Masterchef champion to give Christmas tips at Borders event

The Masterchef: The Professionals champion will appear at The Main Street Trading Company in St Boswells on Thursday, November 23 at 6.30pm.

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Gary has held executive chef positions at two of Scotland’s biggest independent operators and he is currently a senior lecturer at City of Glasgow College.

In his latest book Scottish Celebrations he takes the reader on a journey through the country's culinary calendar, from Burns Night in January to the biggest night of the year, Hogmanay.

Gary said: “I love coming to the Borders and I’m really looking forward to the event at The Main Street Trading Company in St Boswells.

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“By then there will be four weeks to go until Christmas so this will be a Christmas survival guide and I’ll be handing out tips on how to make it a magical experience. I’ll also be getting the audience involved so it will be a bit different.

“Scotland has always been good at celebrating special occasions and these mainly revolve round food so I thought I should get something down in writing.

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“The recipes include some from the Borders including the Eyemouth Fish Pie and Ecclefechan tarts.

“And it’s great to have the foreword written by Scottish icon and A-lister Brian Cox. It really is a stunning book with wonderful photographs which were actually taken by my neighbour Stewart Ferguson. That was part of the pitch, to include these photos. Scotland has some incredible scenery and it’s ours and free.”

When asked to reveal his favourite recipe from the book, he laughed: “That’s a difficult one. It’s like being asked to choose your favourite child.”

Tickets for the event are available via The Main Street Trading Company website – www.mainstreetbooks.co.uk

Gary Maclean’s latest book is published on November 9.