Restaurateur couple James and Louise Rusk have celebrated their first successful year in Edinburgh with their award-winning dining concept, The Spanish Butcher.
Based around the twin pillars of Galician Blond beef and a Brooklyn loft design aesthetic, The Spanish Butcher brand now has the stated aim of scaling up across what Rusk & Rusk called ‘the great cities of the UK’, with Manchester in particular described as ‘a natural future home’ should a suitable space become available.
The Rusk & Rusk group first began in Glasgow with The Butchershop Bar & Grill, cannily launched in 2010 in the then up-and-coming hospitality destination of Finnieston, specialising in the best cuts of Scottish steak.
The first Spanish Butcher arrived in Glasgow in 2016 with the ‘distinct differentiation’ of beef from Galician Blond cattle, a slow-maturing pasture-fed breed from north-western Spain, said to offer ‘blockbuster levels of taste, explosive depth of flavour, and deliciously sustainable credentials’.
The Rusks see themselves as part of a Galician beef renaissance in the UK, alongside a select band of other restaurateurs, including London culinary stars Nemanja Borjanović, of restaurants Ibai, Lurra and Donostia; Tomos Parry of Brat and Mountain; and Charlie Carroll of The Devonshire in Soho.
They also highlighted the news that Borjanović has recently succeeded in breeding two Galician Blond calves at his British farm, the first significant meat breed to be born on British soil since Wagyu, 15 years ago.
The Rusks commented:“What an incredible year since The Spanish Butcher arrived in Edinburgh. We could not be happier with the response and are delighted to have welcomed so many customers, existing and new.
“The flavours we showcase across The Spanish Butcher menu is extraordinary, with the Galician beef of course taking an unapologetic starring role. We are proud to have been one of the first in the UK to recognise its remarkable depth of flavour, and its stratospheric rise in popularity internationally is no surprise. To taste Galician Blond is to believe!
“Restaurants, for us, are about evoking emotion and creating memories,” concluded the couple.
“People expect really great food as well as a relaxed, atmospheric space, and we are delighted to know so many people feel this is what we deliver at The Spanish Butcher.
“We look forward to welcoming our patrons soon, and encourage everyone to try a big hit of Blond indulgence on their plate.”
