Local delights

The Allanton Inn is an 18th-century pub with seven bedrooms, located just six miles from the English border. For the past 14 years, it has been run by Katrina and William Reynolds who talk to our food writer Cat Thomson about their journey and their new venture.

Husband-and-wife team, Katrina and William Reynolds both studied Hospitality Management at the Robert Gordon Institute in Aberdeen. In fact they met on the very first day! Katrina grew up in the Borders on the family farm in Norham, a stone’s throw from their pub the Allanton Inn, while William was raised in Edinburgh. From an early age he knew he wanted to be involved in the restaurant trade. William admits, “I wasn’t particularly academic, but I thought that restaurants and bars would be a fun place to work.”

After graduating from university, William headed to London to work in various bars and restaurants. Katrina meanwhile studied at Sheffield for her Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from Sheffield University, and worked as a food technologist before moving to London.

While they both enjoyed their time in the busy metropolis they decided that one day they would like to own a hospitality business. They returned to Edinburgh and leased the Isobar in Leith. Two successful five-year tenancies later and they again felt it was time for a change. Katrina says, “William was working until two in the morning, and it just wasn’t compatible with family life.”

So, they headed to the Borders armed with a wish list in search of a new hospitality business. They settled on the one which ticked the most boxes, which was the Allanton Inn.

The pub in Allanton was built for workers at the Blackadder estate. When it first opened the pub only sold beer, but not spirits to prevent the estate employees from getting drunk. Katrina says, “We love telling the guests stories about the history of the village. They are always fascinated and feel when they stay with us, they are part of village life for a bit.”

Focus on local produce

One of the first changes they made was to introduce more casual dining with a focus on local produce.

The foodie couple champion local sourcing. Katrina says, “Guests like discovering the producers’ stories and knowing they are supporting the local economy. Customers see us promoting all these suppliers, and they then want to buy from them. They get something different you won’t get in the supermarket.” William adds, “We want our guests can come here and experience the best of the Borders.”

The Inn’s menu changes to reflect what is in season, and what is available from their local suppliers. Their use of local seasonal and sustainable produce was part of the reason they won the 2023 Scottish Thistle Award for the Best Eating Experience in the South of Scotland. As they are situated so close to the border, their customers and suppliers span both sides and Katrina points out it is a case of, “You forget that the border exists.”

Katrina adds more detail, “We use Edington Mains Eggs, you can see their farm from our beer garden. All our pork products are from Reiver Country Farm Foods outside Reston, we use local company Andersen & Sondergaard for charcuterie, and we get potatoes from Greenvale.”

The busy kitchen is run by chef Craig Rushton, but Katrina keeps her culinary skills up to scratch and steps in when needed.  The summer menu has featured fresh seafood with lobsters from St Abbs caught by the family-run boats Hazel Ann and Sharatan and fish from Ross Dougal, which has been landed in Eyemouth harbour.

Katrina says, “We get ice cream from Giacopazzi’s in Eyemouth, source honeyberries from Lintlaw and get our honey from Chain Bridge Honey Farm. The beauty of supporting local businesses means the produce is amazing and there are fewer food miles.”

In the bar, William stocks several local tipples including beer from Born Brewery from nearby Jedburgh. In summer their popular beer garden serves up freshly made sourdough pizzas, which are topped with tomatoes and sauce made from ripe Standhill tomatoes grown by Katrina’s brother-in-law in Hawick. It is a proper family business, with their three sons all roped in to help out.

Borderland Food Tours – a new venture

In September the couple are launching Borderland Food Tours, which take visitors to graze their way across the region. Katrina says of these day trips, “We are planning six stops and six tastings.” To promote sustainable travel, a minibus will collect guests from Tweedbank or Berwick stations.

Katrina explains, “William is the driver and I’m the one with the chat. I love telling stories about local food and why we are so passionate about it. Guests also learn about the rich history of the Borders while having a bit of food safari.” The plan is to stay on the Scottish side of the border for now with expansion for a more English flavour a possible in the future. The itinerary will include visits to: Paxton House, Melrose Abbey, Standhill Tomato Glasshouse, Kelso and Duns before finishing at Eyemouth.

Katrina explains “The Borders countryside is beautiful, there is so much history and great food, so we felt it was a natural pairing. Many of our guests only stop for one night to break their journeys, but we want to get them to stay another night and see what else there is here. She adds, “The Scottish Borders have got the complete package, being just over an hour from both Edinburgh and Newcastle.”

The concept behind their foodie tours is to showcase the best attractions and foodie offerings on their doorstep, “These are often places we’ve already been recommending that our guests should visit, but we think this type of experience-based food tour will be the future of tourism in the South of Scotland,” Katrina says.