The Macallan is often thought to be the world’s premiere purveyor of top-shelf scotch. So when it got here time to launch a everlasting eating idea inside its state-of-the-art $320 million distillery in Speyside, it was solely smart that it might enlist the expertise of one of many world’s preeminent eateries. And that’s exactly the pairing we’re going to get with the official opening of TimeSpirit. The brand new kitchen debuts this month as a culinary collaboration with El Celler de Can Roca, a legendary three-Michelin-starred outpost in Girona, Spain, which has twice topped the record of World’s 50 Greatest Eating places. Let’s check out what’s on the menu.
The eating expertise right here will likely be constructed round a nine-course tasting menu. Many of the substances employed therein are sourced from the encompassing Scottish Highlands. This consists of seasonal native produce — a few of it plucked from the kitchen backyard on the model’s 485-acre property — in addition to land and sea-based proteins delivered each day from across the nation.
Choices will evolve all year long, however some staples on the onset embrace a vegetarian haggis, spiced with whisky-infused mayonnaise; sherry-cured mackerel; pastrami on steamed brioche; and an clever, edible deconstruction of the first parts used to craft Macallan. Suppose fermented barley and yeast cream, rendered playfully by means of the signature gastronomic method of the Roca brothers. The trio of legendary tastemakers are the alchemists accountable for the success of their eponymous Spanish outpost and their affect on TimeSpirit is obvious from begin to end.
“El Celler de Can Roca’s philosophy mirrors that of The Macallan, with a deep inspiration from nature, a dedication to group and a relentless pursuit of innovation,” in response to Jaume Ferràs, artistic director for the whisky model. “It will all be showcased for everybody to expertise inside the new menu. It can take affect from the previous, think about the longer term and make a distinction within the current, and actually convey to life the collaboration between the 2 manufacturers in a playful and thrilling method.”
Every of the dishes may be paired with unique pours from the on-site scotch library, or with elegant expressions of sherry wine imported from Valdespino in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. That latter class of liquid is used to season casks utilized in The Macallan’s maturation course of. As such, it’s largely accountable for the distinctive flavors and aromas that make the whisky a world sensation.
Courtesy of Joan Pujol-Creus
The meals will arrive in a 24-seat eating room designed by David Thulstrup, an award-winning architect who beforehand labored on Noma in Copenhagen. The underlying aesthetic of the house is meant to evoke an immersion in nature, enhanced by floor-to-ceiling views of the undulating hills, which stretch out from desk into distant horizon.
By all ostensible metrics, the restaurant is well-positioned to finally obtain its personal deployment of Michelin stars — and it truly wouldn’t be the primary scotch distillery to attain the accolade. That honor belongs to The Glenturret, which recorded a star for its Lalique Restaurant again in February of 2022 — a mere seven months after opening. TimeSpirit would have even much less time to observe swimsuit; the following Michelin Information for Nice Britain and Eire is predicted to drop in 4 months’ time.
Though it simply opened for service, the brand new restaurant truly marks the newest chapter in a 12-year-long collaboration between Macallan and the Roca brothers. The tandem additionally work collectively to construct flavors for the Distil Your World assortment, a sequence of limited-edition scotches, during which every launch celebrates a serious culinary hub together with London, New York, and Mexico Metropolis. A few of the menu alternatives on the brand new tasting menu pays edible homage to those world-class locales. Naturally, they’re finest washed down with the assistance of world-class whisky.
The lunch tasting menu at TimeSpirit is obtainable at £60 per particular person, whereas dinner begins at £95 per particular person. Each can now be booked right here.