A leading Aberdeen-based food and drink group, Beetroot Restaurants Ltd, is preparing for the opening of its latest dining venture next week, introducing a new culinary concept to the city.
The restaurant group, which also includes ‘dirty cooking style’ restaurant, The Adelphi Kitchen, and event catering company, Eat Beetroot, has partnered with flavour enthusiasts, Angus & Oink Ltd, for the new eatery.
CUE Barbecue, which was formerly The Courtyard restaurant, was under renovation for just over one month and is set for a grand opening to the public on Tuesday 2 February 2016.
Chris Tonner, managing director of Beetroot Restaurants, said: “Scott, Malissa and I have been talking about our barbecue ideas since we first met. We have the same passion and respect for food and we knew that together we could bring something original to the city, teaching people a little about different cooking styles along the way.”
The restaurant has invested in a state-of-the-art smoker, the only one of its kind in Scotland. Imported from the US, the new smoker allows meat to be cooked in an authentic US style, ‘Low & Slow’, giving mind-blowing wood cooked flavours and succulent meaty textures, unique to this kind of barbecue. One of the highlights of the menu is the ‘Meat Market’ which will see barbecue cuts such as brisket, sausage, ribs and pork shoulder sold by weight direct from the smoker.
Chris continued: “It has been a really unique journey renovating and researching the restaurant where we have employed the skills of artists, craftsmen and foodies. Our Ole Hickory wood smoker proved an extreme challenge when trying to get it into the kitchen due to its size and weight, but thankfully after breaking through the second floor kitchen window we managed to use a crane to lift the beast in.
"We will be grilling and smoking up the tastiest slow cooked barbecued meat, all sourced from local butcher John Davidson, and combining these with rubs and sauces from Angus & Oink.”
Malissa Fraser of Angus & Oink, commented: “We have had great fun helping create the CUE Barbecue vibe and our ethos is to have fun and explore flavour through great barbecue food.
"There’s no age limit to start enjoying the barbecue scene and we are encouraging a family atmosphere, where children under five will eat for free. CUE’s genuine BBQ spirit gives people a grass roots place they will want to come and try and then come back again. We are excited to lead our brand into new territory in 2016.”
The casual barbecue restaurant will also boast an area for live music acts and the city’s first ‘bourbon bar’ with an immense selection.
CUE’s bar team has explored far and wide, finding rare brands to serve up, complementing the eatery’s food. These include slushy machine margaritas and sous vide equipment, used to extract remarkable flavours for great cocktails.
The barbecue restaurant, which can seat 80, will also look to develop its outside catering presence, offering an authentic Southern US BBQ experience to the whole of Scotland.
• Cue will be open six days a week from Monday to Saturday. For more information on Cue, visit www.cuebbq.co.uk, or call the restaurant on 01224 589109, email at hello@cuebbq.co.uk.
