For Bart Stratfold, Timberyard’s ethos is simple: ingredients must be “as good as possible and as close as possible.” That’s the approach the chef takes to every dish on the Edinburgh restaurant’s menu, which showcases produce, seafood, and meat from the region. It can be seen in the pickle plate, which includes a pine cone, and in all softs pairing, created with edible elements, fermented like fig leaves and sea tree are often found. Even if something comes from a little far away, like oranges from Spain, there must be a beginning and a narrative.
“We are determined to use oranges because Scotland was the first country to sell and produce marmalade,” Stratfold told the Observer. “But I enjoy finding amazing things where we are. I know everyone talks about seasons, and everyone talks about the place, but there are different levels of season and place. The truth is that restaurants are not a sustainable business. If you look at the energy consumption in a busy restaurant, it’s much higher than the equivalent consumption of everyone cooking for themselves at home. So we have to be as responsible as possible at home.”
Part of that responsibility is to use only wild meat. Stratfold’s specialty is pork—Timberyard buys about 10 pigs each year and uses the whole animal, mostly curing various cuts of meat and preserving fat.
“They come from the same butcher,” Stratfold said. “And I have to know about the pigs and their origin. So the seller always sends me pictures, and I pick and choose. He knows what types I like. He knows the cap I like. He knows there is a story behind them that will move me. It’s the same with my fishmonger: He sends me pictures of the fish, tells me where they come from and sends me videos of the fishermen.”
Stratfold joined Timberyard, which opened in 2012, three years ago, under its executive chef, James Murray. Before that, he was working Coombeshead Farma farm-to-table guesthouse and restaurant in Cornwall that grows everything they serve, and in London by chef Karl Goward of Bistro Union and Shepherd’s of Westminster. It was Goward who taught Stratfold the importance of knowing where ingredients come from.
“He valued product over method,” Stratfold recalled. “He always said, ‘Let’s buy the best tomatoes and not do too much with them.’ That just grew when I was in Cornwall. To be honest, the restrictions at Coombeshead Farm were too many. We used nothing from outside Cornwall, except coffee and wine. We had no chocolate, no olive oil, no oranges. It was really rewarding, but I came out of it wanting to adapt.”
At Timberyard, Stratfold has created a large larder. Anything that can be fermented, fermented or preserved is stored and preserved. Stratfold measurements currently have hundreds of bottles and jars on the shelves. There is no real plan either. Anything available is added to the stock, and occasionally the cooks will find something they didn’t realize was there. The time spent preparing the preserves varies depending on the season and what is available. The restaurant always stocks ramps, capers, cherry blossoms, pine cones, coriander seeds and seasonal vegetables, but is also looking at other possibilities.
Stratfold says: “Timberyard has been open for 13 years, and over those 13 years, we’ve had an idea of what we like and don’t like. “And every year we’ll be introduced to a new ingredient. It’s a process of trial and error to figure out a) how to use it and b) how well we save. Not everything can be held forever.”
Another recent discovery is a medicinal root called sweet cicely, which tastes like chervil. Earlier this spring, Timberyard supplier Anna Sebelova was seen carrying a cardboard tub with roots. “It wasn’t much fun to watch,” Stratfold admitted. “But I chewed it, and it was unbelievable, it was fragrant, fragrant and slightly spicy, like Szechuan peppercorns.
Although Stratfold is not originally from Scotland, growing up in Yorkshire gave him an array of similar ingredients. He grew up cooking with his family. His grandmother taught home economics, his father was a professional chef, and his mother owned a food company. “It was inevitable,” said Stratfold. “But then again, I’m a glutton. So it was something I showed interest in from a young age.”
