Within 12 months of opening Amuse Scottish chef, Kevin Dalgleish has been awarded two AA Rosettes adding to the growing list of accolades for the Aberdeen based restaurant.
Amuse first opened its doors in July 2022 offering a refined, relaxed dining experience at Queens Terrace, in the heart of Aberdeen showcasing the best local and regional Scottish produce available from land to sea, with a touch of classic French flavours.
Within the first year, not only has Amuse become one of only three restaurants within the city to achieve two Rosettes but the contemporary restaurant has been featured in the 2023 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland.
The chef patron also made his TV debut representing Scotland on the eighteenth season of BBC’s Great British Menu alongside a line-up of exceptional Scottish culinary talent including Mark McCabe, co-owner and head chef at The Ethicurean in Bristol; Adam Handling, owner of the Adam Handling Restaurant Group; and Tunde Abifarin, head chef of the Capital’s Farin Road.
Of his TV debut, Kevin said: "Representing Scotland on GBM was definitely one of my career highlights. It was an amazing opportunity and a huge achievement for our restaurant as a whole - especially when we only opened Amuse in 2022.
“Showcasing Scottish produce is at the heart of everything we do at Amuse, so it was great to get to do this while representing Scotland.
“The biggest highlight was taking part alongside some incredibly talented chefs including Mark McCabe, co-owner and head chef at The Ethicurean in Bristol; Adam Handling, owner of the Adam Handling Restaurant Group; and Tunde Abifarin, head chef of the Capital’s Farin Road.
And of course getting to meet and chat with Andi and Tom. I honestly loved every minute - the only negative was not getting through to the final!”
Of opening Amuse, Kevin explained that he wanted to bring something new to his hometown and breathe some new life into the hospitality industry in the north east.
"I wanted to create the perfect balance of good Scottish food bursting with flavour in an environment that doesn’t feel stuffy or formal. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to our dedicated team, our valued guests and amazing suppliers who have made this a reality."
The restaurant seems to have started a trend, as Kevin said: "It’s great to see more independent restaurants and businesses popping up in Aberdeen when it used to be mainly chains - Graham Mitchell has opened Tarragon which is
brilliant. The scene is definitely getting a lot more exciting and I’m looking forward to continuing to be part of it.”
It's been quite the year, with the AA Rosettes, Michelin mentions and being named best newcomer at the inaugural Scran Awards.
When asked how he feels about these successes, Kevin said: "It’s such a cliché, but it’s been an absolute whirlwind of a year.
"Never in my wildest dreams could have I have imagined that’d be celebrating one year in business with 2 AA
Rosettes, a listing in the 2023 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland, a Scran Award for Newcomer of the Year and also having made my TV debut on GBM - it’s just unreal.
“My biggest achievement is definitely staff retention though - we still have a lot of our staff which is often a struggle in hospitality. I’m incredibly proud of everything my team has achieved this year and I’m looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays with them.”
The team are gearing up to host first birthday celebrations at the restaurant, as Kevin explained: “We’ll be celebrating on Sunday 25 June with a Sunday lunch like no other.
"We’ll be kicking our birthday bash off with a champagne reception, a four course lunch and Edward Reid will be hosting.”
Amuse’s first birthday bash is open to the public with the set menu priced at £95pp and includes a champagne reception. Bookings are now open and can be made by calling 01224 611909.
