A blast from my past again this week, a book which I had forgotten I had and found in the awful mess which is my office. ‘Gourmet Recipes from a Highland Hotel’ by William Heptinstall is real treasure for me. I thought I didn’t have this book as it came after ‘Hors d’Oeuvre and Cold Table’ by William Heptinstall. This man was a mystery to me; he ran the Fortingall Hotel in rural Glen Lyon, Perthshire in the 1950’s and 60’s. This place has an air of mystery about it. It is said Pontius Pilate was born here and there is a sizeable yew tree dating back over 5,000 years and probably the oldest living thing in Europe. But the book is just great — classic and French, with tournedos, cocotte and Grenobloise everywhere you look. It is a wonderful book and quite rare I believe.

I was put forward for the William Heptinstall Award many years ago but sadly didn’t win the prize. The award was a scholarship to work abroad in a good place, all paid for by the trust he set up before he died in 1971, which was awarded every year to a young chef from the UK to further their career. I shall never forget my interview at the headquarters of the International Food and Wine Society near Harrods. I was still a teenager and all alone in the big city of London and had a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant where the great Bryan Webb was cooking. I wish I had won that award as it was such a prestigious thing to have under your belt. But back to the book — if you can find a copy, grab it.