Fish Shop: An Interview with Jasmine and Marcus Sherry.

Fish Shop is a forty-cover restaurant in the middle of Ballater, with a fishmonger beside it selling the same catch. It is run by a husband and wife, the executive chef Marcus Sherry and the general manager Jasmine Sherry, and it holds a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide. The fish comes from day boats and short-trip boats, the shellfish is caught in creels or gathered by divers, and the lobster and crab come from Macduff, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire. Its sister is the Fife Arms in Braemar. Jasmine and Marcus answered our questions about the restaurant and upper Deeside. They describe the dishes that never leave the menu, and a day from tea beneath a Picasso in Braemar to the top of Craigendarroch and down to dinner. Then the pinewoods at Cambus o’ May, and Pictish stones in a ruined kirkyard an easy walk from the village.

Located in the heart of Ballater, Fish Shop is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant that celebrates the heritage and traditions of fishing in Scotland, serving ethically sourced fish from day and short-trip boats, as well as creel-caught and hand-dived crustacea.

Managed by the husband-and-wife team, Executive Chef Marcus and General Manager Jasmine Sherry, the modern and relaxed 40-cover restaurant in the Cairngorms focuses on shellfish and day boat fish, with the addition of select game, meat and vegetables from surrounding farms and estates.

Drinks include biodynamic and low carbon footprint wines chosen from British and European vineyards, with spirits and beers sourced from micro-breweries and distilleries within Scotland.

Fish Shop proudly supports the Ocean Recovery Project through optional donations added to every bill. The project recovers and recycles litter from beaches and works with partners to recycle and repurpose plastics, alongside supporting education and innovation.

Fish Shop has a loyal community of regulars who come back to celebrate special occasions, enjoy relaxed weekend lunches, and simply revisit their favourite dishes again and again.

The restaurant's signature dish is the Macduff lobster tagliarini. The meat is firm and sweet and tossed through ribbons of tagliarini with chilli, garlic, and a handful of chervil. The chilli brings heat, the garlic depth, and the chervil ties it all together with an aniseed freshness that makes the whole thing sing.

Another Fish Shop favourite that never leaves the menu is the crab crumpet. The crab also comes from Macduff, barely forty miles up the coast. Sweet white meat from the claws and rich brown from the body are piled generously onto a warm, pillowy crumpet. The perfect start to a meal at Fish Shop.

Stop off in Braemar for a cup of tea beneath a Picasso at Fish Shop's sister hotel, the 5-star Fife Arms, or enjoy a pint of local ale in its popular Flying Stag pub.

Make the short drive over to Ballater before setting out on a climb up through oakwoods and Scots pines to the summit of Craigendarroch Hill - a beautiful viewpoint over the village and the surrounding mountains of the Cairngorms.

Head back down and stroll to Fish Shop, where cocktails and crab crumpets await.

Craigendarroch Hill, starts in Ballater and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours with incredible views.

For a gentler walk, there are also lovely riverside trails along the banks of the River Dee, for any length desired.

Do some forest bathing when walking the Cambus o' May trails to the east of Ballater, including scenic pinewoods, historic footbridges and views of the River Dee.

For lovers of history, Tullich Chapel/Kirk is a ruined medieval church and historic kirkyard that's an easy walk away, about 1.5 miles northeast of Ballater. It features ancient Pictish stones from c.700AD and is a nationally important Scheduled Monument.

Fish Shop is at 3 Netherley Place in Ballater. From October to March it serves lunch from Thursday to Sunday and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday; from April to September there is lunch on Wednesdays and dinner on Tuesdays too. It is wise to book. The fishmonger next door is open for collections from 10am to 2pm, Thursday to Saturday.