FRED’S NEWSLETTER 13.5.22
Progress at Monkton Garden.
Good morning,
We are in May and it’s unbelievable how time flies. A few weeks ago, we started to lay our no-dig beds at Monkton Garden, but it feels like yesterday. Everything is growing well, and we’re already harvesting herbs and salad for l’escargot bleu.
Time really is flying as I mentioned above, yes, it is! I clearly remember July 2004, when it was time for expansion. I had been running the Petit Paris restaurant in Edinburgh since 1998, and in July of 2004 we took over The French Corner Bistro in the West end, and this became l’escargot blanc some 4 years later.
It’s hard to believe that I ran this lovely first-floor eatery for 18 years. So much has happened there; we made hundreds of customers happy, locals and those from far away, with lots of joy and some tears along the way.
17 Queensferry Street.
When we moved in, the kitchen was set out over three rooms, and the poor KP was washing dishes in a box room with barely enough space to turn around. There was an old 6-burner cooker that gave off little heat. The water boiler was a domestic electrical one and we ran out of hot water by 9.30pm every night, meaning we had to boil water in old aluminium pot to finish the washing-up.
KP in a box.
In those days we were trading on the first floor only, with an entrance from Queensferry Street that led to a wooden staircase up to the first floor (of what was previously a flat). I could write a book on those 18 years trading on Queensferry Street.
In 2009 Petit Paris became l’escargot blanc, just six months after l’escargot bleu opened its doors on Broughton Street, and more-or-less the same time we opened our épicerie in the basement of bleu. Shamboule it was! A very stressful but exciting time. Suddenly I was in charge of 3 businesses, and then I took over Café Odile at the French Institute.
Me at the épicerie.
At l’escargot blanc I needed a more comfortable kitchen and a professional stove, so all the walls were knocked down. New fridges were brought in, plus a state-of-the-art cooking suite that made its entry through the first-floor window! Soon we had a lovely, brand-new kitchen providing proper heat in a fast and efficient way. Ho! I nearly forgot that we also installed a new water tank and boiler that provided hot water on demand. Happy KP!
The cooking suite has entered the building.
My philosophy was changing. With a few years’ experience in Scotland, those were the days I was falling in love with the Scottish larder. I began to question buying abroad and from wholesalers. I was on the hunt for Scottish producers, breeders and farmers. I needed to make the link between the ingredient I was cooking with and the person behind the product. “French twist using the best of Scotland” became the motto of the l’escargot brand.
A few books’ worth of stories later, in 2015, blanc was given a revamp when we extended on the ground floor to create a wine bar. The bar and furniture were made using the oak and left-over bespoke shelving and cupboards that were made for the (by this time, closed) épicerie on Broughton Street. This created a very classic, traditional-feeling wine bar. One that couldn’t be repeated or copied.
The wine bar and entrance to blanc in 2019.
Our corner of Alva Street and Queensferry Street became a very busy operation. We were offering earthy, classic, traditional French cooking, with everything made in-house including the butchery, at an affordable price. We had a wide audience of tourists, locals, not-so-locals and foodies from all over the world. Business lunches were also popular, and of course we had lots of visitors that were here for Edinburgh’s many festivals. L’escargot blanc hosted a real mix of characters and was a thriving, vibrant place. We made it all the way to the Scottish Thistle Awards in March 2020, winning “best restaurant experience” – just a few days before lockdown forced us to close.
Those of you that have been following my newsletters will know how the story ends. The first lockdown led to more lockdowns with all sorts of issues as a result, meaning we never managed to get the door open again. So many people have enquired about l’escargot blanc. So, in answer to all those who asked, sadly l’escargot blanc will not open again under mine and Betty’s management. A painful decision, but the time has come to pass it on to someone else.
I am quite happy, and relieved in a way. The feeling of failure will pass. It’s now time to let go and concentrate on other things. 17 Queensferry Street will always be l’escargot blanc for me, and I shall miss it. Now l’escargot bleu and its garden will have my full attention.
A fabulous "Pasture for Life" rack of Veal from Peelham Farm ready to be served at bleu.
We are doing very nicely at l’escargot bleu and our garden is progressing fast with herbs and salad in good quantities. We’ve created 11 no-dig beds and filled 8 potato crates with the compost we’re producing. The polytunnel will be erected sometime in the autumn to hold our winter crops. It’s exciting and I’m really enjoying spending time there.
The last time I wrote to you, the composting bay wasn’t built. Well, it is now and it’s doing what it’s supposed to do - making compost! Already there’s a full 2-ton bay.
The compost bays at Monkton.
We’re recycling a lot to make our own compost, including all raw food waste plus carboard and paper from the office. We’re also collecting wood chips from 2 local carpenters and coffee grounds from Artisan Roast and L’Etoile coffee shop in Edinburgh. We are well on our way.
Monkton progress.
April was the month to seed lots of vegetables, from cauliflowers to spring cabbages, red cabbages to carrots, and not forgetting spuds of which we have a few varieties. There are also leeks in great numbers, and much more, including lettuces…more to follow.
Mes amis, this is all the news for now, as I need to change into my chef whites. The stove is calling me!
C’est tout! À bientôt,
Fred
Salad leaves and herbs, ready for bleu.
