A Conversation with Gary Townsend
Passionate about delivering exceptional food and service, throughout his illustrious career, Gary Townsend has been committed to utilising the freshest ingredients from Scotland’s best local producers and farmers.
Throughout his career, Gary staged at some of the UK’s most prestigious kitchens, including L’Enclume, Restaurant Sat Bains, Hibiscus, and The Kitchin, before joining the team at Restaurant Martin Wishart, Cameron House, where he played an integral role in the esteemed eatery gaining and retaining its MICHELIN star.
He then served as head chef at Glasgow’s 3 AA Rosette One Devonshire Gardens for six years, before opening his first solo restaurant, Elements, in Glasgow’s Bearsden neighbourhood in 2024.
Here, Gary shares his thoughts on the importance of seasonality, his favourite Scottish produce, and what innovation means in his kitchen.
Scottish Food & Drink September
Your cooking takes inspiration from a range global influences, from Asia to Nordic, and classical French – how do you combine this with using local, Scottish produce?
I’ve always believed great cooking starts with a sense of place, and for me that’s Scotland. The larder we have here is incredible – from wild game to shellfish and plenty of foraged plants – and I use that as my foundation. The global influences are like a toolkit of techniques and flavour pairings that help me bring something new to those ingredients, without losing their identity.
How important is seasonality to your cooking, both in terms of flavour and quality, and sustainability?
When ingredients are at their peak, you don’t have to do much to make them shine – they taste better, they’re better for the environment and they support local growers and producers. Cooking seasonally means you’re working with nature and that’s as important for flavour as it is for sustainability.
What is your favourite Scottish product to work with, and why?
That’s a tough one, as we have so much amazing produce on our doorstep, but I would have to say Scottish scallops. They’re sweet, delicate and so versatile. I love using them in a ceviche, but they are also fantastic paired with richer, deeper flavours.
The theme of Scottish Food & Drink September 2025 is innovation – what does that mean for you and your kitchen?
Innovation doesn’t have to mean gadgets and gimmicks – it can be as simple as looking at a traditional ingredient in a new way. For us, it’s about pushing ourselves to refine techniques, try new combinations and create dishes that surprise people while still feeling rooted in Scottish produce.
Do you use any innovative tools or techniques to get the most out of your produce?
We use a mix of modern and classical techniques, from fermentation and curing to precise temperature control with sous vide, or simply just pan frying a beautiful filet of fish with simple herbs and butter. For us, the aim is always to get the very best flavour and texture from every ingredient. If a tool or method helps us do that, we’ll use it.
