Linsey Scott Professional Cookery

Linsey Scott left school in 1997 at the age of 15 with a passion for cooking so she applied to study professional cookery at West Lothian College. Fast forward 22 years, she is the proud owner of one very successful restaurant and is currently preparing to open a second.

We caught up with Linsey to discuss how far she has come:

“I never really enjoyed my time at school and when I got the chance to leave and go to college it really was a bit of a no brainer. I have always loved cooking and I decided I wanted to make a career out of it.  I found the college environment much more productive and getting to work with more mature students was definitely a positive. I learned so much at West Lothian College and I really enjoyed my time there.

After leaving I got my first chef job and that allowed me to grow as a chef and to be honest I’ve never really looked back. I worked hard and have managed to progress throughout jobs from Commis to Executive Chef.”

Linsey has worked in some of the best restaurants the country has to offer. From Sous Chef Dalhousie Castle to most recently where she was Development Executive Chef for the Aurora Hotel Collection & Mcleod Group overseeing 7 hotels within the group, and supporting all head chefs and kitchen teams within the units

After leading teams in some of the most well-renowned throughout Central Scotland, Linseys first restaurant Mason Belles Kitchen, opened its doors early October 2018 in Linlithgow offering trendy brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and elegant evening meals, alongside a range of local gins, spirits, artisan beers, craft ciders, cocktails and wines.

Mason Belles has proved very popular scoring an excellent 4.5 out of 5 on Trip Advisor and Linsey is currently getting ready to open a second Mason Belles Kitchen in Dunblane in a matter of weeks.

“It’s been a bit of a mad journey but it’s been an amazing one and I couldn’t be more excited to open my second restaurant in the coming weeks.”

When asked what advice she would give to any budding chefs out there, Linsey said:

If you love cooking and are really passionate about food, then go for it. West Lothian College is a great place to learn. Get as much trade experience as you can while studying, it will set you in good stead for when you enter the professional world of cheffing

Find out more about Mason Belles Kitchen here http://www.masonbelleskitchen.uk/