Tony Singh

Interview by Bridget McGrouther

I'd been warned that Tony Singh could be a difficult man to get hold of. When I arrived for our first appointment, he'd clearly forgotten I was coming, and unfortunately I'd just missed him by 10 minutes. He phoned to apologise and make a time for another meeting. When I returned a couple of days later he'd accidentally double booked me with a wine merchant, who patiently waited while we were chatting.

"Sorry, I keep my own diary," Tony admitted, then confessed: "Maybe I shouldn't!" Despite me warning that my questions might take some time, he was confident that he could squeeze a half-hour interview into 10 minutes, and while we compromised at somewhere in between, I still felt that I was on fast-forward. With his mobile phone going off constantly (although it remained unanswered), you don't need to guess that this chef is a very busy man.

"I often start work at 9 o'clock and sometimes don't finish till 3am," Tony says. "My wife Bechan and four children hardly see me, which is a shame. I have cut my working week from seven days to six and am trying to wean myself to five, but I'm finding it very difficult."

Perhaps that is little wonder, that Tony has a boutique bakery - Ugly Bread Baker - in Edinburgh. He explains that most of the speciality breads, such as rye and sour dough, will be organic, though there will also be less healthy options such as all-butter croissants. "If you start kids off on good food, like proper bread and jam (a real 'jeely piece'), then you can't go wrong," Tony says. "My children will eat anything whether it's the hottest curry or oysters from their shells."

Seafood is Tony's self-confessed favourite, although he also likes his mum's curries and his wife's "amazing" cooking. Bechan is the one who cooks at home, especially as Tony makes such a mess in the kitchen and doesn't like clearing up! That's a warning for anyone who wants to book him to come around and cook a meal in their own home for a private dinner party - complete with a question and answer session. (Perhaps that's why he can get through mine so quickly!) "I really enjoy that and often end up sitting down and having a laugh with the guests," he adds, a chef obviously happy at his work.

Tony had always planned to have his own restaurant, from when he started on a Youth Training Scheme at the age of 16 for Scottish & Newcastle and then took a City & Guilds Scotvec course in cookery at Edinburgh's Telford College. His distinctive culinary talent and passion for using only the best ingredients soon made him hot property in restaurant circles, leading to positions with The Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith; The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh; Greywalls in Gullane and the tiny, cramped kitchen on board the famous Royal Scotsman train.

All added to his exemplary credentials, but Tony never envisaged that his first restaurant would be anything as plush and stylish as Oloroso. The glass-fronted restaurant has a chic cocktail bar, a private dining room and a roof-top terrace with some of the best views of Edinburgh Castle and the Firth of Forth.

Yet he explains that the "dream come true" was only realised with the help of his late business partner and front-of-house restaurateur, James Sankey, who suggested they join forces to transform the former insurance building into one of the coolest restaurants and bars in the capital. On the morning of 21 December 2001, they still didn't have a licence for the bar and there was no building control certificate, yet after a last-minute panic, everything arrived in the nick of time for the opening that evening.

Sadly James was unable to enjoy the remarkable success of the packed bar and restaurant for long. He suffered a sudden heart attack in 2002 and died the following year, aged only 36. The loss has left quite a mark on Tony, who now runs an annual James Sankey Award in memory of his friend. The prize is designed to reward excellent service as Tony feels that the front-of-house is often neglected and thinks that Scots still have a lot to learn in this area.

Tony is determined that only the freshest ingredients are used for his imaginative dishes and he scours the country for the best raw materials. The top requirement is in-season produce that is bursting with flavour.

He knows some of his suppliers personally such as the Oban chef who dives for scallops, an ex-colleague he met while working at Loch Awe. Food miles are shrugged off in a quest to seek out the tastiest produce and although the majority of his suppliers are Scottish-based, he doesn't think anything of ordering potatoes from as far afield as America if they're most suited to his exacting standards. Such commitment to quality has secured him membership of the country's leading culinary bodies, along with a string of awards, including Best Restaurant, Scottish Chef of the Year and Best Cocktail Bar.

Born and bred in Leith, Tony has combined his Sikh background with a love of all things Scottish. His family still have a house in Delhi, yet he has never set foot in India, although he would like to visit some day. Holidays are few and far between - destinations in recent years have included the Dominican Republic, Italy, France and the Kyle of Lochalsh, a favourite place in Scotland. To relax, he is happy to spend time with his wife and children at their Edinburgh home, get a video, read a book or go out for a meal. Tony's most frequented restaurants are The Kitchin in Leith, The Park at Linlithgow and kebab houses.

Find more information about Oloroso.