When you are abroad, how many times have you taken a walking tour of a city? How about a food tour? Now how many times have you done that in Glasgow? Me neither. Yet I love doing that on holiday. It might be something to consider.
Top of my list of foody tours is the Glasgow Food and Drink Tour. Started 2018 by owner Gillian Morrison, this is a tour you’re sure to get a taste for.
Westender was lucky enough to catch up with Gillian to get the low down on all things foody.
Having just launched her second tour in Glasgow Merchant City, her roots are firmly here. ‘The West End was the first one,’ she says. ‘It’s been going well. Even with Covid in the middle!’
The Many Merits of Glasgow
Gillian tells me, that, of course, most of her customers are tourists to the city, but she does get Glaswegians too. ‘It’s nice for visitors to come along and see what the West End has to offer. But for locals, not many people from, for example, the South Side will be familiar with what’s on in the West End in way of interesting food and drink venues.’
As well as the food and drink stops, Gillian also adds information about the area too. ‘Finding out about the history of the city, you learn about the food and the drink and the venues we visit as well. But it’s about the history and culture of the city too.’
Gillian is passionate about Scottish produce. ‘Not a lot of visitors know how great our produce is. Seafood, beef, lamb, our bakeries, whisky and now gin.’
Diversity
As well as great Scottish produce, Gillian is proud to champion the multicultural diversity of the city and as such, it’s diverse food. ‘I cover Restaurant venues, pubs, cheesemongers, bakeries, international bakeries, curry houses. I love promoting family run independent venues, like Mister Singh’s; there is a passion involved there. People have stories that connect them to Glasgow.’
And with the diversity of cultures Gillian has seen the fusion in food develop. ‘For example, in Pasteis Lisboa you get rhubarb, apple, added to the custard pastries. You get haggis pakora at Mr Singh.’
And the feedback from her tours? ‘Visitors are pleasantly surprised by how much there is in Glasgow food and culture wise; often they wish they had extended their time here.
After all, it’s only 45 minutes from Edinburgh, why do you have to do just one city or the other?’
The Glasgow Food and Drink Tour –
