Great Places to Stay
- The Inn at Kippen
Kippen, Stirlingshire
Kippen is a charming little village just 8 miles west of Stirling, which makes an ideal base for visiting the famous Castle and historical sites nearby and for touring to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.Kippen is the ideal place for an inspiring and ambitious venture. It was here in 1891 Duncan Buchanan planted a vineyard within a glasshouse and soon one of the vines grew to be the largest in the world. When fully grown it had an annual crop of over 2000 bunches of table grapes with a record in 1958, producing 2956 bunches. The Kippen Vine covered an area of 5000 square feet spreading across four greenhouses. It became a famous tourist attraction and people travelled miles to see it, up until 1964 when the Kippen Vinery unfortunately had to close.
A Country Inn for the 21st Century
The Inn at Kippen has just opened as a completely new refurbishment of the former Crown Hotel, now offering locals and travellers alike a stylish bar, large TV screen, and restaurant with four comfortable bedrooms upstairs. This is a country inn for the 21st century, combining a cosy, welcoming pub atmosphere, rustic charm, polished pine tables with black leather chairs and sofas to add a modern touch. Out the back is a small patio garden for summer time drinks and lunch. Around the walls are enlarged prints of old photographs of Kippen dating back to the mid 19th century.With a young management team under James Fletcher and chef, Laurie Veitch, the Inn aims to offer good eating and drinking for all tastes and budgets with a menu of fine home-cooked food, a good list of wines, beers and spirits, with the entertainment factor thrown in - whisky and wine tastings, beer festivals and live music. James Fletcher is keen to emphasise that the menu offers "pub food". I would add the adjective "gourmet" to that phrase. The menu does offer excellent Scottish seafood, steaks and game, yet the Inn at Kippen is not described as a fine-dining restaurant. Fletcher is keen to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and relaxed, eats what they want, where they want with the same extensive menu served in the lively bar as well as in the long elegant, two-roomed restaurant next door. But there are no white linen table cloths or city-restaurant formality. This is a country inn where the emphasis is on good Scottish local produce with all dishes freshly cooked to order.
Staying at the Inn at Kippen
Before we study the menu in detail, let's take a peek at the bedrooms upstairs. There are four double bedrooms, all newly decorated and furnished in quality old pine with sturdy carved beds, soft duvets and linen, a wardrobe, dressing table, TV and bathrooms with power shower [no bath] and The Tub toiletries. Toothbrushes are also available for those guests who have come to the Inn for supper and made the sensible decision to relax, have a drink or two and stay the night.Dining at the Inn
You may sit in the more casual bar area or next door in the restaurant and enjoy the same meal. Before dinner I sat on a stool at the bar itself and asked for a gin and tonic. Most bars would simply serve any brand, but here I was offered Gordons, Tanquerey or Bombay Sapphire because as the young woman serving explained she "had enjoyed learning about the different gins." I was very impressed. And for something different, there's a selection of cocktails on offer including Martini, Manhattan, Margarita and the house cocktail "To the Fore" consisting of Vodka, Cointreau and lime cordial - described as "lip smacking gorgeous".And so to the food. The menu begins with the slogan "Real Food is Inn" - to illustrate the fact that the dishes will not be heated in a microwave but home cooked in the kitchen. Starters include fresh soup of the day, pan fried fish cake, or classic Caesar salad with Inverawe smoked chicken, anchovies, parmesan and croutons or Trio of Dingwall puddings - haggis, white and black pudding on clapshot with Drambuie cream; I selected Hot Smoked flakey salar salmon on a herbed Scotch pancake with creme fraiche, dill and caviar. Expecting one pancake, I was astonished to receive three, piled high with salmon. A large starter but absolutely delicious.
For main courses the menu caters for every taste and appetite with a selection of handmade burgers made from a choice of beef, chicken, lamb, venison or vegetarian. All served in a bap with salad and hand cut chips. Gourmet pub grub as I say. Also steak and ale pie, lasagna, roast pork and lamb. Aberdeen angus beef, supplied by local butchers, T & R Skinner is a speciality of the house with chargrilled filet, sirloin and rib eye on the bone served with a choice of sauces, tomato and mushrooms.
James Fletcher makes early morning trips to the fish market to ensure freshness and quality. There is the Catch of the Day as well as salmon, langoustines, and hand dived scallops. Mussels had been on the menu that day, but all eaten by the lunchtime diners before I arrived which proves the popularity of real food. There's also a good selection of vegetarian pasta and tarts. All main dishes are served with a platter of seasonal market vegetables and a choice of hand cut chips or potatoes.
Portions are extremely generous, catering, comments Fletcher, for the local farmers and residents who enjoy a first class home-cooked meal. No nouvelle cuisine here! The Inn at Kippen also serves soup and gourmet sandwiches and there's a separate menu for children, including burgers, sausages and mash, fish and chips.
I observed a good attention to detail without fuss, (slabs of French unsalted butter), and quick personal service. The concise, well priced wine list includes half bottles, bubbles - served by the bottle and by the glass which is to be congratulated, and a fine selection of French, Spanish and New World wines.
There's a separate menu for Afters - puddings, ports, sweeties and coffees so indulge in some true home cooking from your childhood and classic Scottish dishes- rhubarb crumble and custard, cloutie dumpling, apple pie and ice-cream. And after that you will surely want to book a room for the night.
Breakfast "Fit for a King of Kippen"
The breakfast menu is entitled "Fit for a King of Kippen" and served, (sensibly] from 7am until 11.30am, to allow time to digest your feast from the evening before. Select from fruit juices, cereals, healthy fruit with yoghurt or traditional porridge - although this did taste sweet and it was revealed the chef had added sugar - not the Scots way surely! The porridge is served with milk and honey.To follow there's the full Scottish fry up with egg, pork and herb sausage, potato scone, black pudding, tomato and mushroom and the vegetarian option with the full works and non-meat sausages. Alternatively boiled eggs with soldiers, eggs benedict or scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.
"Our aim is to create a real village inn, that will have something for everyone. We believe the combination of excellent food, and a relaxed and friendly ambience will make the Inn at Kippen the perfect venue for both locals and visitors from all over Scotland and beyond."
James Fletcher, proprietor/manager.More Information
The Inn at Kippen is at Fore Road, Kippen, Stirlingshire. The UK telephone number for reservations is 01786 871010.
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