A Conversation with Martin Ross
With 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Martin Ross brings a wealth of knowledge, skill and passion to his role as Development Chef at Bidfood UK. Throughout his career, the industry has taught him a strong sense of discipline, self-motivation and confidence – qualities that continue to shape his approach to food and innovation.
An experienced Executive Head Chef, Martin is highly skilled in menu engineering, catering, food and beverage, food cost analysis and cooking. A strong operations professional and graduate of Aberdeen Technical College, he combines extensive industry experience with a practical and creative approach to developing new dishes and menus.
Passionate about working with new ingredients and flavours, Martin has a particular appreciation for Scotland’s local produce. He enjoys exploring the possibilities of seasonal Scottish ingredients and finding new ways to bring them to the plate.
Here, Martin shares his thoughts on Scottish produce, new ingredients and the experiences that have shaped his four decades in the industry.
Scottish Food & Drink September 2026
Where do you get your inspiration for your menus and how do you combine this with using local Scottish produce?
By never switching off. I love ingredients, cooking, and being a chef.
I love meeting suppliers and trying new things. I love meeting other chefs and talking about produce and dishes and recipes. I love listening to podcasts with passionate chefs talking about their experiences in the hospitality world. I love finding a new café/restaurant/food truck that is producing good wholesome well thought out food. I love working with customers who want to see Scottish produce in their kitchens and on their menus. I love supporting Scottish suppliers by promoting their products shouting about quality, value and provenance.
Maybe, I’m just obsessed!
How important is seasonality to your cooking, both in terms of flavour and quality, and sustainability?
Cooking with raw ingredients in season is the holy grail. Having the best products in their prime makes the chefs job so much easier. I believe in simple cooking and letting the ingredients shine. Marco once said “let nature be the true artist” - I think I repeat that every week.
Unfortunately, we now live in a time where almost every ingredient is available almost all the time. People have accepted poorer quality just to have that fresh strawberry garnish on their Christmas cocktail or blueberries on their granola in January.
What is your favourite Scottish product to work with, and why?
It’s almost impossible to answer that, as Scotland has such an amazing natural larder.
But, Scotland's seafood is worldclass and the dishes you could use it in have endless possibilities.
The theme of Scottish Food & Drink September 2026 is Every Bite Tells a Story – what does that mean for you and your kitchen?
It opens so many stories - why choose that product, why pair it with that other ingredient, why choose to eat in that café? Remembering that meal with that friend, the first time you tried that ingredient or experienced that flavour.
I still remember my first taste of lobster bisque, I was only 8 years old!
What does ‘Scottish food and drink’ mean to you, beyond geography?
Pride in natural quality ingredients. Ingredients that are sought after worldwide - whisky, beef, venison, lamb, salmon, berries, oats. The list goes on! But also, the small artisan producers, the care they show in their craft, the knowledge passed down through family business.
Oh, and don’t forget about the crowd pleasers, can of ginger and a caramel wafer!
