I’ve always loved fried chicken, I mean, who hasn’t? Although it does feel like more of an American staple, Glasgow certainly isn’t lacking in options when it comes to crispy, crunchy, chicken. Do we really need another chicken-shop? The answer, in my opinion, is YES.

This time, it’s a pop-up from the team behind Ox and Finch and Ka Pao, two of Glasgow’s most popular eateries. Koxedo, which has temporarily taken over Ox and Finch, takes inspiration from some of their most popular dishes, offering their own recipe fried chicken, signature chicken sandwiches, sides and sauces.

Aurelien Mourez, Head Chef of Ox and Finch said: “We are using the same great suppliers and produce for Koxedo that we always use for Ox and Finch and followed our usual testing and development process for all of the dishes. Fried chicken done well is great, simple comfort food, but there are a few tricks to getting it right. We must have tried more than 20 variants with different cuts, dredges and marinades.”

Having tasted the food, I can safely say that all those trial runs were 100% worth the effort, because the final product was some of the best fried chicken I’ve had in a long time. For me, the highlight was without a doubt the Ka Pao chicken sandwich, based on their own spicy caramel fried chicken.

The combination of buttermilk fried chicken breast with sriracha fish sauce caramel, nam prik num and pickled cabbage inside a milk bun is truly magical. The perfect blend of sweet, spicy, sour and salty.

If you’re looking for a bit of variety, I recommend the Box Meal, which includes chicken breast tenders, chicken thighs, fries, slaw, pickles and two dips. In fact, no matter what your order, get dips! These are not your average dips – I could have swum in the garlic and herb dip, I kid you not. The slaw as well, though clearly designed to be a supporting act to the fried chicken star, was a joy; a blend of shredded carrot, celeriac, cabbage, radish and spring onion in a herb vinaigrette. A perfect mouthful of freshness to balance out the rich and indulgent fried chicken.

For now, Koxedo is pre-order and collection only, to ensure social distancing is maintained and to keep up with demand. Pre-orders go live on their website on Mondays at 10am and be QUICK! The past two weeks, the menu has sold out in record time, and it’s not hard to see why.

While I personally cannot wait for the day when I am sat in a busy restaurant enjoying a delicious meal cooked by someone other than myself, it has become easier and easier for us to replicate restaurant-quality meals at home with the rise of heat-at-home options.

And while there are many to choose from, for me, I’m all about the simple things. What I don’t want is to end my experience with hundreds of dirty pots and pans and a load of tiny plastic containers to deal with. Surely all that plastic can’t be good for the environment?

So, one cold and miserable Saturday, although do days really have meaning anymore, my partner and I sat down to enjoy a heat-at-home meal from Ginger Garlic, a new service from the lovely folk behind The Little Curry House.

Their new business model allows customers to pre-order a range of curries and home-style Indian food to be delivered to your door and reheated at your leisure. One thing I loved about Ginger Garlic was the sheer volume of options available. From vegan and vegetarian options to classic chicken and lamb curries, we were absolutely spoiled for choice, plus their meal deals offer fantastic value for money, with a box for two including two dips, two starters, two curries, and any two rice or bread.

This was, naturally, the option we went for, and we were not disappointed. The portion sizes are extremely generous, and unlike some takeaway curries, where searching for the meat among the sauce feels like a lost cause, both curries were packed full of tender, beautifully cooked chunks. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, either bung the curry in your microwave, or heat in a pot on your stove, while the pakoras and naan could simply be placed in the oven to warm through.

The pakora options are more varied than other menus I’ve seen, with unusual options such as chicken tikka and potato pakora, or paneer and potato pakora. We opted for the mixed pakora, which contained chicken, mushroom and vegetable pakora, all of which were beautifully spiced and came with a delicious chilli dip that far surpassed the insipid pink sauce that so often accompanies pakora.

Our curries, a South Indian Garlic Chilli chicken and a Garlic Lamb with Mushroom, were packed with flavour and just the right level of chilli heat to leave the lips tingling. A surprisingly highlight for me, and one I highly recommend you try, was the lemon and cashew nut rice. The chunks of soft but acidic lemon and the crunchy cashews made an unsual but very welcome addition to the plate, and something I’ll definitely try next time I’m making my own curry at home!

I’ll certainly be ordering another Ginger Garlic meal, and soon – I’m starving just thinking about it.

