New look for East Neuk Seaweed

East Neuk Seaweed is the brainchild of Jayson Byles, a chef originally from New Zealand who now lives and works in St Monans and has been running seaweed workshops since 2019.

He said he felt the time was right for a whole new look as he announced a new tie-in with Kingsbarns Distillery.

He said: “The website was first begun seven years ago so was looking a little outdated and clunky, so it was time to update it.

“I'm super happy with how it looks now. It hasn't been officially launched yet but it's been live for over a week.

“In seven years I've got to know the industry a bit more and what the area is looking for.

“I knew about seaweed, I knew about food and the workshops have got fancier and fancier.”

The workshops began with Jayson taking groups down onto the shore, but he said he eventually began to run indoor workshops too.

“I'm running some new workshop and indoor workshops too so I can hold them all year round, focusing on some of the finest ingredients that Scotland and the local area has to offer.

“The main one is the four hour workshop, where it all started. We spend two hours tidal down on the shore, while I talk about different types of seaweed, share stories from the local area which are all tied into seaweed and a lot of historic stuff.

“We even nibble seaweed straight off the rocks!

“Then I get a fire going on the beach and I do a five-course tasting menu that includes stuff we've picked. It's totally interactive and it's up to what the group wants to do on the day. It is very tide-reliant and quite unique.

“Once I got involved with the travel trade, because it's a very touristy area, and to accommodate the tourists, I came up with a shorter experience which lasts 90 minutes. I can take a busload on that one, which focuses more on the upper shore and the seaweed there.

“But all my workshops contain an element of food and tasting.

“I like to include as many wild and seasonal products as possible. We have so many amazing producers in this area.

“It fits into eco or green tourism. It's a unique, hands on experience. And you're outdoors, you're in nature and it's amazing how much better you feel for that.”

Along with a revamped website, Jayson is also launching ‘Coastal Dram’ this autumn, a new seaweed and whisky experience.

“This is indoors, so it's something I can do all year round and again it showcases some of the amazing produce we have locally.

“We will be working along with Kingsbarns Distillery who I've worked with on different projects over the years.

“It'll be a two-and-a-half-hour session at the Bowhouse in Anstruther, where I have an office and a classroom, and we'll be pairing five Kingsbarns whiskies with five unique seaweeds.

“I can run it right through the winter and it came from feedback from people who want to learn more about what they can do with the seaweeds.”

He added: “Scotland is known for its seafood; it's known for its whisky, so let's put the two together!”