Eight years after conquering MasterChef, Fife chef Jamie Scott is taking on Scotland’s supermarkets.
The 2014 MasterChef: The Professionals winner is to launch a continental-style food hall in St Andrews, an ambitious plan that he hopes will challenge the grip supermarkets have on our groceries.
He came up with the idea during lockdown, when according to Jamie, bakeries, butchers and other independent food shops were left fighting giant retailers for stock while also facing tougher restrictions.
“During the lockdown, I grew a massive dislike for supermarkets,” says Jamie, who runs a number or food businesses including The Newport Restaurant in Fife.
“I want to create my own food market that is more inclusive and has a better offering.”
The food market will be called Storr, which in Gaelic means ‘store’ or ‘shop’. It is expected to open within the next two years at the St Andrews West development in the west of town.
Jamie says the outlet will be similar to food markets in Paris and Barcelona while selling high-quality Scottish produce at prices comparable to high-street or retail park shopping.
Food ventures Jamie has set up since winning MasterChef will all have a berth in Storr. The projects include Shipwreck Seafood Fife, Smoking Barrels and Cheese on Coast.
“It’s going to be all independent shops with beautiful counters, with fishmongers and delicatessens all doing their stuff,” Jamie explains.
“I also want to have an all-day brassiere that uses produce all from the store. So if you want a steak and chips, it’ll come from next door.”
Jamie Scott’s St Andrews pop-up
Jamie is in St Andrews for a street food village at St Andrews West alongside The Open golf tournament.
The pop-up includes a number of food vans serving the public, including all of Jamie’s outlets.
The three-day event serves as a practice run for a similar event Jamie hopes to one day host in Dundee.
“It’s the first chance we’ve had to get all of our outlets together,” he added. “But we eventually want to do this in Dundee, where we can have them all together for a nice event.”
For now, however, Jamie is mulling the next stage of his career, which ventures into retail for the first time.
“We will have as much local provenance as we can,” Jamie says of Storr, adding that buying local can help keep costs down.
“That’s where it gets lost sometimes – that local is more expensive. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” he adds.
Describing Storr, the chef paints a picture of high ceilings and walk-in fridges where customers can see what they are buying.
“Nothing is hidden,” Jamie says. “It’s going to be my vision of what a supermarket should be.”
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