Dine at Home with Ginger Garlic

Nearly everyone’s mental health has had a knock at some point during the pandemic. Even the most positive of us have had our moments, particularly with changing restrictions and lockdowns.

The more cooped-up inside we are, the more our mental health suffers. This much we know.

It’s not surprising then that during these Covid-19 times, many more Glaswegians are pounding the streets and canal paths with their trainers than ever before. And I have to admit, I am one of them.

It seems ironic that a public health crisis has provided the perfect opportunity for runners in Glasgow to up their game. But this is exactly what we are seeing. Take a look down the Kelvin Walkway any day of the week, and you would be hard pushed not to notice the determined look of runners of all ages and levels of fitness, come rain or shine.

The physical benefits of running are clear – inches off the waistline and improvement of the overall function of your heart – but we are just waking up to how helpful running is for boosting your mental health.

And the research tells us so: academics at the University of Arizona compared the MRI scans of runners’ brains to non-runners and concluded that running affects the structure and function of the brain, similar to taking on a complex task like playing a musical instrument.

Scientific evidence from the University of Oxford shows that the post-run high is brought about by a substance called ‘cannabinoids’ being present in the body which is also present within marijuana. It can present that high and calming influence over you. Which is partly why running is good at combating depression.

Beyond the hard science and closer to home, there is a group of inspiring runners in Glasgow who are seeing real results with their members when it comes to beating the Covid blues.

Glasgow FrontRunners (GFR) is one of the city’s biggest running teams. It is part of a global network of running teams that are LGBT inclusive. People from all walks of life run with the team – you don’t have to identify as LGBT to join.

It is well known that LGBT people’s mental health suffers disproportionately compared to other groups in society. GFR has arguably provided a lifeline for many during the pandemic who have seen an improvement to their mental health through running and also the social aspects of the club.

Jo Jeffreys former President of GFR comments, ‘When lockdown happened it was clear that many of our members were distressed about not being able to meet up each week to run together. For many of them, it’s the highlight of their week. We had to think innovatively as a committee about how we could keep the club going and at the same time, paying attention to guidelines and restrictions.

‘At the height of lockdown, when we weren’t meeting at all, we set up a Facebook group for members to share selfies on their own individual runs. This was hugely popular as it helped everyone remain connected. It grew arms and legs and we then decided to take it one step further and set up a “don’t break the chain” running calendar to see how many hours in the day we could have GFR runners on the streets of Glasgow. We did this a number of times as it was so popular.

‘A number of our runners managed to complete their own marathons through sheer grit and determination, which has helped keep the club ethos going during the pandemic.

‘Our members repeatedly tell us how GFR is more than just a running club, it’s a social network and community group. Some of our members have been feeling socially isolated and have suffered from depression and if running itself and being part of the club can alleviate that, then it can only be a good thing.’

Cameron has been a member of GFR for the last two years. He comments, ‘I have suffered from periods of anxiety and depression all of my adult life. I have tried medication and meditation, but nothing seemed to work. I took up running in my own time and saw some benefits to my mental health immediately. My mood was lifted, and I also began to sleep better.

‘Once I felt more confident as a runner, I decided to join GFR. Now I am a more serious runner, I have seen huge improvements to my physical health and at the same time I have seen the improvements mentally. There is also a real added benefit to running with the group and it’s a very sociable and supportive bunch. Members meet up outside the group, where we can, and during the pandemic we have organised a number of social events online including quizzes and our AGM.’

Aye Run is another innovative running initiative coming out of Glasgow. It’s the brainchild of local all-round running enthusiast, Sean Reid. Combining his love of running with history and culture, Sean organises running tours of Glasgow which appeal to natives and tourists alike.

His runs take in everything from George Square, the Cathedral, the Necropolis and Glasgow Green – but also some ‘off-the-beaten-track’ sights looking at architecture and statues and some of Glasgow’s ‘hidden’ street art.

What better way to stimulate and improve both your physical and mental health by running and learning something about your home city at the same time?

Sean comments, ‘I have always been passionate about the history of the city, its stories, buildings and murals that pop up all over the place. I wanted to do something different with my runs that brought both elements together and allowed me to share my knowledge of Glasgow and its culture with other people. Our runs are at a relaxed pace and really are for everyone.

‘Our post-lockdown tours have attracted more locals than previously. For me, it’s really rewarding helping people from Glasgow discover their own city, seeing them astonished when they find out the hidden history of a place they’ve walked past a hundred times without a second glance.’

