Day: 19 February 2026

Published March 2026

Patisserie Made Simple is the first cookbook from world-renowned pastry chef, Maxine Scheckter. Containing 100 straightforward recipes, Maxine demystifies the techniques that transform a delicious cake into a stunning patisserie -all within a humble baking tray.

Maxine demonstrates that the airiest mousses, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecakes, fantastically tart compotes, perfectly tempered chocolate and impressively vibrant gels are all achievable for the home cook, enabling them to take their baking to the next level. 

Arranged seasonally, the simple-to-follow recipes are broken down into clear steps, accompanied by stunning photography. Festive events are marked with a sophisticated take on a birthday cake complete with the obligatory sprinkles; an Easter egg nest; and petits gâteaux inspired by the flavours and spices of a hot cross bun. Christmas celebratory patisserie includes a Speculoos bûche de Noël; and traditional German cookie flavours in the exquisite Pfeffernüsse Christmas tree cakes.

Maxine Scheckter has spent the last twelve years mastering her craft in some of the world’s top kitchens including The Fat Duck and sketch London. She founded Sugar Flour Pastry School in Wellington, New Zealand in 2019 and finds incredible joy in teaching passionate bakers the tricks of the trade.

Maxine said:

“I’m writing this book for a 16-year-old me. When I started out, I knew I wanted to temper chocolate, make shiny mirror glazes, and master other more advanced pastry techniques, but I couldn’t find a book that explained these in a way that I understood. There are plenty of beginner baking books, and plenty that are intimidatingly advanced, but I couldn’t find anything that bridged that gap. I wanted to be the person to write it. So here it is!” 

Other patisserie and petits gâteaux recipes include 

• PB&J: inspired by the classic peanut butter and jelly combination, the sharp raspberry compote contrasts perfectly with the smooth, rich peanut butter mousse. Finished with a mirror glaze and a tempered chocolate decoration, this is a great petit gâteau to practise pâtisserie skills.
• S’mores: blurring the line between a petit gâteau and a candy bar, these combine chewy cookie with soft marshmallow and dense ganache.
• Bergamot and Earl Grey: an elegant patisserie in which bergamot takes centre stage and the Earl Grey is more of an accent.
• Opera : a modern take on the traditional French pastry, lightened with a coffee milk chocolate whipped ganache.
• Peppermint slice: inspired by the classic After Eight mint chocolates, these are the perfect way to end a meal. 

Pâtisserie Made Simple: The Art of Petits Gâteaux is published in hardback by Kitchen Press in March 2026, with photography by Amber-Jayne Bain and will be available nationwide, priced at £35.  

Kitchen Press titles are distributed by BookSource. The book is available now for pre-order – HERE.  

Media Information: For press information, recipes, information, images or advance copies, contact Martha Bryce. martha@soundbitepr.co.uk / 07905761525

Number One, the four-AA-Rosette fine-dining restaurant at The Balmoral, led by Chef de Cuisine Mathew Sherry, will host a special one-night collaborative dinner with Will Lockwood, Head Chef of Michelin-starred Roots York, on Monday, 2 March.

Bringing together two like-minded kitchens, the event celebrates a shared commitment to exceptional ingredients, seasonality, and thoughtful, produce-led cooking. Working alongside the Number One team, Lockwood will collaborate to create a seven-course tasting menu that blends the signature styles of both restaurants while showcasing the best of fresh, local Scottish produce. 

Roots was established in 2018 by Chef Owner Tommy Banks with the aim of bringing a taste of the Banks family farm in Oldstead to the heart of historic York. Its menus are led by hyper-seasonal produce grown on the family farm and kitchen garden, alongside foraged ingredients, brought together through meticulous preservation techniques, including fermenting, curing, and pickling.

As Head Chef, Will Lockwood leads the kitchen with a modern British, farm-led approach rooted in clarity, simplicity, and respect for ingredients, allowing them to shine. His philosophy aligns closely with that of Number One, where provenance and sustainability are equally central.

The collaborative menu will feature Scottish salmon and other seasonal highlights, alongside Balmoral honey harvested from the hotel’s rooftop hives, underlining a shared dedication to provenance, sustainability, and flavour.

Menu highlights include a selection of both restaurants’ signature dishes, from Roots’ aged beef toast with horseradish crème fraîche and beef rib tartare, to hand-dived scallops glazed with spruce honey and served with layered celeriac preparations, alongside Number One’s Loch Duart salmon and a Balmoral honey dessert crafted using honey from the hotel’s hives.

