AN INTERVIEW WITH

CHEF STUART RALSTON

Our guest today is Stuart Ralston - a self-made restaurateur and chef, whose journey from a teenage kitchen apprentice to the helm of four successful restaurants is nothing short of inspirational. His career, marked by stints in both the heart of NYC and the idyllic environs of Barbados, has culminated in the establishment of four distinctive restaurants in Edinburgh: Lyla, Aizle, Noto, and Tipo.

Each venue reflects a unique facet of his culinary philosophy, characterized by a deep respect for seasonal ingredients and a commitment to culinary excellence. Today, we explore the influences that shaped his cooking style, the evolution of Scotland’s food scene, and the meticulous care that goes into maintaining the identity and standards of his diverse restaurant portfolio. 

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a chef? What inspired you to pursue this career?

I started working in kitchens when I was 13 to earn extra pocket money. Once I was earning money I started to enjoy the nightlife of hospitality work. When I was 17 my father told me if I was to take this seriously as a job I should gain Michelin star experience. I worked around Scotland at many great restaurants but ultimately moved to NYC to pursue my Michelin star dreams. I was fortunate to work for some amazing chefs but working at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay had the biggest impact on me. After NYC I moved to Barbados and was very lucky to work on such a beautiful island, which impacted me as a person more than a cook. The inspiration to pursue this career was the travel, mystery, and seeing the opportunity it can give you, always excited me.

How did your training and early experiences shape your cooking style and philosophy?

Your training and the people you work with early on are key fundamentals. I was lucky to always be given a lot of freedom to express my creativity along with being taught the very important financial lessons of running restaurants. This always stuck with me and I think has contributed massively to how I run my own group.

How has the Scottish restaurant and food scene evolved since you started your career?

Scotland has changed so much since I was in my teens starting out in cooking, the variety and diversity is so much stronger now, it's not just michelin star restaurant that get alot of accolades, but casual ones too, I love the fact that there are so many great chefs and managers who have gone abroad and now come back with such amazing influences has made such a difference.

What are some of your favourite Scottish seasonal ingredients to work with?

My favourite Scottish ingredients would be, Scottish girolles and chanterelles, all Scottish shellfish. I love strawberries and raspberries from Perthshire also. These are a few items I really look forward to every year

Aizle is now ten years old, how has it evolved since it first opened its doors?

It's simultaneously completely different but the exact same ethos, we are in a different location, but with the same DNA. Aizle was always meant to be a bit rebellious, a lot of character, a certain attitude or just cooking what we want to cook, always looking after people, offering a surprise menu with a list of ingredients, that 10 years ago many told me it wouldn’t work, but today I love it just as much as I did back then.

Tell us about each of your restaurants.

Lyla is my flagship restaurant, I'm there all the time. It's an open kitchen, a restaurant over 2 floors in a beautiful Georgian house, serving a seafood focused tasting menu. Aizle is my OG restaurant, tasting menu only, list of ingredients, but very focused on Scottish products and very seasonal, very natural, wild and organic feeling. Noto is the place I love to eat when I'm hungry. It’s such a cool little spot that really punches up in terms of what it delivers. Causal Japanese/american mashup inspired by my days wandering around Greenwich village in NYC in my early 20’s. Tipo is our pasta spot that focuses on natural wines and great food. Same focus on ingredients and service, very light and airy, very busy, serving Edinburgh as a great casual, affordable eatery.

With Lyla, Aizle, Noto & Tipo all thriving, how do you ensure that each restaurant maintains its unique identity and high standards?

Personally I surround myself with talented people, they want to achieve things, I’m lucky they all take ownership and feel responsible for their sites. I work a lot of hours, I’m dedicated to more hours than I care to think about. I really care about what we do and try to inspire our teams to do the same and to always try and motivate and reward. It’s not easy but I think I am managing it so far!