For more details visit:

glasgowfrontrunners.org

ayerun.com

Mike Findlay investigates the trend for people training as life coaches as their second profession

Many years ago, when I was living in ‘that London’, I hit a major rut in my working life. I was managing a team for the first time and it was hard work. And I mean really hard work. The team were older than me and thought they knew better. They were also under performing and behaving pretty badly. I was lacking in confidence and assertiveness as a manager. My boss at the time essentially told me to sort them out or leave the job.

Stressed by all of this, I spoke to a friend who recommended that I see a life coach to help build my confidence. I was hesitant to begin with and really wasn’t sure what to expect.

My first coach
Luckily my mind was put at rest when I met my first life coach. He was down-to-earth and relatable. We ended up working together on and off for about 18-months.

Life coaching is for anyone who wants to make a change in their life, including setting work or personal goals. It can focus on work challenges, your personal life, improving relationships and future aspirations.

Through the coaching process, I was able to turn things round in my working life and get my sense of purpose back.

The impact of this first experience of being coached has remained with me ever since. Fast forward to early 2020, when lockdown first happened, I did something radical. I decided to train to professionally qualify as a coach. Something I had always had at the back of my mind since that first foray into the world of coaching. Juggling a full-time demanding role with doing a qualification in your own time really isn’t for the faint at heart. But for me it provided the perfect distraction from Covid.

I am not alone here. There seems to be a rising trend of people entering the coaching world as a second or supplementary profession. And Glasgow is partly leading the way.

Glasgow Coaching Hub
Two such individuals are Lisa Blackett and David Williams from the Glasgow Coaching Hub. The Glasgow Coaching Hub has existed for a number of years, and it has grown organically as a professional network of coaches who get together to learn from each other. It has roughly 80 members in total, with a core of around 25 attending their regular events. It prides itself in being an informal network of coaches who ‘workshop’ anything and everything that is coaching related.

Before lockdown, the Glasgow Coaching Hub took advantage of the generosity of the Kinharvie Institute – a consultancy based on Dowanhill Street specialising in facilitation, coaching and training – who were able to provide members with a free place to meet. Since the pandemic, the Hub has taken its events fully online using Zoom, allowing the Glasgow-based network to open its doors to all of Scotland.

Edinburgh-based Lisa Blackett, from Puzzle Fit Consulting, was able to regularly attend the Glasgow network when lockdown hit. A qualitative researcher for over 20-years, she ‘fell in love with coaching’ having done some initial training, so much so that she embarked on studying the subject as a Masters degree.

Lisa comments: “I am a coach, coach trainer, and use a coaching approach in all of the other work I do as well.

“Coaching is more of a way of being than anything else, and it is incredibly powerful helping people see different ways of looking at themselves and what they are doing.

“Sometimes just asking the right questions at the right time is so useful particularly when you compare it to telling people what to do or giving advice.

“One of my areas of interest is how coaching can help young people understand themselves and what they want. Due to my own experience as a parent, and supporting friends of my teenagers, it felt like a natural space for me to go into.

“When it comes to the workplace, I get the sense there has been an increase in people in management and leadership positions using a coaching approach with their teams, which is really encouraging. Once you’ve trained as a coach, you do think about the words that come out of your mouth more, and you are more likely to say ‘I’ve observed this’ or ‘I am curious about this’ rather than directly advising or telling your colleagues what to do. To me, this encourages a collaborative style and more productive relationships at work.”

As part of her Masters in coaching, Lisa researched the benefits of online vs face-to-face coaching, which has put her into an advisory role for many coaches during the pandemic who have been forced into doing more online work, she says: “What I found through my research is that both online and face-to-face can be equally as effective as each other as long as both the coach and the coachee are comfortable with the chosen medium.”

Fellow Glasgow Coaching Hub member David Williams is a coach, facilitator and arts consultant. He has had an extensive career in senior management in the arts – including a spell being the joint CEO of Scottish Ballet and running the King’s Theatre in Glasgow. David describes falling into the coaching world ‘seamlessly.’

David comments: “Without knowing it, I have been using a coaching style of management throughout my career. I have always wanted the best for the colleagues that I manage including moving onto promotions.

“I was employed with a city council for a time, and had the opportunity of some coach training for a day. This led to me doing a short, sharp immersive course with a company called Coaching Direct in Edinburgh.

