Treat of the season: sea buckthorn

We may have our fair share of rain and questionable weather here in Scotland, but we also have an ever-changing bounty of wild produce 12 months a year.

As the mushroom season draws to a close, a magical orange berry has begun peppering the coasts.

To eat sea buckthorn straight from the branch is a shock to the senses. It’s extremely astringent and potentially over-powering. But it’s full of vitamin C and, in the right hands, when the taste is tempered, has hints of tropical punch. Gannet chef patron Peter McKenna loves making vinegars, ice creams, curds and tarts with it.

What a joy that such a flavour profile can be found wild in the winter here in Scotland – a ray of sunshine in the bleakest of months.