Robin Aitken, head chef, Margo: ‘Glasgow needed something like this’

“Glasgow needed something like this.”

That is the verdict of Robin Aitken, head chef of Margo, the latest gem in the Scoop Restaurants portfolio.

And, as a Glasgow native who first started working with the group over a decade ago, Robin can be considered a voice of authority on the city’s dining scene.

Starting out as a commis chef, Robin went on to work as head chef at two of Scoop’s other restaurants, Ox & Finch and Ka Pao, before taking on the mantle at Margo, which opened last year.

A fourth new offering is also available, with the casual Sebb’s underground bar.

Ahead of this year’s Michelin awards ceremony in Glasgow, many of the country’s top chefs descended on Margo for their pre-event meal, to check out what the new city centre restaurant had to offer, having only opened a few months earlier.

“I feel like what inspired Jonathan (MacDonald) and the team to open Margo in Glasgow is Glasgow itself,” Robin explained.

“It's a very accessible restaurant. It's something that's unpretentious and it's just good quality stuff.

“Margo is similar to Ox & Finch and Ka Pao in the very casual service style. But where Margo picks its feet up a little bit is we have a broader spectrum of menu.

“We have a bigger kitchen, a bigger space and we have the availability to do more, basically. So we have a massive barbecue that we can do lovely steaks over, whole fish to share and stuff like that. So we're not limited to only small plates. We can do bigger format things as well.”

He added: “I feel like Glasgow needed something like this, in the city centre especially.

“There are so many amazing restaurants all over the city, but to do something of this calibre bang in the middle of the city is a big deal for Glasgow.”

Robin Aitken’s Journey Through Scoop Restaurants

The Ox & Finch has just been fully refurbished, having been open for 10 years. It is described by Robin as a “cornerstone” and pioneer of the current Glasgow food scene.

Ka Pao features south east Asia-inspired dishes, developed after the restaurant group’s visits to Thailand.

Reflecting on his time working across the group, Robin said: “In 2014 I joined as a 20-year-old commis chef. I spent the best part of around four years in the company, in the Ox & Finch, cooking on the stoves.

“After that I left, moved to Australia and worked in some really bloody good restaurants.

“From there I came back to Scotland, worked in luxury hotels in the Highlands and then just before lockdown 2020 I was approached by Jonathan to come back and be in the company again in Ka Pao.

“I spent two years in Ka Pao and then two years assisting Aurélien (Mourez) in the Ox & Finch as sort of co-head chefs and now I'm here in Margo.”

He continued: “The thing I enjoy most about working with the group is working with people who I have worked with for those many, many years.

“I have a very close relationship with them where we can bounce ideas off each other and we can openly criticise each other in a really healthy way.

“A benefit of being in a small independent group as it is at the moment is shared knowledge is a massive thing. There's a lot of chefs that come from many different backgrounds, many different cultures and we can influence each other in a really, really positive way.

“I would say the success of Scoop Restaurants has mainly come from being so food led. We focus so, so closely on the quality of the food and then making that affordable and accessible for the customer.

“In the past 10 years working with the company, I feel like I've definitely grown up, going from my early 20s to my early 30s.

“My leadership style has changed completely. My cooking style has stayed with the same values, but has evolved into something where we can focus on larger scale.”

Michelin Bib Gourmand Recognition

Just four months after opening, Margo was awarded a Bib Gourmand from Michelin, joining Ox & Finch and Ka Pao, who also hold the same honour, recognising restaurants who offer “good quality, good value cooking”.

“The Michelin Bib Gourmand is something that we've held in other restaurants for many, many years,” Robin explained.

“It means a huge deal to us. It validates us and our team, that we are doing something of very high standards and very high value, which is something that we've always wanted to offer.

“Glasgow hosting the Michelin awards was amazing for Margo. We’d just opened, we were still very much in the press and that meant that all the best chefs came to us for lunch.

“That was an amazing thing for the team, for all of us, to cook for pretty much our heroes for the day. Then to quickly run away, get changed and go to the awards ourselves was a massive honour to be invited at all.”

Flying start for Margo

Though still in its infancy, Margo has already made a huge impact since opening its doors, catering for around 250 covers on an average weekday and up to 500 on weekends.

Discussing what he hopes the future will look like for the restaurant, Robin said: “To build on the success of Margo, first and foremost.

“The thing we're focusing on just now is the team, to build them, to lift them up, to keep training people, to keep encouraging people and promoting from within.

“For people coming to Margo, we'd like them to have a really good time.

“We want it to be casual, we want it to be accessible, and we want people to be able to decide how their night goes as well.”