The Cotswold Chef/Touring Scotland

This week on Let's Travel, Michelin award-winning chef, Rob Rees, gives us a culinary tour of the Cotswolds, which is a designated "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" in England and Wales. Then we travel on to Scotland with Andrew Weir of www.visitbritain.com to hear of some of the wonders of that country, including Scotch whiskey, golf and Robert Burns. Finally, Linda Daller, 1car1, UK Car Rental gives us some tips and driving around England, Scotland and Wales.


To learn more, view the official website of the Cotswolds









Where we'll be exploring

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The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are designated 'An Area of Outstanding Beauty' and is the largest in England and Wales, stretching from Chipping Campden, in the north, to Bath in the South (80 miles), covering an area of 2038 sq. kms (790 sq. miles) and comprises farmland over 80% of its area. It has the largest number of conservation areas of any region. The Cotswolds  are made up from parts of the English Counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Somerset and also include the county of Herefordshire.

The area is characterised by attractive small towns and villages built of the underlying Cotswold stone (a yellow oolitic limestone). This limestone is rich in fossils, in particular fossilised sea urchins. In the Middle Ages, the wool trade made the Cotswolds prosperous; hence the Speaker of the British House of Lords sits on the Woolsack showing where the Medieval wealth of the country came from. Some of this money was put into the building of churches so the area has a number of large, handsome Cotswold stone "wool churches". The area remains affluent and has attracted wealthy people who own second homes in the area or have chosen to retire to the Cotswolds.

Map provided by www.cotswoldvacations.com




Scotland

Scotland is a nation in northwest Europe and one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. It occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shares a land border to the south with England. It is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. Apart from the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islands. Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres. Scotland's largest city is Glasgow, which is the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union. The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent state until May 1, 1707, when the Acts of Union, despite widespread protest across Scotland, resulted in a union with the Kingdom of England to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. Scotland's legal system continues to be separate from those of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Scotland still constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in public and in private law. The continued independence of Scots law, the Scottish education system, and the Church of Scotland have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and Scottish national identity since the Union. However, Scotland is no longer a separate sovereign state and does not have independent membership of either the United Nations or the European Union.






Guests

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Rob Rees - The Cotswold Chef

Rob Rees MBE is one of the UK's leading chefs and consultants dedicated to creating a better food culture for Britain. He balances social aspects of his work with his private interests of consultant, campaigner, demonstrator, food columnist, writer and chef.

Rob has actively campaigned on education, health, nutrition, food safety and consumer issues for many years. Amongst Rob's work he is a Member of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food, Board Member and Trustee of the School Food Trust, Gloucestershire's Ambassador for the Food Vision and Former Board Member of the Food Standards Agency and Taste of the West.

Rob is the independent Chair of the Kraft Health4Schools project and advised on the South West Year of Food and Farming. He is often featured in local, regional and national media commenting on food-related matters and for many years, in particular with Visit Britain and others, has had a role in promoting the UK and it's food culture throughout the globe. In January 2006, Rob Rees was awarded an MBE for "Services to the Food Industry".


Rob's Personal View of Cotswolds

The Cotswold is a thriving and diverse part of England. I just adore it for its people, landscapes, charm , heritage and off course the taste. From Rare Breeds such as Gloucester Old Spot Pork to the modern relishes that Kitchen Garden Preserves produce there is something for everyone. For me eating out is a pleasure. There remains an eclectic choice. For a good pint of Wickwar Beer and a sandwich there are English pubs in most of the picturesque villages that adorn the Five Valleys. For Michelin stars and the gastronomic feasts it will be hard to beat the quality of Le Champignon Savage or Lower Slaughter Manor, and for the café society Stroud has some brilliant eateries where you can chill out relax and watch the market shoppers indulge.

The choice is endless but you cant really beat a Spring morning in the Cotswolds enjoying a bacon and sausage buttie produced by the farmer and his wife (Tim and Caroline Wilson) of Adeys Farm Organic meats. The smell that rises from their farmers market stall is a true pleasure combined with a service that is so honest and the product just divine – you can be in heaven!


Rob has been generous to share some recipes with us as well!

Recipe 1: Sauted Ruby Chard

Recipe 2: Confit of Salmon

Recipe 3: Celeriac and Double Gloucester Bake


Two more of Rob's fantastic recipes, deserts to be specific, are available on our fan club page. There are also two copies of Rob's new book, "The Cotswold Chef: A Year in Recipes and Landscapes" written with Chris Dee and with photographs by Nick Darien-Jones that are going up for grabs in a giveaway. So sign in and they could be yours!


You can visit Rob's personal website or email him here.





Andrew Weir, Media Relations Executive
VisitBritain.com


Personal view of Scotland

My favorite parts of Scotland are the Highlands and Ayrshire, where I was born and raised. Ayrshire is home to some of the world's best golf courses (Turnberry, Prestwick and Troon to name a few) and is also the birthplace of our national bard, Robert Burns. The Highlands of Scotland are simply stunning and the best time of year to travel there is the summer when the long days (it gets dark at around 11.30) leave plenty of time to take a hike through the mountainous terrain, enjoy delicious local food or take part in some of the lesser known adventure sports available in the region. Scotland is also fortunate to have two of the most diverse neighboring cities in the world. Edinburgh in the East, known for its centuries-old cobble streets and iconic castle is a fantastic contrast to the modern, cutting-edge city of Glasgow, which lies just 35 miles west.

It's an exciting time for Scotland at the moment as 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of national poet and international cultural icon Robert Burns whose message of friendship and 'Auld Lang Syne' lives on. 2009 will be a celebration of not only Robert Burns but some of Scotland's great contributions to the world: Burns, Golf, Whisky, The Enlightenment and Innovation, as well as their rich culture and heritage which lives on at home and through the many people of Scots descent who live out with our shores. The Gathering, July 25th and 26th, 2009, will be a highlight! It is set to be the largest clan gathering since the Battle of Culloden, and will take place in Edinburgh. More information can be found on www.visitbritain.us and www.cometoscotland.com


You can email Andrew at andrew.weir@visitbritain.org




Additional Photos of the Cotswolds and Scotland

(Courtest of www.britainonview.com. Click to enlarge, and scroll over to see descriptions)



The Cotswolds







Scotland