“My background is very hands-on in leadership, having been a Chief Executive, so I got into coaching as an extension of being a manager. I am now a complete convert to every leader being trained as a coach. I believe that there are too many command and control bosses, which doesn’t bring out the best in people.

“My suspicion is there aren’t many people working full-time as coaches but they are combining it with other things, like Lisa and I are doing. I think it’s quite healthy to have variety. I offer coaching, and facilitation, and arts consultancy.

“It’s quite common that when you are coaching someone, they will start with telling you what they think their current challenge or problem is. But through coaching questions, you will often soon unravel more, and then they will realise that the problem is something else entirely different to that initial conversation.

“I was introduced to the power of coaching in my early 30s when I was on the verge of quitting my job. Someone offered me an ‘emergency coaching session’ which allowed me to get to grips with what I was doing, and turn things round to the point where my boss trusted me to take on all sorts of responsibilities, which was amazing. If it wasn’t for this person coaching me, I would have been out the door and would not have had the career that I did.”

Meeting increased demand
The trend for people getting into coaching as a second or supplementary profession also clearly coincides with an increased demand for coaches from clients. Throughout the pandemic, some of us have hit a crossroads in life – this could be through redundancy, a relationship breakup, or through the fact we have had more time on hands to reflect on where we are actually going in life.

Rachel Weiss is from Perth and is a Partner at the Rowan Consultancy. The company has been at the leading edge of developing practices in the field of human growth, development and support since 1997, and their services include counselling and psychotherapy, coaching and training. She recently spoke to the Glasgow Coaching Hub about how to support people as they continue to work from home or return to the workplace.

Rachel comments: “One silver lining of this pandemic has been increased awareness of our mental health and acknowledgement that we need to nurture it. We have all experienced some level of Covid-19 anxiety, which gives us more appreciation for people who live with anxiety on an ongoing basis, more of us have experienced depression, addiction and other responses to events which are out of our control.

“We have all had our resilience tested as this has been a long haul. We can’t get by on the initial burst of adrenalin. More people have therefore been turning to coaching to support them.

“A coach is a confidant. You can speak more openly to them than to a line manager, partner or friend. They are not there to judge but to support you in achieving your goals. A coach also raises your self-awareness of how you may be self-sabotaging and what habits of thinking or behaviour or response you may wish to change, what support you can access.

“Then your coach encourages you to plan some action you may take and holds you accountable at your next meeting.

“Coaching has less stigma than counselling, although both foster growth and self-awareness and change. One thing that makes coaching different is the accountability. When I was young, nobody went to the gym, that was for athletes, the rest of us kept physically fit by walking and generally being active. Now friends happily tell me that they are investing in a personal trainer or gym membership. I hope that this year has taken us one step closer to the day when we will speak with similar pride about going to see a coach to increase our resilience or achievement.”

Any coaching professionals interested in joining the Glasgow Coaching Hub should email: david@creativehelp.org.

Find out more about Mike Findlay’s coaching services at risingfox.org.

No one can deny that the past year has been tough, but if there is one positive to come from the current lockdown, it’s that we have never been so spoilt for choice when it comes to home dining options.

Whether it’s a hot takeaway meal delivered straight to your door, or a five course pre-prepared dinner to be reheated at your own leisure on a quiet Saturday night (for what other kind of Saturdays are there right now?). Whether you want a curry from Mother India, burgers from Bread Meats Bread, burritos from Bibi’s Cantina, a full-blown tasting menu from Six by Nico, pizza from Paesano, or even salt and chilli mozzarella sticks from Ho’s Chinese (yes, you read that right), it’s now available at the touch of a button.

Choosing the weekend meal has become one of the most exciting activities of my week and while a takeaway or dine at home meal every weekend (sometimes two) might seem excessive, we can all comfort ourselves knowing that we are not only treating ourselves to quality food, but we are, above all else, supporting local businesses. Businesses who have taken some of the biggest hits throughout the pandemic, becoming a scape goat for rising case numbers, and living with constant uncertainty as to what the next week or month might hold. Learning to adapt has been key, and it certainly has not been easy, so I plan to shine a light on not just the success stories, but the work these businesses have been doing behind the scenes, proving that, even when we’re locked up in our homes, People Make Glasgow.

