2012 Invited by Deveron Arts to undertake a 3-month artists residency in the rural Aberdeenshire town of Huntly.

During his residency, Simon devised The Town is the Menu which proposed to invent a new food culture for a town in the form of a Signature Menu, created by local chefs and inspired by the stories of the town and all the people in it.

Simon set up his specially-commissioned table at the local school, supermarket carpark, tea dance, cattle market, town square and so on to ask Huntly people what made their town unique. Using the stories collected, Simon worked with chefs from eight local food outlets to create a menu inspired by the town, assisted by renowned UK chef Richard Allen. The Huntly Signature Menu was simultaneously launched at 12 restaurants, cafés & delis around the town, at special events and at the Farmers Market. A Huntly Signature Loaf, devised by local bakery Smith’s working with award-winning baker Drew Massey of The Manna House in Edinburgh, was also launched.

Project funded by Creative Scotland under their Creative Places Award Scheme. The Town is the Menu was later commissioned as a BBC Radio 4 Series.

The Town is the Menu