Elements, Bearsden: ‘Nothing is off limits’

But people have come, and not just from round the corner but from across the country too which is – in part – what the pair set out to do. The restaurant sits at the heart of Bearsden, offering a fine dining experience while maintaining the approachable, community-oriented feel Townsend was determined to cultivate. “I’ve never really been a city kinda guy,” he says. “We wanted to be a bit different, but still have that catchment from Glasgow. The support from the local community has been amazing.”

Townsend’s team, handpicked from some of Scotland’s top kitchens, is crucial to the restaurant’s success. His front of house manager came from Stuart Ralston’s Lyla in Edinburgh and he brought two chefs from One Devonshire Gardens with him, as well as recruiting a pastry chef from Edinbane Lodge in Skye. “I’m only as good as my team,” Townsend says. “We can’t evolve with just my brain.”

Every menu – whether that be the lunch, à la carte or tasting – starts with canapés such as goats’ cheese and beetroot tarts or a dinky truffle gougère, before moving through malted sourdough with cultured butter and onto the diners’ choice of menu.

While fine dining is at the heart of what they do, and traditional nods like canapés and petits fours are very much present and correct, Townsend and Cordiner are determined to keep it accessible. “

“There’s a lot of chat about people moving away from tasting menus, but I don’t believe that,” Townsend says. “If you’re getting good value for money, people will go for it.”

At £75 for the à la carte or £85 for eight courses, the Elements tasting menu is deliberately priced to offer an indulgent experience without alienating diners. “We want to be approachable. We’ve created food people can recognise, but we want it to be the best version of that flavour combination or cooking technique they’ve had.”

At lunch, a more casual £42 set menu changes regularly, acting as a testing ground for the à la carte offerings. “We want people to come back. We want them to enjoy the food, make great memories, and come again,” he says. Seventy per cent of diners opt for the tasting menu, lured in by the promise of dishes like the langoustine chawanmushi – a fusion of Japanese techniques and Scottish ingredients. The tails and heads of the langoustine are transformed into a bisque that enriches the custard, which is then topped with finger limes for acidity, a heritage carrot purée and Minus 8 maple verjus for sweetness and vadouvan for a final hit of warming spices. 

“Why can’t I do a take on a king prawn curry with langoustine?” Townsend jokes, explaining his inventive process. “Nothing is off limits. That’s the way my brain works.”

The menu at Elements offers a range of dishes that showcase the best of Scottish produce with a refined touch. The duck from St Brides is a perfect example. The breasts are served as the main part of the dish with peach purée, caramelised onions, duck fat potatoes and a duck jus, while the legs are dry-brined in salt and cumin, slowly confited, and then picked down to be stuffed into mini brioche buns. These are steamed to order, creating a side dish that’s as intricate as the main itself. “We use the whole animal,” Townsend explains. “There’s no wastage.”

Self-confessed pudding-lover Townsend has handed over the reins of his dessert menu to his pastry chef, outlining that there should always be chocolate, fruit and citrus options for guests to choose from. The result in the latter category currently is a fan favourite made up of an Amalfi lemon parfait ring sprayed with white chocolate and cocoa butter, paired with elderflower-infused strawberries and basil sorbet.

Sustainability is at the core of Elements. Gas has been removed from the kitchen, with the team cooking entirely on induction to reduce their carbon footprint, and they’ve made significant efforts to work with local suppliers. “Our crockery is made by someone in Aberdeenshire, and we get organic grapeseed oil from a local farm,” Townsend says. “It’s about building relationships over time, and that’s really important to us.”

As Elements continues to evolve, Townsend is looking ahead, constantly tweaking and refining his dishes. “I’m always a month ahead in my head,” he says. “I just think, what would people like to eat next? And then we push a bit more.” For now, though, the focus remains on making Elements a restaurant that Bearsden can be proud of. “Gael always jokes about restaurant number two,” Townsend laughs, “but I’m just focused on making this place amazing. I’ve put my heart and soul into it.”

From the menu

• Wild halibut and nori mosaic with maitake mushrooms, radish salad, brown butter and herbs
• Tweed Valley beef short rib with braised kohlrabi, onion, watercress and beef dashi
• North Sea cod loin with poached cockles, mussels, brown shrimp, summer vegetables, dumplings, buttermilk and miso
• Scottish lamb saddle, shoulder and sweetbreads with barbecue gem lettuce, smoked aubergine and chimichurri
• Alphonso mango with passion fruit and cumin
• Chocolate with raspberries and mint

Eight courses, including canapés, bread and petits fours, £85