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Global Foodservice Respect for local seafood, produce propels this Michelin-starred chef. then we've taken off ." And so has Leith. T e wa- terfront was cleaned up and small businesses have moved in. Gentrifi cation has made the neighborhood extremely popular with young profes- sional couples, and the wa- terfront is now bustling with seafood restaurants and bars. T is part of town now has an attractive village feel, and locals form a strong attach- ment to the district. "I iden- tify with Leith," says Kitchin. "We're involved in local chari- ties, local schools, and I think we bring a lot to Leith; this lit- tle restaurant brings in 30,000 diners a year." Kitchin's restaurant has Reinventing Leith T om Kitchin's pas- sion for Scottish seafood and re- spect for quality seasonal produce have made him one of the U.K.'s most famous chefs. Becoming the world's young- est recipient of a Michelin star at age 29 might have brought him international recognition, but he remains faithful to his roots. "My interest he could, spending fi ve years in London and fi ve years in France training with some of the world's top chefs. He returned to Edinburgh, Scotland, to open his Mi- chelin-starred infl uenced and French- restaurant T e Kitchin, in June 2006. He chose to locate his restaurant in Leith, Edinburgh's water- front district that in recent years has undergone dramat- ic regeneration. "Starting up a business in cooking started when I was 13 years old, in the local pub wash- ing pots and pans," explains Kitchin. "I'd be lying if I said it was my dream [to run a restaurant] from that age, but I got the adrenalin rush of working in the kitchen. I loved it." He left school as soon as 38 SeaFood Business July 2012 in the center of town would have been just too expen- sive," he says. "So Leith was an opportunity, we believed in ourselves, and of course, Martin Wishart had been here for a few years." Wishart opened his epony- mous restaurant in Leith in 1999 and, like Kitchin, has gone on to become a The Kitchin contributes to revitalization of Scottish waterfront area BY ANTHONY FLETCHER renowned chef. Together with the Plumed Horse, which re- located to Leith in 2006, these three restaurants form the so- called "Michelin triangle" and have helped to establish the waterfront as one of the U.K.'s smartest culinary spots. But before the accolades comes the hard work. Kitchin started humbly, using lo- cal, seasonal ingredients he thought diners would appreci- ate, and worked non-stop. "I mean, at the beginning we were empty!" he says. "We were lucky though, because we knew a lot of people down here who could help us out — plumbers, builders, people like that. We didn't have a vision as such, but things worked out. We were also fortunate to get some good reviews, and in January 2007, we were award- ed our Michelin star. Since therefore become part of the community. It is a celebra- tion of Scottish produce, and since opening, has also built a reputation for near-fanaticism when it comes to seasonal food. Diners at T e Kitchin this month have a mouth- watering choice of seasonal seafood. Starters include scal- lop and asparagus (£19), razor clams (£17.50) and salmon and crab tartare (£17.50). Cur- rent entrées include turbot and cuttlefi sh (£37), seared fi llet of cod (£30) and roasted tail of monkfi sh (£68 for two). Kitchin is passionate about developing a deeper under- standing of why eating sea- sonally is so important. "I would urge you to go up to Orkney or wherever and see what conditions these people [suppliers] have to work in," he says. "Fish migrate, they move around, so I think chefs need to be more fl exible with their suppliers, when asking for this or that. It is simply not possible to have the same fi sh all year round." Contributing Editor Fletcher lives in Brussels Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com Anthony