https://www.robbiearmstrong.com/about daily 0.75 2026-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg ABOUT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg ABOUT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg ABOUT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/56189e5c-1b7c-4e85-a953-aa93dd1f2adc/Robbie+Armstong ABOUT - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.robbiearmstrong.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/ab0da5d1-6510-4ea8-922e-57b37080ae13/Robbie+Armstrong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/d28e9bd8-18a6-426b-8c4c-ec84c3fc1be2/Robbie+Armstrong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/fd85c874-9707-490a-a366-9066879b126e/Robbie+Armstrong+with+Arij+Alnajjar+and+Ibrahim+Kamara https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/2154d973-c071-4ed0-b336-a974516b44f1/Robbie+Armstrong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/91e8f8c5-cdeb-423b-8b51-11edc088a7ca/Journalist+and+audio+producer+Robbie+Armstrong+with+BBC+Food+Programme+presenter+Jaega+Wise.+Robbie+Armstrong+is+a+journalist+and+radio+producer+from+Glasgow%2C+Scotland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/62cb0a1b-1c8e-4f00-9258-091390e1f12c/BF17EA9A-9D28-40AD-AA9B-09DB9C74162C_1_201_a.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/dc89366e-604b-48fc-b309-4ed116f519e0/EF2E9CC6-9578-40E8-BD3D-4BB709415979_4_5005_c.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/0b5e74fe-895c-4dcd-9b1d-b80e2e730402/527-5272454_white-bbc-news-logo-png-transparent-png.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/418dc1bb-9bbb-440b-870c-0910edf3e680/Vittles+large+%281%29.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/50b4ba80-de33-4090-b3c3-6b70a93c54e8/List.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/002fb3f2-1666-4fb2-b880-8ef490d30746/Archive+on+4+colour+%281%29.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/b7fc748f-230e-45a3-a6cc-c545c884efa0/Pellicle_Blobs+%281%29.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/9e74b706-87a3-45ce-8daa-db58a2f5a78f/download+%281%29.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/f93340af-6390-4440-a1e9-1ecea5319601/NR31_COVER_marketing_RGB.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/a6ecc9e5-ea6b-4819-959a-4aadde045cb9/National-Geographic-logo+%281%29.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/f807acbf-739a-4b70-9f67-536d9f9d269f/guardian+logo.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/e2730fde-8cb3-415e-b4f8-91a77d6818dc/Screenshot+2022-12-16+at+11.18.31.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.robbiearmstrong.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-09-05 https://www.robbiearmstrong.com/audio daily 0.75 2024-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/51d9f73c-ad3f-4cb7-b356-9cd9e22610a0/000052.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Motorway City Archival documentary exploring how Glasgow ended up with more miles of motorway than any other UK city, and how the wheels came off the plans to demolish and rebuild cities anew in the postwar planners’ vision. An audio journey across the decades, that finishes by examining what the future holds for our cities. Presented by Allan Little, with sound design by Joel Cox. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/ba9be285-9ff0-4366-9cb3-eb4d0c117f32/200ce42f-b6a4-456c-ab99-9477d894cdc5.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Glasgow: Seeking Asylum and Finding Refuge in Food Leyla Kazim and I explore the importance of food in building community, shaping identity and providing culturally appropriate spaces for refugees and asylum seekers in Glasgow. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/065487c8-1625-4697-bf2d-8f9da7922b21/IMG_5655+%281%29.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Why Are Celebrity Drinks Everywhere? Exploring the exponential growth of celebrity-backed drinks brands, and charting the rise of everything from A-List spirits to supermarket shelves stacked with celeb wines. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/d9a56d5f-2143-456d-9c93-854012143589/IMG_1472.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Pastry Nation: Hype Bakeries on the Rise Leyla Kazim and I look at the boom in bakeries, viral viennoiserie, and examine why French-style pâtisserie is so popular right now. We travel to some of the most hyped spots in the UK to understand why queues and sell outs have become part of the experience. I also visit Dundee and Fife, a heartland for traditional bakeries, to look at the enduring appeal of unhyped, time-tested classics. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/c8d375fa-6eab-49e9-b624-f3c03c7ce14c/IMG_2020.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Smoke, Fire and Flame: Trends v Tradition Leyla Kazim and I explore the practice of smoking, one of the world’s oldest food preservation methods. We find out which techniques are catching fire today, while other processes risk being extinguished. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/99a9790d-4774-4620-a22b-b58e15cb225b/Kilchoman+barrels+BW.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - The Wild West of Whisky: From Cask Investments to Dram Scams Jaega Wise and I take a closer look at cask investment programmes, counterfeits and even burglary – as bad actors enter the world of whisky to make a quick buck. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/998c21f5-8d8a-4536-9001-de11f8bd10ec/IMG_4625.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Tech, TikTok and the Future of Food Writing Leyla Kazim explores how lists, maps and apps are transforming how we look for restaurant recommendations, and what these changes mean for food media and how we eat. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/eacd2c7f-c335-4fc2-8dc4-7cd7e98a0f62/CF_00055.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Wine in a Changing Climate As rising temperatures supercharge the UK wine industry, Jaega Wise finds out what this means for winegrowing at home and abroad, and the mixed blessing climate change presents. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/add7a859-f17c-405e-b92e-f55a1d392aec/IMG_1758.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS Scotland, a Good Food Nation? An original idea I pitched, developed, produced and reported for BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme. It explores the obstacles and opportunities ahead as the Scottish Parliament introduces a landmark bill with the potential to tackle food poverty, poor health outcomes and access to affordable good food. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/5531d3e2-5982-401b-8a93-8dfdbd3fdc24/2cc93b1d-8312-4787-aee4-201195643195.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS Buckfast: the transformation of Scotland’s most controversial drink An original idea I researched, produced and reported for BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme. Buckfast served as a useful lens to take a closer look at changing social demographics, poverty and inequality and gentrification in modern Scotland. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/d8687763-acbe-49e4-97c5-3c4f6f7069b2/7D7F0D5B-0E1C-4EC3-964C-EF26A5307D1D.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Mindful Food and the Art of Attention A cheese-centric programme idea from Sam, in which we hear how an attentive and mindful approach to food and drink could be the secret to creating great produce, a healthier food system and a more sustainable planet. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/3c32ce32-cf1a-473f-ab97-38cf31b537a5/POTW.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Kate Molleson’s picks of the week Sheep competitions in Orkney, a joyful male voice choir from an 8-hour Welsh language broadcast, the story of a rebel radio station in El Salvador and the time Sister Rosetta Tharpe rocked out on a soggy train platform in Manchester. Listen to the full episode here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/d1478c86-5916-4bdd-91a6-ef65879056e4/image-asset.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS Magnet fishing on Glasgow’s canals I researched, produced and reported this package for BBC Radio Scotland to accompany a TV piece I made for BBC News & The Nine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/44226999-6fb0-495f-972c-b113e93769d2/EF2E9CC6-9578-40E8-BD3D-4BB709415979_4_5005_c.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS - Celebrity drinks: Beyoncé launches a whiskey Chatting about the rise of celebrity drinks with BBC Radio Scotland’s Kaye Adams. