Step 7 · Leave room for the table
Food and drink of the North-East
Butteries, Cullen skink, Aberdeen Angus beef and fish from the North Sea — what to try, and where to look for it.
What is the North-East known for?
The North-East's food comes from rich farmland and a long fishing coast. It is hearty, practical cooking built around good ingredients rather than elaborate technique, and many dishes have local names that are worth knowing before you sit down to a menu.
Things to try
- Butteries (rowies): Aberdeen's own breakfast roll — flat, flaky, rich and salty, somewhere between a croissant and a bread roll. Eat them warm with butter or jam. Bakeries across the city sell them.
- Cullen skink: a thick soup of smoked haddock, potato and onion, named after the village of Cullen on the Moray coast to the north-west.
- Aberdeen Angus beef: the breed originated in the North-East and is now raised around the world.
- Fish and shellfish: haddock, langoustines, crab and mussels landed on the North-East coast. Fish and chips by the harbour in Stonehaven is a local tradition on a fine day.
- Stovies: a filling dish of potatoes and onions cooked slowly, often with meat — every family has its own version.
- Oatcakes and porridge: oats remain a staple, served with cheese, smoked fish or simply butter.
- Clootie dumpling: a rich spiced fruit pudding traditionally boiled in a cloth.
Drinks
Speyside, one of Scotland's best-known whisky regions, lies to the west, and distilleries also operate on Deeside and elsewhere in Aberdeenshire; many offer tours. The region also has a growing number of breweries and gin distilleries. If you plan a tasting, arrange transport so nobody has to drive.
Where to look
In the city, the streets around Belmont Street, the Merchant Quarter, Rosemount and the West End have the greatest concentration of cafés and restaurants. Farmers' markets are held in the city and in Aberdeenshire towns, and village bakeries and farm shops are worth a stop on any countryside drive. Opening days and times vary, so check before travelling specially.
Tips for eating out
- Book ahead on Friday and Saturday evenings, and on nights with a big concert or match.
- In rural areas, kitchens can close early; plan dinner before you set out on a long evening drive.
- If you have dietary requirements, ask — most places are used to adapting.