I would like to take a minute to personally thank the team at Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky (DTSW).
Why? Because the independent local whisky merchants have taken the Huntly food and drink scene to a whole new level, more specifically in the past two years.
Frequenting to the town isn’t out of the ordinary for me. My grannie Anne has lived there for around 17 years now, and I’ll forever cherish the memories that we (and my entire family) have made in the area to date.
Dips in and picnics by the River Deveron, watching Huntly & District Pipe Band bring the centre to life during local events, and tucking into a fine piece at Dean’s of Huntly being among them.
All in all, Huntly has a real community feel to it that I love.
And while there may have been a fair few vacant units by/in The Square over the years, DTSW has filled some of them, elevating the area’s offering as a result.
More on The Bank Café and Restaurant and The Club Room
Located on the corner position at the junction of The Square and Gordon Street, The Bank Café and Restaurant was acquired by DTSW in July 2021.
The team immediately set about renovating and refurbishing the premises, which was formerly a Clydesdale Bank branch.
It has been welcoming customers since March 2022. My boyfriend Josh and I finally got the opportunity to see what had been accomplished with the space earlier this month.
Better late than never.
Our entrance – featuring an arched door surround – felt grand. Then, there’s a small area (before reaching the café and restaurant) with a wall displaying the heads/headers of whisky barrels. A lovely touch.
We continued to compliment the décor amongst one another throughout our visit.
But it didn’t end there.
The pair of us were also treated to a tour of The Club Room, an adjoining bar and seating area to The Bank Café and Restaurant that opened in December. It is used for private hire events, whisky tastings and as an additional space for diners.
Everything from the seating (boasting a chic tartan fabric) and thistles displayed in vases to the whisky cabinets had us in awe.
The interior is both traditional, yet modern.
Kickstarting our meal with mains, which featured ‘mouth-watering’ meats and Scottish cheeses
Seated swiftly by one of the windows, a server took our drinks order and proceeded to show us what we could choose from on the menu. Given that it was around noon on a Saturday, it was (of course) the lunch options.
Josh had his eyes set firmly on a hot sandwich, narrowing it down to the ‘Bank steak’ option (£12.95).
He requested soup with his order for an additional £3.50.
The sandwich, lightly toasted, featured mouth-watering sliced seared steak, red onion jam, honey mustard, black pepper mayonnaise and fresh watercress.
A sought-after sweet heat was coming from the jam, balancing well with the nutty, peppery (and more bitter) flavours in the mustard, mayo and watercress.
There was a great ratio of each ingredient, too.
Josh wasn’t overjoyed with the accompanying pea soup, but that’s down to personal preference. He also overheard a neighbouring table being offered a choice of two soups – pea as well as potato – which he didn’t get.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the soup, despite it being on the lukewarm side. It was earthy and slightly smoky with a thin consistency – great for dipping.
I didn’t eat too much of it though as I had a Ploughman’s platter (£13.50) to attempt to get through. But as expected, I needed a hand.
This dish was, without a doubt, fantastic value for money. Golden-brown, homemade sausage rolls and bread had been teamed with deli meats, pickles, coleslaw, chutneys, fresh apple, a zingy salad, and three different Scottish cheeses.
We couldn’t pick a favourite when it came to the latter as there was something special about each. One was smoky and smooth, one was pungent and crumbly, and the other was on the creamier side.
However, in my eyes, the star of the inviting plate was the homemade bread. In hindsight, I wish I’d asked what flavour it was, but I can somewhat recall notes of tomato and pepper.
Three cheers for the white chocolate and Black Bull whisky mousse
The pair of us took our sweet, merry time at tasting all of the elements in the platter one by one.
Then, I requested another quick look at the menu as I was adamant desserts were on the cards…
I sipped away at my water (£1.75) as we waited. Josh did the same with his Diet Coke (£1.75). This is when our tour of The Club Room took place, and it was fantastic.
It also helped fill in that gap between courses. I was still ravenous and couldn’t stop thinking about our puddings.
For me, it was the white chocolate and Black Bull Kyloe whisky mousse (£9) served with almond granola and raspberry sorbet.
After all, I couldn’t come to a DTSW establishment and not try one of their whiskies in some format. I was delighted when I saw my plate, it looked incredible.
Refreshing, fruity and light with a slight tartness, the pale pink raspberry sorbet was a straight-up winner for both of us. And the almond granola was crisp and crunchy.
But again, Josh and I had a disagreement regarding the food. This time it was over the mousse.
While he thought the whisky flavour was far too strong in the silky-smooth mousse, I thought it was faultless. And not only did the taste of the blended Scotch whisky shine through, but the vanilla-esque aromas did too.
I’d consider this one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted. A round of applause for Fintry-born Peter Carey, the newly-appointed head chef at The Bank Café and Restaurant, for creating the masterpiece.
Josh’s dessert – clementine marmalade posset (£8) – went down a treat too.
A layer of marmalade and a creamy posset mixture had been set in a clear dish, allowing us to admire the dessert in all its glory.
Miniature gingerbread biscuits completed the pudding. They were a delight and boasted a sweet yet spicy flavour profile. The pair of us wished they were bigger.
Finally full, we washed down the remains of our drinks and requested the bill.
The verdict
As previously mentioned, the kitchen at Huntly’s The Bank Café and Restaurant (and the adjoining bar, The Club Room) is now overseen by Peter, former head chef at The Craigellachie Hotel, among other establishments.
It’s apparent that he knows not only a thing or two about constructing high-quality meals, but whisky too.
There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back. Perhaps a whisky tasting in The Club Room is in order.
Information
Address: 2 The Square, Huntly AB54 8AE
T: 01466 543103
W: www.thebankrestaurant.co.uk
Price: £50.45 for two mains, two desserts and two soft drinks
Disabled access: Yes
Dog-friendly: No
Scores:
- Food: 4.5/5
- Service: 4.5/5
- Surroundings: 4.5/5
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