The 'fabulous' Scottish countryside inn that's consistently voted best in the country
A Scottish gastro-pub has, once again, been named one of the best in the country. Rosalind Erskine chats to the owners about running an award-winning business and why it was never the plan to move to Scotland.
The Kinneuchar Inn in Fife has a range of accolades to its name - from being Michelin recommended to, once again, being named as one of the top 50 gastropubs in the country, and being part of UK's top 100 restaurants in the prestigious National Restaurant Awards as well as being named the Best Local Restaurant in Scotland 2023 by The Good Food Guide.
The historic inn dates back to the 17th century, and sits in its quiet and picturesque namesake village in Fife’s East Neuk. Part of the Balcaskie Estate, which is now synonymous with local, seasonal produce thanks to its popular monthly markets at Bowhouse, the inn was taken over in 2019 by chef James Ferguson and his partner Alethea Palmer who moved up from London. This would be the first time that James, who worked alongside the likes of Angela Hartnett at The Connaught in London, brought his cookery to Scotland.
“It certainly wasn’t always the plan (to move to Fife),” explained Ms Palmer. “We initially wanted to open a restaurant in London. Moving to Fife was an unexpected opportunity that changed our path. Neither of us had any connections to Fife or this part of Scotland although James’s grandfather was a proud Scot from Rothesay.”
The move came about after the couple were asked to look at potentially running the inn in 2018, while both were still in London. Ms Palmer said: “Having visited the area and seen the wonderful produce and location we discussed it for quite a few months and then decided to take a chance.”
As for the recent and ongoing recognition by guides and national lists, Ms Palmer said: “We’re delighted to be consistently featured on these prestigious lists and alongside such esteemed companies. Initially, we weren’t included but we firmly believed our inn’s offerings would eventually gain recognition.
“Our wonderful staff truly care about the business and witnessing their growth and drive is something we’re incredibly proud of.”
One of the main points of praise from guides and reviews is the inn’s food and use of local produce, which is seasonal and is why the menu changes so often. Ms Palmer puts this down to the location and the “exceptional producers.”
She said: “We’re fortunate to have a range of exceptional producers here. The Balcaskie estate provides stunning beef, pork, lamb and game while David Lowrie offers wonderful fish and seafood.
“Tom and Connie at East Neuk Market garden provide superb vegetables. Our menu is always seasonal and local, prioritising quality above all else.
“This requires trust in our suppliers and we have great relationships with them. The menu is constantly changing, often from lunch to dinner. It’s a challenging but ultimately rewarding way to work. We genuinely believe our menu reflects the best of what’s available.
“Ultimately, we want to produce great simple, well-executed food – isn’t that what any restaurant or pub should strive for? I’m never comfortable with the expectation that pubs should serve burgers and fish and chips by default.”
As with all small businesses just now, the Kinneuchar Inn is facing the same challenges with business rates, wages and overall cost increases but Ms Palmer said the positives include their customers: “The ever-growing support from our customers is a huge positive. It has led to people actively visiting the area to dine at the inn and consequently more like-minded businesses have set up in the East Neuk.”
These like-minded businesses and the popularity of this little slice of Fife, which has always been sought-after, is putting the food here on the map even more than it has ever been.
Of this, Ms Palmer said: “It’s wonderful for the area to be recognised as a foodie destination. We were at the forefront of that when we opened and we want to continue attracting visitors while also supporting other businesses in East Neuk. If you can keep producing quality then people will hopefully always want to come.”
And for those visiting over 2026, the couple are looking at growing the business, with Ms Palmer saying: “They will be a great line up of guest chef suppers this year, so keep an eye out for them.”
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