He got his first restaurant job at the age of 16 as a dishwasher at the National Railway Museum in York. “I told them, ‘I’m going to clean the pots as soon as I can so I can do other kitchen chores,'” she recalls. And they were giving me the worst jobs. But I was happy about it. He spent two years cooking in ski towns in France, but eventually moved to London to “get serious” about cooking. He understood early on that being a chef meant adapting to different kitchens and different chefs’ styles. At Timberyard, he tried to continue the restaurant’s original vision while bringing in his own ideas, such as the switch to wild-caught meat last August.
“Timberyard food is Timberyard food, and it would be weird to fight space, lard and everything that goes into the way we cook here,” he said. “It would be a mistake for me to try to change too much. And my palette and my repertoire are along the same lines, so it wasn’t difficult. But I definitely brought a few extra skills with me, like some preserves, charcuterie and sausage making.”
He describes Timberyard’s approach to cooking and baking as natural, like room temperature butter. “Everything should be shiny, soft at the edges, attractive and attractive,” he says. I don’t want it to look too formal.
This is how to make Timberyard cool easily. The modern dining room, built in a 19th-century warehouse near Edinburgh’s famous castle, has an elevated, rustic atmosphere. The tables are dark wood and uncovered, and in a nearby courtyard, Sebelova and her team have built a small cabinet full of yeast and cordials. The lights are so low that it’s almost impossible to take Instagram food photos. Some dishes are presented on modern plates, while others come surrounded by feathers or peanut husks—another effort to avoid waste. Stratfold prefers that everything look “held together.”
“We use tweezers, but that’s because we put small things on the plate,” he said. “Karl, who is my mentor in London, said that everything needs to look like it is falling from heaven, guided by angels. There is definitely a right or wrong place to put things. I talk a lot with my chefs about angles, but angles are not forced.” He paused and admitted, “It’s really hard to explain.”
Even the bathroom at Timberyard is cool. The industrial-looking, underground space evokes an avant-garde art installation as the sound of wine fermentation plays over the speakers. It’s all part of the overall goal of making diners feel immersed in the experience, whether they’re booked for the short lunch menu, which costs £55, or the full dinner tasting menu, which costs £160. Stratfold wants visitors to “get lost in the moment” throughout their visit.
He says: “There must be warmth. “You need to feel comfortable and relaxed. And I want everything to be generous. We are talking about abundance and generosity. We need to be generous with our time. We need to be generous with our product. We don’t want people to feel uncomfortable. I know every restaurant says that now, but it’s true. When they come into Timberyard, people can have an important impact on us, it’s important that people feel comfortable. good food.”
Timberyard received its first Michelin star in 2023. But Stratfold is proud of the restaurant’s green star, which was awarded in January, just months after he was promoted to head chef. It’s something Timberyard set out to achieve, and the team used sustainable methods to help get there. Stratfold knows that the green star is not the end of the road.
“It’s going to be an ongoing journey,” he says. “We have a lot to do, and that’s for fun.” Yes, the star puts the guest at ease, and we can go in knowing that we have a little bit of responsibility. We’ve done a lot on the sourcing side of things, but it’s also because you get a better product by doing that. It seems strange not to try and keep the most active people doing the best things. better.”
Along with Timberyard, Stratfold oversees Edinburgh’s wine bar menus Montrose and a new chic opening The foglocated on the coast of Leith. All three are run by the Radford family of restaurants, and emphasize the modern Scottish character. Stratfold and Timberyard’s sommelier, Jo Radford, has gone so far as to call this style “the new Scottish.”
“We’re trying to define a new Scottish,” Stratfold said. “Scottish food is very well-known all over the world. Everyone knows haggis, everyone knows porridge. It’s a strong food for hard winters and hard work, so people don’t always refine it. But since we’ve been diving into the music of preservation methods, we’ve tried to show a mirror of Scotland and present it to a new audience. It’s defined by where we are because we’re proud of that.”
Whatever you want to call Timberyard’s style, it’s compelling. The dishes are familiar and unique at the same time, and you may find a new ingredient during the meal. Stratfold’s intended narrative is clearly woven throughout the course, creating a memorable experience that can help you seem a little cooler.