Chef Will Lockwood comments: “My cooking is all about respecting great ingredients and letting them speak for themselves, so collaborating with Mathew and the team at Number One feels like a perfect fit. I’m really excited to get stuck into Scotland’s incredible local produce and to be cooking alongside John again. The menu will be simple, seasonal, and driven by what’s tasting best right now, from local seafood to the Balmoral honey. It’s honest, straightforward cooking that brings both kitchens together.”

Chef Mathew Sherry comments: “Will and Number One share a very similar approach to cooking: great produce, treated with care and respect. Our existing connection through John makes this a very natural collaboration. Bringing the Roots philosophy into Number One allows us to showcase Scottish ingredients in a thoughtful, straightforward way, letting them take centre stage while blending both kitchens’ identities.”

The collaboration will run as part of Number One’s regular dinner service; all bookings made for dinner on Monday 2 March via the website will automatically enjoy the collaborative chef menu.

The collaborative tasting menu is priced at £155 per person and includes arrival canapés and a welcome glass of Champagne. Head Sommelier Matthew O’Donnell will be on hand to offer his expertise, while Restaurant Manager Emma Hemy will oversee service.

Knockinaam Lodge, a luxury boutique hotel in Scotland’s south west, has announced that bookings are now live for its new luxury guest house, Seall Lodge. The striking coastal lodge has been completed on the estate’s hillside, overlooking the main lodge and its private cove.

Designed by architect John Murray, with interiors by John Dick & Son, Seall Lodge has been carefully positioned above the cove to maximise its  dramatic setting. Seall, meaning “to see” in Gaelic, reflects the lodge’s design ethos, with every principal room oriented to capture sweeping views across the bay and surrounding landscape.

The lodge features a reverse living layout. On the ground floor there are two generous super king bedrooms, one of which can be configured as a twin. The master bedroom includes an ensuite walk-in shower, while the family bathroom offers both a deep bath and a separate walk-in shower. Upstairs, a bright open plan kitchen, dining and living area opens onto a glass fronted balcony and roof terrace, providing uninterrupted sea views. Conceived as an informal, contemporary timber structure within the grounds of the traditional masonry hotel, Seall Lodge offers a distinct contrast to its historic setting. While the other luxury lodge, Shingle Lodge, sits on flatter land closer to the shoreline, Seall occupies a more dramatic position on the steep slope between the wildflower meadow and tree line. The result is a building likened to a modern treehouse overlooking the sea.

Inside, the interiors take inspiration from relaxed coastal living, with subtle references to beach huts and seaside retreats. Natural materials, neutral tones and refined yet practical finishes create a space that feels warm and cosy in winter while remaining light and calm in summer. The contemporary design complements the classical elegance of the main hotel.

Architect John Murray commented:

“Our aim was to make sure that architecturally, the building responds directly to its environment. A stepped cross section creates a two storey tower at the rear and a single storey frontage, allowing light and views to flow through the main living spaces. Externally, natural materials define the aesthetic, with vertical timber boards accentuating the height of the tower, horizontal timber shingles wrapping the lower structure, and a zinc roof providing a crisp contemporary finish.”

Seall Lodge is ideal for families and is dog-friendly, offering flexibility and privacy alongside access to the hotel’s facilities. Guests can enhance their stay with a private chef experience. The menus are rooted in classical French technique and shaped by Scotland’s natural larder, showcasing produce from the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and the Lodge’s own organic kitchen garden.

Guests can also dine in the main 3 AA Rosette restaurant, enjoying four-course lunches and seven-course tasting dinners created by Head Chef Craig Drysdale and his team. Signature soufflés, locally sourced seafood and meats, and carefully curated optional wine pairings complete the experience.

Callum McCann, Hotel Manager at  Knockinaam Lodge added: 

““Seall feels like a natural next step for Knockinaam. From the beginning, it was important that the building sat comfortably in the landscape and reflected our commitment to sustainability.

Built using natural materials and high levels of insulation, the lodge is designed to be energy efficient and long lasting. Its position protects the surrounding meadow and wildlife while making the most of the elevated views. As a hotel recognised by Green Tourism and the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, sustainability shapes every decision we make.

Seall offers guests privacy and contemporary comfort while keeping them closely connected to the landscape, whether that’s through produce from our organic kitchen garden, locally landed seafood, or simply the uninterrupted sea views. Our aim has always been to enhance Knockinaam thoughtfully rather than expand unnecessarily, and we believe Seall strikes that balance.”

