(Image: Supplied)
A Leith-based whisky maker has created a bespoke Scotch blend with Ottolenghi to mark the food brand’s first Scottish restaurant opening in Edinburgh.
Independent whisky blender Woven worked with the Ottolenghi team to develop a whisky designed to complement the restaurant’s Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
Leith whisky maker, Woven, has partnered with Ottolenghi to create a new limited edition blended Scotch whisky to celebrate the launch of Ottolenghi's first Scottish restaurant. (Image: Supplied)
The collaboration marks the opening of Ottolenghi’s new restaurant at 92 George Street on Friday, October 2, bringing together Scottish whisky-making and the brand’s distinctive approach to flavour.
The blend takes inspiration from Ottolenghi’s signature ingredients, including preserved lemon, fennel and pink peppercorn.
It combines Edinburgh grain whisky for vibrancy, Speyside malt for freshness and structure, and Oloroso-seasoned casks to bring sweetness and a fruit-forward finish.
Leith whisky maker, Woven, has partnered with Ottolenghi to create a new limited edition blended Scotch whisky to celebrate the launch of Ottolenghi's first Scottish restaurant. (Image: Supplied)
The Woven x Ottolenghi blend is available at the Edinburgh restaurant and across Ottolenghi’s licensed restaurants and delis in London.
A limited allocation of 70cl bottles will also be available online through Ottolenghi and Woven, priced at £60.
Woven is based in Leith, an area with a whisky blending heritage stretching back nearly two centuries. The company draws on whisky from distilleries around the world to create distinctive blends.
Leith whisky maker, Woven, has partnered with Ottolenghi to create a new limited edition blended Scotch whisky to celebrate the launch of Ottolenghi's first Scottish restaurant. (Image: Supplied)
Ottolenghi was founded in 2002 by chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. It has grown from a single shop in Notting Hill into an internationally recognised food brand known for vegetable-led dishes, generous flavours and creative ingredient combinations.
The Edinburgh restaurant marks its first permanent presence in Scotland, with the bespoke whisky adding a Scottish element to the launch.
Read more
Pete Allison, co-founder and whisky maker at Woven, said: "We love looking at whisky through the lens of different collaborators.
"The Ottolenghi team are every bit as passionate about flavour as you'd expect, but they put things together in a brilliant playful way.
"We didn’t start the normal way – we sat down and talked about the ingredients they use every day and how those flavours could find a place in our whisky.
"It was joyous."
Neil Campbell, executive chef at Ottolenghi, said: "We love working with local producers, and our first restaurant in Scotland is no exception.
"Tasting samples with Woven, we kept finding flavours from our own pantry.
"The result is an unusual profile: intentionally light, but full of vibrant flavour.
"This isn’t a whisky to save in the cabinet.
"It’s meant to be poured with dinner."