<x-tad-smaller>Edinburgh-born Gill described Scotland as "unquestionably the worst country in Europe to eat out in - or the worst country that didn't once have a communist dictator".</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>Gill added: "This place is hotching [sic] with some of the best raw ingredients in the world, yet finding a scallop on a menu is like trying to go dogging in Riyadh.</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>"Scots die younger not just because of the cholesterol, but, in the end, because they can't face another dinner."</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>Mr Fairlie, speaking after receiving the award in London, described Gill's comments as "a little bit extreme" and insisted Scotland was "very well served" at the top end of the market. But his view of mass-market cuisine was different.</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>He argued much of the food at more reasonably priced restaurants remained "pretty dire". He added: "It's getting much, much better but there's still a long way to go."</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>Fellow chef Nick Nairn disagreed strongly with Gill's words. He said: "I am pretty hard on the Scottish diet, restaurants and the Scottish consumer, but this out-of-hand, nasty, demeaning tone in his language is incredibly unhelpful."</x-tad-smaller>
More at http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1420152006
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
