Matilda Tsappis used to work in the The City. Now she owns and runs Killiecrankie House with her chef husband in Perthshire. She tells us about her journey.
Top 100 Sommelier Matilda Tsappis loves her life in Scotland. Taking over her family home Killiecrankie House close to Pitlochry, she and her husband have become well-known for great food and an excellent wine list. Specialising in Sake and food pairings – a nod to her Japanese origins – a meal under Mathilda’s wine influence is a journey of discovery.
SE: How did you become a sommelier?
MT: I took a rather indirect route into hospitality. For a long time I worked in advertising, which I enjoyed, but one summer we took a road trip around France that got me hooked, and I started studying wine as a bit of a hobby; an escape from the day to day.
At the same time my husband retrained as a chef. Eventually, during the depths of Covid, we decided we wanted a change, so we set about opening Killiecrankie House, our restaurant with rooms in Scotland, where I grew up. It was natural that I took ownership of the drinks programme whilst he was in charge of the food.
Another influence I should mention is that my father owns a vineyard in Shandong, China (next door to Lafite’s Chinese outpost – although I’m sure he would say they are next door to him as he was there first!). This probably has something to do with my interest in wine too…
SE: What is it about hospitality that you are drawn to?
MT: Well, compared to what I used to do, it’s a lot easier to make people happy with good food and wine than it is with advertising! But seriously, it is a wonderfully warm feeling when guests tell you directly how much they have enjoyed the experience. We have a fantastic repeat customer base, many of whom have become friends. People join us for all sorts of reasons, whether it’s for a celebration or just for a bit of a break to relax, being able to help make that moment special for a guest is a truly great thing.
Linked to this, as a restaurant that has a lot of Japanese influence in the menu due to my heritage, we also like to promote sake as part of our pairings and by the glass options. We have been surprised by people’s positive response to this and will hopefully see this become a more normalised part of people’s drinks choices in future.
SE: How do you find the sommelier & restaurant scene in your area?
MT: I think we’re witnessing the start of something special in Perthshire. Of course, there are the big fine dining establishments such as Andrew Fairlie and Lalique, but we’re also seeing all sorts of interesting new ventures by passionate young chefs/sommeliers/bakers/chocolatiers popping up. For example, there’s a fantastic chocolate maker called ‘Explore Chocolate’ in Pitlochry who creates all sorts of interesting flavoured bonbons from bean (caramelised red onion taste satin anyone?). There’s also the Glen Lyon coffee roasters in Aberfeldy, who we use for our coffee. Wasted Degrees craft brewery in Blair Atholl, and of course, the wonderful Aran bakery, Redwood Wines and Taybank, all in Dunkeld. And that’s just to name a few. So whilst there’s always room for more, I would always encourage those visiting Edinburgh or Glasgow to venture out of the city – there’s a lot going on!
SE: What are diners looking for? Are there any emerging trends?
MT: Guests are looking for fine dining without the stuffiness; no-one wants to feel uncomfortable when they’re eating a 3 hour+ meal that they’ve paid a lot off money for, so dress codes and mandatory jackets and ties begone! This also comes with a more personable and friendly approach to service, which actually means people are more likely to be adventurous with the wines they pick as they feel less daunted about asking the sommelier questions. It’s a win-win for everyone. Linked to this, as a restaurant that has a lot of Japanese influence in the menu (I’m half Japanese and my husband and I met in Tokyo), we also like to promote sake as part of our pairings and by the glass options. We have been surprised by people’s positive response to this and will hopefully see this become a more normalised part of people’s drinks choices in future.
SE: What are you drinking at the moment? What do you recommend to your customers?
MT: On our Discovery pairing we currently serve Blackbook’s Pinot Noir ’Trouble Every Day’. It’s a wonderfully elegant pinot noir with bags of black fruit, made in their winery under the railway arches of Battersea station. I think it’s important to showcase what British still wine is now capable of, not just for fizz (although that is also fantastic – our house pour is the divine Hundred Hills Preamble No.2!)
