celebration of the humble tattie: the 2024 Borders Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day. Every year, a thousand or so potato-philes travel to the Kelso Showgrounds to source the varieties they love best. Forget your Maris Pipers, BOG Potato Day has almost 100 varieties - each one with a unique history, flavour and character.  I learn why it’s worth growing your own, tales of the breeders and gardeners who have saved the potato from being lost, and which is best:...

An interview with Karen Birch of Abundant Borders on the importance of growing your own food, and why the revolution will start in the garden.

Introducing the podcast and its presenter.