Fresh langoustines landed on the pier. Oysters farmed just along the loch. A dining room where wetsuited paddleboarders lunch beside Bentley owners. In this exclusive interview, Scotland’s Chef of the Year Michael Leathley reveals how life on Loch Linnhe shapes his cooking at The Pierhouse, why simplicity leaves nowhere to hide, and how hospitality, sustainability and community are inseparable on Scotland’s west coast.

After stepping away from the industry following the closure of Amethyst, Carlo Scotto’s return is one of the most powerful stories in modern British dining. With BEAR, his 14-seat counter restaurant in Beaconsfield, Scotto strips fine dining back to instinct, memory and landscape, cooking guided by foraging, travel and restraint. This is not a comeback built on noise, but on purpose. Carlo Scotto is The Knife’s Chef of the Year 2025.