Booking for the new lodge can be made here. 

Prices start from £1225 for a 2-night stay in high season and £875for a 2-night stay in low

Speciality coffee roastery, Birch, on the Isle of Skye, has been recognised in the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026.

The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 were revealed on Monday, 16th of February at a ceremony at CoffeeFest in Madrid – one of Europe’s most influential coffee gatherings. The news comes following Birch’s listing in the Best Coffee Shops UK 2025, announced earlier this year. 

Birch was founded by Skye local, Niall Munro, in 2020. Inspired by trips to coffee mecca, Melbourne, Niall wanted to replicate the Melbourne café style back in his hometown, but with beautiful, locally sourced products from the Scottish Highlands and Islands, and with a firm focus on speciality coffee, roasted on the island. They have two cafes – one in Portree on the Isle of Skye, and the other in Inverness.

Placing at #50, Birch was one of just two coffee shops in the UK to make the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list for 2026.

Niall Munro, founder of Birch, says:
“To be recognised in this way means the absolute world to us. Since day one, Birch has been an absolute labour of love, and that’s always been at the forefront of everything we do.  We’ve worked really hard over the last five years to create a unique experience at Birch – through our Isle of Skye roasted coffee, our curated pour over menus, speciality house-made Viennoiserie and our delicious brunch, made with ingredients from our home here in Skye.  I’m so proud of the whole team who have made this possible.”

To determine this prestigious list, 15,000 coffee shops from around the world were first nominated, then the public voted for their favourite shops, and finally, scores from the public vote were then combined with jury scores from 800 judges worldwide. The coffee shops with the highest combined scores from public and expert votes have been honoured as the World’s Best Coffee Shops, with the final results presented as a ranked list from 1 to 100. 

The full list will be available to view here and can be found on Instagram @theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.

Peter McKenna, previously chef-owner of The Gannet in Glasgow, along with Kevin Dow, are set to open their hotly anticipated new restaurant, Eleven Fifty Five, in its place on Argyle Street in Finnieston on Thursday 26th of February.

The 52 cover restaurant is the latest venture from McKenna, one of Glasgow’s most acclaimed chefs, and Dow, arguably the city’s most beloved Maître D’. Since the doors closed at The Gannet for a final time at the end of 2025, the restaurant has undergone significan renovation, drawing inspiration from cosy Irish snugs, years of travel and Parisian bistrots. 

The furniture has been handcrafted by local carpenters and the space upholstered with forest green tones. Some of The Gannet’s recognisable brickwork will remain, while the back dining area has been completely stripped back and reworked to create a snug area ideal for private parties, with a nod to Scotland and Ireland’s proud whisky heritage.

The bar area has been altered to accommodate space for dining at the bar, which gives the restaurant energy and allows for a more flexible and fun dining experience. The mezzanine has been completely rebuilt to create a dedicated private dining room with A/V that can cater for up to 12 guests, having either a plated three-course or a sharing banquet offering.

Eleven Fifty Five will be an upscale yet approachable neighbourhood bistro celebrating Scottish produce while honouring McKenna’s Irish roots. The restaurant will proudly showcase whole cuts of meticulously aged beef from trusted Scottish and Irish herds, alongside seasonal braises that speak of comfort and craftsmanship. Their fish, presented on the bone if appropriate, honours the catch with respect and simplicity.

Daily changing specials will include: porchetta with green sauce  and confit ratte potatoes; Hannan’s salt aged onglet with fries and chimichurri; oxtail and marrow pie with potato puree; hake kiev with white bean gratin; and baked beetroot with golden cross, spinach and beetroot salad.

Working hand-in-hand with their network of local farms and artisan producers, Eleven Fifty Five’s vegetable dishes evolve constantly with the seasons, with each plate telling a story of the land and the passionate hands that tend it. This is Peter and his team’s take on modern bistro cooking: approachable yet ambitious, rooted in tradition but always looking forward.

Peter McKenna, chef-owner, said: 

“To me this feels like a natural evolution – we have stripped back then built up the restaurant and food offering creating a space and menu that will draw you back time and time again. Good honest hospitality with no gimmicks, just great produce cooked with care and respect and a drinks list that is second to none. I can’t wait to share Eleven Fifty Five with our guests.”Bookings are now live, and can be made at https://www.elevenfiftyfiveargyle.co/