Loft in space

Fine dining in a caravan park? Surely some mistake! Actually, the only mistake would be to miss it, as Amanda Marcus finds out.

A caravan park is not the obvious place to look for a fine-dining establishment, but the Atholl Estate in Perthshire boasts just that. "People are often not expecting to see the quality of food they get here," says head chef Paul Collins.

The Loft attracts both locals and "weekenders" who own the caravans and lodges on the estate, as well as tourists from further afield. With the weekenders, Collins works on getting them into the 26-seat bistro on a Friday night and into the 36-seat restaurant, offering the signature menu, on Saturdays.

After working at various well-respected establishments - such as London's Dorchester hotel; Cliveden, Taplow, Berkshire; Llangoed Hall, North Wales; and, most recently, as head chef at Lucknam Park hotel in Wiltshire - Collins took over the kitchen at the Loft last April. He heads a small team, with just two junior staff in the kitchen, but he sees this as an advantage. "If I want a souffl‚ making, I have to physically show the boys how to do it first, so I'm getting exactly what I want," he says.

Collins has been keen to stamp his mark on the menus, which he describes as "modern British with a Scottish emphasis". Since his appointment everything has been made in-house, from amuse-bouches to petits fours, and great importance is placed on sourcing the best Scottish produce. "We try to get the best of everything," he says. "We don't use any farmed salmon, for example, not even in the bistro. Most of our fish is Scottish, as are the cheeses, hand-dived scallops, mushrooms and so on. I try to use local organic produce but we don't push that on the menu. I don't think people want organic in their face. They just want to enjoy the food."

Collins changes the signature menu every three or four months. It offers a choice of five dishes for each course, plus a few daily specials such as local grouse - "whatever the locals bring in," says Collins. "We're in the centre of Perthshire, which is big on game, so we naturally have grouse, partridge and pheasant when they're in season."

The signature menu is available at a fixed price of £37.50 for three courses, coffee and petits fours. Starters include ravioli of Scottish lobster with shellfish sauce, which Collins says has proved a popular choice, as well as one of his personal favourites, a nage of west coast shellfish with Savoy cabbage and herbs. Main courses include roasted fillet of north coast cod with candied endives and a port sauce; and rosette of local lamb with garlic confit, basil and tomato. To finish, there's feuillantine of Scottish raspberries, while they're in season, or a selection of Scottish cheeses with walnut and raisin bread.

As for the future, Collins is ambitious. "We've got two rosettes at the moment, but we'd like three," he says. "And then, obviously, there's Michelin… "

The Loft, Golf Course Road, Blair Atholl, Perthshire PH18 5TE. Tel: 01796 481377

A selection from the signature menu at the Loft

Salad of foie gras, Sauternes reduction
Rillettes of duck with Parma ham, baby leeks and potatoes
Velouté of smoked haddock
Double cutlet of Aberdeenshire pork with braised cabbage, black pudding and red wine sauce
Saddle of local roe deer, anna potatoes, roast shallots and smoked bacon
Pan-fried tronçon of brill, wild mushrooms and truffles
Fondant of chocolate, ginger ice-cream
Cranachan parfait
Mirabelle soufflé, liquorice ice-cream