Celebrating leading women in Glasgow’s hospitality industry

Julie Lin at Gaga

Julie Lin’s culinary reach extends north and south of the river. Her first venture in the city, Julie’s Kopitiam, is a bijou stalwart of the ever-growing Shawlands foodie scene. And more recently, she’s joined forces with the team at the hot new street food venue, Gaga, in Partick, where Lin has been busy creating and overseeing Southeast Asian soul food menus.

The chef’s family Malaysian roots are sewn into the fabric of her flavoursome homemade food, with a down to earth Scottish twist. Many of Lin’s cooking skills can be attributed to her mother. But the entrepreneur was actually working in retail when food fame came knocking in the form of a place on BBC’s Masterchef back in 2014. As well as her stint on the BBC, Lin has become a recognisable face on STV and across many media platforms.

After her enormously successful appearance on Masterchef, she landed a role as a commis chef at The Scullery in Glasgow. But as she worked her way up the kitchen ranks, Lin’s desire to start her own business was growing. And as a result, her first solo foray was born, in the form of Julie’s Street Kitchen, a pop-up in the Buchanan Galleries on Gordon Lane. This was followed by her southside Kopitiam and Gaga Chicken (the Partick restaurant’s pop-up forerunner) in SWG3.

Julie’s Kopitiam has been named The List’s top Glasgow restaurant, Best in the Southside in Glasgow Live’s Food and Drink Awards and was a Golden Chopstick finalist.

Rachael Rafferty – Chief Operating Officer at Six by Nico

Ask someone in Scotland which brand is best known for creative tasting menus at affordable prices, and they probably mention Six by Nico. And there’s one lady who has been at the heart of the operation since its inception in Glasgow, back in 2017.

But Rafferty’s journey in hospitality began waitressing on the other side of the globe, three years prior to the inception of Six by Nico. After returning to Scotland, she took up a post as Food and Beverage Supervisor at Cameron House, just outside of Greater Glasgow. She worked her way up into a management role at the esteemed Loch Lomond side hotel, before becoming General Manager for the entire portfolio of Six by Nico restaurants (a total of seven venues across the UK).

Rachael’s role as Chief Operating Officer encompasses the incredibly successful Home by Nico; an enterprise that kept many a foodie sane and able to enjoy restaurant-level fine cuisine during the height of the pandemic.

If you’re not already familiar with the concept — Six by Nico offers tasting menus (based on ideas or places) that change every six weeks. Past themes have included Paris, Shanghai, Amalfi Coast, Once Upon a Time and Miracle On. Each course is a visual as well as a culinary feast and offers an immersive experience. The Glasgow site is based on Finnieston’s trendy strip.

Lorna McNee at Cail Bruich

Winning a Michelin star is the stuff of dreams for most chefs, and Lorna McNee is one of the few to have achieved it — and in a very short space of time. After beginning her career in Scottish hospitality as an apprentice chef with Andrew Fairlie (Gleneagles’ two Michelin star dining venue), McNee went on to appear on (and win) the BBC’s Great British Menu, receiving huge praise for her skill and creativity. Cail Bruich had been in business for 13 years when she arrived at the kitchen’s helm, but in just over six months the young chef had gained the restaurant its first Michelin star (and Glasgow’s first in 18 years).

It was a particularly notable achievement, given that the accolade was earned and awarded during the supply challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cail Bruich launched a successful ‘At Home’ package alongside periods of opening and closures as lockdowns prevailed. And McNee’s own receipt of the Michelin star happened remotely, via a ceremony hosted online by Davina McCall.

McNee has certainly made her mark on Cail Bruich’s menu, utilising the nation’s best seasonally changing ingredients. Her five-course tasting menu includes dishes like Gigha halibut with Jerusalem artichoke and beurre noisette; Highland roe deer with squash, polenta and sauce grand veneur; Vacherin Mont d’Or with pain perdu and Worcestershire sauce; and Valrhona Caraibe 66 per cent chocolate with cherry and cassis. Diners can also enjoy a very special countertop Chef’s Table experience with the award-winner, allowing an up-close view of the preparation and artistry that goes into its seven elaborate courses.