Fhior Scott

Bio

Award-winning chef, Scott Smith, is the co-owner and executive chef at Fhior - a modern Scottish restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town that opened in 2018. Before opening Fhior, Smith worked under the likes of Eddie McDonald and Geoffrey Smeddle of Michelin-starred The Peat Inn in Fife. Born and raised in Aberdeen, Scott’s interest in food and produce was sparked at a young age. Growing up, his mum would grow vegetables in their back garden and even planted a little patch for Scott and his sister to have as their own, where they would grow their own peas, strawberries and other foods that they liked. Scott grew up eating ingredients grown right on his doorstep and continues to implement this ethos into his practice today, championing seasonal produce from his local surroundings. Scott fell into cheffing by chance. He didn’t enjoy education much, and often found himself bunking off school to work in a local restaurant washing dishes, forging letters from his mum to say he was too ill to attend. However, his interest in ingredients saw him quickly graduate from pot wash to work in the kitchen, where he quickly caught the bug for cheffing. While working under mentors Eddie McDonald and Geoffrey Smeddle, he mastered the technique of cooking and began to develop his own personal style, where his focus lies in elevating the flavour in each ingredient. In 2015, he went on to open his first restaurant – Norn – in Edinburgh’s Leith, with wife and business partner, Laura. With Norn, Scott aimed to unlearn all of the dishes he’d practiced in previous experiences, to offer something completely unique to the Scottish restaurant scene. Norn was much loved amongst both locals and visitors to the city and won numerous awards during its three years of trade. During his time at Norn, Scott won a coveted Acorn Award, given annually for 30 stars in hospitality under the age of 30. In 2017, Scott and Laura opened the multi-award-winning Fhior. Just a year after opening, the restaurant won Restaurant of The Year at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards and, later that year, Scott was crowned Best Scottish Chef at the Scotsman Food and Drink Awards. Fhior is also listed in the Good Food Guide and the prestigious Michelin Guide.