I tried ‘Scotland’s best bacon roll’ - and it wasn’t what I expected

This new ‘re-imagined classic British pub’ is on the site of 63rd and 1st, a cocktail bar and restaurant on Bothwell Street in Glasgow that shut last summer. This new public house is the latest venture by Glasgow-based The Superlative Collection, which includes other Glasgow favourites: Glaschu, Maison by Glaschu, Gōst, The Duke’s Umbrella, The Clubhouse and Blue Dog.

The Noble, which opened on 19 February, is an all day dining venue, serving breakfast from 8am till dinner and cocktails. It’s a gorgeously designed venue - and is geared up to appeal to locals and those visiting, especially given its proximity to Central station.

If visiting for a drink, there’s a menu of signature martinis, to sit alongside a curated list of beers, wines and classic cocktails. As well, there are nostalgic bar snacks designed to sit alongside their drinks, which include: prawn tempura with lobster aioli; square sausage roll with brown sauce; mussel popcorn with malt vinegar powder; and Arbroath Smokie omelette.

But for the early risers, the compact breakfast menu includes a full Scottish breakfast, a selection of eggs benedicts, passionfruit and mango granola and the “best bacon roll in Scotland”.

This is a bold claim for anyone but in Glasgow: if it’s not served on a Mortons or McGhee’s morning roll then, for some, it’s just not going to cut it. I went along to see just how good this bacon roll is.

The bacon roll comprises a Freedom Bakery buttered milk bun with thick cut smoked bacon, bacon jam and slow cooked pork belly. While waiting for my breakfast I had a quick chat with head chef John Molloy and group bar manager, Ewan Angus about the creation.

Mr Molloy said he knew the name would attract attention, while Mr Angus said it was about elevating the classic breakfast roll but without making it inaccessible.

After being served a coffee, the roll arrived swiftly - the bacon and pork belly mostly hidden in the shiny topped roll, which is amazingly soft and slightly sweet. This sweetness is amplified by the bacon jam, which cuts through the saltiness of the bacon and fattiness of the pork belly.

On Mr Molloy’s suggestion, I added a big dollop of brown sauce which introduced just a hint of spice. While traditionalists may argue you can’t beat a Mortons roll and bacon, this is a great addition to the menu and an excellent start to the day. At £7.50 it’s more expensive than your average morning roll, but it was packed full of bacon and pork belly and I ended up not needing to eat lunch later on.

Will I be trying to recreate this at home instead of a usual bacon and egg morning roll? No. But I will be returning to The Noble to have it again.