Introducing The Strong Water Co @ Home – Fine Dining Delivered Directly to your door by Michelin-trained Chef Craig McKenzie.

Introducing The Strong Water Co @ Home – Fine Dining Delivered Directly to your door by Michelin-trained Chef Craig McKenzie.

The last few months have been a challenging time for a new high street shop that just launched late November 2019, we had grand plans to help bring the high street back to life and then a world pandemic COVID- 19 hit us. We had to think fast and diversify as a business to survive. Step one was to switch the whole business online and build a user-friendly online shop within days, we managed our first site wasn’t great, but we didn’t want to be paying developers when the time wasn’t on our hands and we didn’t know how successful things would be. Using technology available to us has really helped streamline and quickly turn to an online shop.

Watching the news and seeing major supermarket brands crying out for delivery drivers we knew the online world was the way forward during lockdown, bringing supplies direct to your doorstep in a safe manner. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would be selling quails eggs when we planned to open a boutique drinks shop! (we have shipped eggs to Ireland) We diversified and thought about what essentials people need along with our current offering.  We quickly formed partnerships with other local businesses, offering fresh fruit & veg boxes, platters, coffee, eggs, local meat, and freshly baked bread!    

During the time we saw sales trends massively change from the panic buying stages to the stages of people feeling more secure and looking for some a little special to be delivered as a treat. That got us thinking, how can we bring you a restaurant-style meal with minimal effort from yourself?  That sees us launch “At Home with The Strong Water Co.”

We will be working in collaboration with Michelin-trained Chef, Craig McKenzie, a local loon who began his cooking career here in Banchory at the local golf club. Craig has spent the last decade working at one of Scotland’s most highly acclaimed restaurants, The Kitchin in Edinburgh, under the mentorship of Scotland's very own Tom Kitchin. Craig’s talent quickly became apparent as he climbed up the kitchen ranks, holding the position of Sous Chef at The Kitchin for many years before heading up a new Kitchin venture, Southside Scran, in Edinburgh as Head Chef.

Craig is an award-winning chef with a passion for serving French-inspired cooking and seasonal Scottish produce to an international list of clientele that has included the likes of the Prince of Monaco and David Beckham to name a few.

Craig returned to Banchory in late 2019, wishing to take a well-deserved break from the heat of the kitchen. However, as with all great Chef’s his passion for cooking quickly prevailed and the itch to get back into the kitchen hit Craig,

After hearing of his return to our hometown of Banchory and having the same passion for using great local food we approached him and together have come up with new and exciting opportunities to bring food and drinks packages of the highest caliber to your door. We’ll be building partnerships with some exciting foodie brands Craig has previously worked with who’s products aren’t currently showcased in the North East of Scotland

We look forward to the times ahead and cannot wait for you to share in our excitement.  

Hello fine dining, Hello Strong Water @ Home.