As autumn settles in, Heritage Portfolio is demonstrating how Scotland’s rich seasonal produce can inspire menus that combine comfort with creativity. With sustainability and scratch cooking at the heart of its philosophy, the company is redefining how Scotland’s natural larder is showcased across its cafés, restaurants, and event venues.
Comfort Food, Reimagined
Across its venues, one of the most distinctive trends this season is the revival of comfort food with a sustainable twist. Hearty venison and whisky pies are served alongside vegetarian haggis and leek pies, while roasted squash and beetroot lasagne with goat’s cheese offers an elegant reinterpretation of a classic.
At Colonnades at the Signet Library, indulgence is given a fine-dining touch with dishes such as venison cooked with St. Giles stout and pommes duchesse, or a delicate wild mushroom choux. Meanwhile, at Tatha Bar & Kitchen, afternoon tea has been reimagined with flavours inspired by V&A Dundee’s ‘Garden Futures’ exhibition — think candied peel and cardamom scones and kataifi-wrapped marinated paneer.
Heritage Portfolio’s chefs are also championing waste-conscious creativity. Leftover pie filling might find new life as a topping for loaded potatoes at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, while surplus vegetables are repurposed into vibrant hummus, dips, or sandwich spreads.
Vegetables Take the Lead
Increasingly, diners are seeking dishes where vegetables share the spotlight with, or even replace, traditional meat centrepieces. In Heritage Portfolio’s autumn and winter event menus, ingredients such as celeriac, pumpkin, kale, and kohlrabi become the stars — presented not as substitutes, but as centrepieces in their own right.
Standout dishes include wild mushroom and leek-stuffed cabbage with celeriac purée and truffled kale, and a roasted squash “steak” served with chervil mash — proof that vegetable-led cooking can be just as bold and satisfying.
Across cafés, roasted root vegetables and seasonal salads celebrate the vibrancy of autumn: roasted pumpkin with orange tahini dressing or spiced carrot and lentil soup, using produce grown just steps away in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s own kitchen garden. Apples, pears, quince, chillies, leeks, and rocket are harvested onsite to ensure a true field-to-fork experience.
Sustainability at the Core
In Heritage Portfolio’s cafés, menus are never fixed. Instead, counters evolve daily based on what’s fresh, local, and available. This agile approach not only reduces waste but also keeps the offering exciting for returning guests.
For weddings, conferences, and celebrations, the Autumn/Winter Collection scales that ethos beautifully. Menus emphasise Scottish provenance and scratch cooking, with highlights such as salt-baked pumpkin croquette with romesco and garlic emulsion, slow-cooked beef cheek pithivier with truffle jus, and roast loin of Highland venison with candied red cabbage.
Reception menus showcase inventive canapés like pumpkin and feta arancini, tandoori cauliflower pakora, and spiced monkfish cheek pakora with apple and elderflower raita, while desserts include apple mallow pops with cinnamon popcorn crumble — a nod to autumn’s bounty.
Lizzie Arber, Innovation & Development Chef, says: “Autumn and winter give us such a rich palette of natural flavours to work with. We lean into scratch cooking, roasting vegetables to bring out natural sugars, and using every part of the ingredient – turning off-cuts into a hearty soup or working imperfect fruit into chutneys and desserts. It means we can create food that is seasonal and full of flavour while reducing our waste at the same time.”
Setting the Standard
The message is clear: guests increasingly value food that feels authentic, connected to place, and respectful of its ingredients. Event organisers, too, are seeking reassurance that sustainability is woven into every part of menu design, not added as an afterthought.
By embracing Scotland’s seasonal abundance, Heritage Portfolio is positioning itself as a pioneer in sustainable, locally inspired dining — proving that Scottish hospitality can set the benchmark for thoughtful, flavour-driven cuisine across every scale of service.
For more information see www.heritageportfolio.co.uk