In March 2020, when restaurants first closed their doors and panic buying was at its peak, the team at Kothel decided to take action, creating an outdoor market stall on Crow Road selling their own coffee, cakes and snacks as well as fruit, veg, pasta, flour and essentials.

“With the help of some amazing volunteers, we also supplied and delivered free food parcels to over 65s, and the most vulnerable in the community.” explains owner Ed. “Community is at the heart of everything we do. We always want to be a place where people can come together, and despite this not being possible for a large portion of the past year, our community spirit is stronger than ever.”

In fact, since the lockdown announcement last March, Kothel has been open every day, only closing for Christmas, adapting the business to fit with the changing guidelines. As well as supporting the vulnerable and local communities, they managed to open a second restaurant, Wee Paree, in August 2020, launched a Kothel Pizza Club and partnered with Help the Homeless Glasgow, preparing 300 meals a week for homeless charities across the city.

“I feel strongly about helping those in our city who need it most. It’s such a difficult time and we must support each other and stay strong. We knew we wanted to help and could put our great team and kitchen to good use and I’m delighted we could help such an amazing organisation.”

Similarly, the team at Eusebi Deli have been making huge efforts to keep the vulnerable and homeless fed throughout lockdown, working with Kindness Homeless Street Team, who provide 2,000 hot meals per week to the homeless in the city centre, as well as helping to house the sick and vulnerable.

“We initially cooked from home with the help of our team and Eusebi customers.” says Giovanna. “When we returned, we continued to cook from the restaurant kitchen and currently do so even though we are closed. The charity is made up entirely of volunteers, started by Laura McSorley. There is a huge humanitarian cost of lockdown and they are now feeding 25% more people than before lockdown.”

Outside of their charity work, the Eusebi team worked tirelessly to adapt their business to the ever-changing guidelines, creating an online shop where customers could pre-order their favourite dishes from the deli to heat at home, launching a hot food takeaway service with Uber Eats, and creating themed heat at home menus for Christmas and Valentine’s Day – I for one can not wait to dig into my five course Italian feast on the 14th of February!

Though they have kept connected to their community and had huge success with their online shop, the changes have not been without their difficulties, as Giovanna explains;

“The unknown and initial fear for everyone was the greatest challenge. It is so difficult in a front-facing business like hospitality, wearing masks initially left us feeling disconnected, a smile is so powerful. The biggest obstacle was putting the humanity back into a hospitality environment.”

While it is clear that restaurants have had a difficult time, it has been perhaps even more challenging for the city’s pubs and bars, especially when rules about the consumption of alcohol at times seemed arbitrary and confusing. For west end beer bar and shop Grunting Growler, when lockdown was announced, it was a ‘stop, drop and roll’ moment, owner Jehad explains; “There was virtually zero information on what I could or couldn’t do as a business… when it was announced that off-sales were classified as essential, that’s when the manic adaptation kicked in. Overnight, Grunting Growler went from a beer shop and bar to a fully fledged e-commerce off license.”

He ordered more beers, began stocking wines and batched cocktails (their coconut daiquiri got me through a few of those early lockdown weekends) and began hand-delivering orders to thirsty customers across the city.

“There were times I had no idea what I was doing, and plenty of mistakes were made along the way, but our customers were super understanding with every hurdle that we hit. And without a doubt, our customers have been the true MVPs of COVID.”

Where Jehad has beer covered, The Cocktail Collective, as the name suggests, has been bringing quality cocktails to homes across the city, and now nationwide. Launched to support local businesses and keep Glasgow’s thriving cocktail culture alive during lockdown, they provide expertly made cocktails, allowing independent bars like Vodka Wodka and Kelvingrove Cafe, to generate income despite their doors remaining firmly shut.

And so, while the hospitality industry continues to face obstacles due to the pandemic, there are also stories of success. Just look at Cail Bruich, whose head chef Lorna McNee has brought Glasgow its first Michelin star for the first time in 18 years, not to mention the hundred other small victories that restaurants, cafes and bars have claimed over the past year. So here’s to each and every one of them, and here’s hoping it won’t be too much longer until we’re back at the tables of our favourite bars and restaurants, never taking that simple pleasure for granted again.

For more information please visit:

Kothel
Eusebi Restaurant & Deli
Grunting Growler
Cail Bruich

And to help a local charity go to:

Help The Homeless Glasgow
Kindness Homeless Street Team