From Scotland, With Love: Scottish Pantry Staples
Get to know these beloved Scottish pantry staples.
Photo courtesy of Edinburgh Butter Co.
Butter—Thanks to the beautiful rolling hills of green grass and dedicated farmers who tend to the land, Scotland produces some of the highest-quality dairy products in the world. Companies like The Edinburgh Butter Co. make use of some of the finest UK cream, combined with time-honored techniques and tradition that emphasize the importance of slow-churning in small batches, resulting in silky-smooth butter that is deep and rich in flavor, perfect for improving the outcomes of all your home bakes. The Edinburgh Butter Co. offers salted and unsalted butter logs and sheets, which are often used in many of the UK’s top cafés, deli shops, and hotels. Its salted butter logs are made with only an added sprinkle of sea salt, and many well-known bakeries enjoy using its butter sheets as a local alternative to French butter sheets used in pastry lamination. The company also creates buttermilk, which comes fresh from its churns every week and contains no added preservatives or thickeners. Unfortunately, dairy products can be difficult to ship to the US, so it is best consumed fresh when enjoying your own adventures in beautiful Scotland. theedinburghbutterco.co.uk
Honey—Honey lends a touch of luscious and complex sweetness however it’s used, whether it is added to batter or dough, drizzled onto cranachan or pudding, or stirred into a cup of tea. Although honey can be produced all over the world, and even in your own backyard, the specific flowers that the bee colonies gather pollen from will greatly affect the final product. John Mellis has more than 30 years’ experience as a beekeeper, and it shows in his delightful honey varieties that make use of the vivid local landscape. His Scottish Heather Honey is made by bees that feast on the nectar of Scottish heather, which flourishes in the climate of Dumfries in the Scottish Highlands, where his apiary is located. The honey’s taste is floral and rich, with a light, smoky flavor. scottishgourmetusa.com
Marmalade—Though the well-known Keiller Dundee Orange Marmalade brand, who popularized orange marmalade using thin strips of orange rind, is no longer in production, there are many Scottish companies carrying on the tradition of making this sweet, citrusy, jam-like concoction. MacKays is a popular Scottish jam-making business that was founded in 1938 and makes a variety of preserves, jams, jellies, and more. The company uses high-quality ingredients, such as juicy, jewel-toned strawberries, raspberries, and blackcurrants locally sourced from berry fields in eastern Scotland, as well as bitter oranges imported from Seville, Spain, used in its Dundee Orange Marmalade. Its traditional preserves and marmalades are made using a rolling boil method of steam heating in copper pans to get the most even temperature distribution. Preserves are also made in small batches, as the company has done for decades, to ensure each batch is of the highest quality. Its products can be found in many US grocery and specialty stores. mackays.com
Oats—Many traditional Scottish recipes prominently feature this hearty grain, including oatcakes, porridge, cranachan, and much more. Hamlyns uses local oats harvested by a network of Scottish farmers, and the oats are roasted in kilns to add a delightful nutty flavor and distinctive, almost sweet aroma. The groats, or hulled kernels of the oat, can be ground using an assortment of tools to produce a variety of textures, from coarse steel-cut oats (also known as pinhead oats) to stone-ground or even finer varieties, such as Scottish oatmeal, which has a finer consistency. Hamlyns is also the official porridge of Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker. Read more about Coinneach in our September/October 2025 issue. hamlynsoats.co.uk
Sea Salt—Blackthorn Salt produces some of Scotland’s highest-quality and environmentally sustainable sea salt. After more than a decade of research and trials, Blackthorn was able to successfully utilize the thrashing waves and whipping winds of the western coast of Scotland to create all-natural sea salt that is inspired by a centuries-old production method that combines nature and technology in a beautifully sustainable, but somewhat visually imposing, way. After seawater is collected from the nearby ocean, it trickles down from the top of tall graduation towers covered in native blackthorn branches. These spiky limbs create more surface area for the water to drip from, and the seaside wind gusts (and any sunshine) of the Scottish coastline evaporate the water, increasing the salinity until it becomes a brine, which is then heated and crystallized. Use the intricate crystal flakes to top fresh cookies, bring out the complex sweetness of baked goods, or sprinkle on your favorite savory dish as the perfect elevated finishing touch. blackthornsalt.co.uk
Tablet—Similar to American-style fudge but with a crumbly texture, Scottish tablet is a sugary confection that can please any sweet tooth. This delectable dessert has been around since the 1800s and is often served at celebrations and gatherings. Seeking to preserve the uniquely Scottish heritage of this sweet treat, Tabrifics was founded in 2022 with one simple mission: Make delicious Scottish tablet. The family-run, artisan business creates each tablet by hand, working only in small batches to ensure each piece of candy meets its high-quality standards. tabrifics.com
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