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The Free Company

Lothians, Balerno - Modern Scottish - Restaurant - £££

A celebration of home-grown produce on an organic, no-dig farm

Overall Rating: Very Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Very Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Good

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Very Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Very Good

What started out as a communal dining experience in the old milking byre of this family farm has morphed into something more flexible, with a seasonal carte now providing plenty of choice. Seating is still at rustic trestle tables peppered with plant pots, but you can now swing by for Sunday lunch as well as dinner. It is considered a 'magical set-up'. On the menu, you’ll find the farm’s produce in all its glory: the owners rear and butcher heritage Dexter cross cattle, Shetland sheep and mangalitza pigs, as well as growing organic fruit and vegetables. They also love their smoker – even the sourdough bread is tossed in to create a cindery hard crust, before being served with whipped butter zig-zagged with sticky honey.  Expect small bites ranging from a garden 'scrumpet' with kimchi mayo or a no-nonsense hogget offal flatbread with charcoal mayo and Corra Linn (a strong local ewe's cheese) to coffee-roasted beetroot on a bed of creamy crowdie and skirlie. Main ...

What started out as a communal dining experience in the old milking byre of this family farm has morphed into something more flexible, with a seasonal carte now providing plenty of choice. Seating is still at rustic trestle tables peppered with plant pots, but you can now swing by for Sunday lunch as well as dinner. It is considered a 'magical set-up'. On the menu, you’ll find the farm’s produce in all its glory: the owners rear and butcher heritage Dexter cross cattle, Shetland sheep and mangalitza pigs, as well as growing organic fruit and vegetables. They also love their smoker – even the sourdough bread is tossed in to create a cindery hard crust, before being served with whipped butter zig-zagged with sticky honey. 

Expect small bites ranging from a garden 'scrumpet' with kimchi mayo or a no-nonsense hogget offal flatbread with charcoal mayo and Corra Linn (a strong local ewe's cheese) to coffee-roasted beetroot on a bed of creamy crowdie and skirlie. Main courses are farmyard-hearty: salty slabs of hake in a smoked mussel sauce; Shetland hogget loin with kale and a 'wee hogget pie'; hay-baked celeriac with fava beans and sunflower seeds. On Sundays, expect a mound of pink roast pork and potatoes in their skins, with plenty of gravy. 

To finish, there could be a blackcurrant-leaf custard tart with flowering currant topped with scorched meringue or a pale pistachio pumpkin-seed ice cream with porridge praline and tiny cubes of caramelised swede adding a toffee tinge. Staff are friendly, and the drinks list focuses on sustainable wines (including a hefty contingent of skin-contact varietals) alongside foraged cocktails and craft beers. They’ve also started making their own cider with donated apples.

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VENUE DETAILS

Cockdurno Farmhouse
Balerno
Lothians
EH14 7HZGB

07350 396948

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OTHER INFORMATION

Private dining room, Separate bar, Counter seating, Wheelchair access, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly

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