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/380a12fd-22f4-4fa7-b8fa-8966acafcaf5/Screenshot+2022-01-26+at+11.45.24.jpeg RADIO & PODCASTS A Future Made I produced, reported and co-presented this podcast series to celebrate the university’s 200th anniversary for Bespoken Media. The series explores pioneering research and innovative work in the fields of science, technology, design and engineering. Listen to the rest of the series here. https://www.robbiearmstrong.com/writing daily 0.75 2024-11-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/6e52f8ff-54ba-46e9-b561-c34a736ba8e6/Screenshot+2024-01-30+at+13.53.53.jpeg WRITING What’s the pull? Magnet fishing proves a catch in pandemic Scotland How an unlikely pastime became a nexus of community activity, environmental action and mental health support. A collaboration with photographer Katherine Anne Rose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/8bd3d6fe-c839-4756-8e4b-db34e5f9820d/Nat+Geo+%282%29.jpeg WRITING - What They’re Eating in Glasgow Six of Glasgow’s best dishes, from Gloriosa’s paccheri with pork ragu to the Real Wan’s chunky geda noodles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/47f14878-da9e-4bf3-9cbd-74d1e67d853f/IMG_5701.jpeg WRITING - The high rise and steep fall of Glasgow's Brutalist buildings An exploration of the city’s ambivalent attitude towards its concrete buildings and high rises, inspired by an exhibition urging Glaswegians to reexamine their relationship to Brutalism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/9b553264-e659-4dd2-b5dd-2a7e923b1e59/6BA732FE-26C1-4854-9997-F28267271A54_1_102_a.jpeg WRITING - The wrap game: how the shawarma ate Glasgow Doner and shish kebab used to dominate, but now there's a new kid on the block. Kurdish shawarma is fast becoming the city’s predominant portable meat wrap modality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/41436d49-9c15-40e9-b97d-250bda18726c/IMG_4995.jpeg WRITING - Neofoodalism: The Marquess and the Market Why a food venue on the Isle of Bute raises serious questions about neo-feudalism, the merits of aristocratic altruism, and the limits of land-reform policy in Scotland. It was written and published against the backdrop of a new Land Reform bill – and a growing realisation that land ownership is now more concentrated in rural Scotland than ever before, despite two decades of reform. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/ba06c36d-a4d1-4ea7-bb60-e1bb9e41c409/E090A8C8-2A70-4A04-9D22-A39BD4037AE1_1_105_c.jpeg WRITING - The Scotch Industrial Complex An exploration of the contradictions and complexities that lie at the heart of whisky production, the UK’s biggest food & drink export. Using the arguments surrounding terroir as a way of examining marketing and PR campaigns, mass-production of barley, and the automation of distillation, I argue that crucial questions are seldom asked in the coverage of Scotland’s national drink, and the ways in which industrialisation has impacted the people and places where whisky is produced. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/7ac0f675-6fb2-47f9-8478-511551881147/IMG_0265.jpeg WRITING Scotland, stop selling yourself shortbread! An in depth examination of the past, present and future of Scottish cuisine, in which I make a case for Scottish regional cuisine through the lens of F.M. McNeill’s book The Scots Kitchen. In it I dissect culinary stereotypes, a nation’s ill health, the future of Scotland’s food system and what lessons we can learn from great cookery writers such as F. Marian McNeill. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/ba0367d1-6e9f-425c-8e49-1bbc5c4b5d3f/DFMB+Daily+Record.jpeg WRITING - The Hater: McLondon and the False Scots Culinary Dichotomy A cynical analysis of the gentrification and trendifying of Scots cuisine in England’s capital. I take an askance side-eye at the ways in which the media weaponises Scottish food and a nation’s health. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/3e30e846-1cd9-41e0-ae72-a1129c29f161/NR31_Buckie+Streak+%283%29.jpeg WRITING - Buckie Streak: The Story of Buckfast Tonic Wine, Scotland’s most controversial drink I’ve been poring obsessively over the pages of Noble Rot for years, so to see my words appear in their tenth anniversary issue with a Martin Rowson illustration, and alongside a piece by Dave Broom, was an utter joy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/2181a94c-25e0-444f-9f6a-1528571d878c/Laurie+%281%29.jpeg WRITING - Go To The Place Where You've Finally Found — The Laurieston Bar, Glasgow Nothing short of an amorous epistle to one of my favourite bars. Right before publication, it was announced The Laurieston was up for sale, making the time I spent profiling the pub and its family all the more poignant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/349d0d3f-a356-4366-85e3-d55e966a7c8e/ISIMG-689847+%281%29.jpeg WRITING - Sound as a Barrel — In Conversation with Gareth Young of Glasgow’s Epochal Barrel Fermented Ales A conversation with Gareth Young, the abstract philosopher turned brewer behind one of Scotland’s most exciting breweries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/9ef28380-03cd-42f6-9a96-519b1b977808/IMG_9910.jpeg WRITING - The Great Green Land Grab Exploring the so-called ‘Green Lairds’ buying up swathes of Scotland to reach offsetting goals, threatening farming communities and perpetuating age-old problems of land ownership in the process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/752c1935-ea60-4ed9-9f4f-67a4d8432f06/IMG_9229.jpeg WRITING - A community food supply How urban farms are bypassing supermarkets to create their own local food systems and connect communities across the UK. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/181d247f-6f38-414e-b82b-937f840b6428/IMG_2397.jpeg WRITING - Back to school: Food growing on the curriculum From soil health to regenerative farming, the pioneering schools teaching kids to grow from an early age. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/4209bb7a-431f-4bf3-9c07-0fef3a8a3483/Screenshot+2024-02-27+at+12.49.04.png WRITING - Catman Scoop Exploring the birth of an urban legend. Greenock’s story of a Russian sailor living with a clowder of feral cats in a concrete pipe is part of Scotland’s post-industrial mythology. The liminal space occupied by the Catman was ripe territory for an examination of the role social media plays in modern folklore. I was drawn to Greenockian community spirit in a pre-viral era, and the ways in which YouTube altered the reality of a barely believable tale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/30840a1a-f37b-49ff-9919-8b2f72de8705/500-foodsofengland+1950sanatogen.jpeg WRITING - Just the Tonic A frivolous and frolicking few words on the history of tonic wine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/7dd912d9-67f1-4679-897a-71c10a6684c5/List.jpeg WRITING Restaurant Reviewer: Eating & Drinking Guide I worked as a restaurant reviewer for the List’s Eating & Drinking Guide for five years, between 2016-2021. I visited and reviewed restaurants in various sections: Scottish, Fish, Indian, Asian, as well as bakeries and cafés. This bolstered my understanding of the city’s food scene and strengthened my knowledge of the hospitality industry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/63661116-97f9-4200-b4b3-dd0dc3f8e0a0/image-asset.jpeg WRITING - Edinburgh Fringe Reviewer In 2016, I worked as a Fringe reviewer for the Sunday Times online. I reviewed shows covering dance, comedy and circus across the month. I’ve also worked for The Skinny as a Fringe reviewer, and produced several live BBC Radio Scotland programmes at the Edinburgh Festival & Fringe. In The Wine, a large measure of drink and debauchery. The Clown is Dead, Long Live the Clown, Pss Pss. Inspired improv and interaction, Steen Raskopolous: You Know the Drill Fringe Review: Mind-boggling juggling, Water on Mars Fringe Review: Mask masters, Teatro Delusio Fringe Review: Harmonious hilarity from an Irish trio, Foil, Arms and Hog: DoomDah Fringe Review: Macabre musical meets murder mystery, The Vaudevillains Fringe Review: Don’t bite off more than you can chew, Luke Courtier: Lunch Fringe Review: A race you can’t win, Nazeem Hussain: Legally Brown Fringe Review: Top of the pops, Paul Currie: FFFFFFFMILK! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/57ab3dcb-1ce6-468d-89ea-2c056f2a2d43/Allison%2BSt%2BResidents_GG5_Janv2022_V%2BChabrol%2B%2824%29+%281%29.jpeg WRITING - Gentrification – a Govanhill Problem? Gentrification has become a divisive issue in Govanhill in recent years. I spoke to three of my neighbours from my close in Allison Street to explore different perspectives on the problem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/6ad6369e-4695-4f84-9859-6eeb5e51e6d2/Screenshot+2022-01-31+at+11.26.45.jpeg WRITING How the Sikh Community Kept Glasgow Fed Through the Pandemic An original idea written for the multi-award-winning Greater Govanhill magazine. I spoke to people from Glasgow’s Sikh community about how their faith motivated them to help those most in need, engage in interfaith charity efforts and put the ideals of Sikhism into practice. It was a joy to explore the diversity and kindness of this community, the beating heart of multicultural Glasgow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dec2d092ef176155742f3c/92ba8a3f-ca00-4238-b371-5883d3ccd124/Screenshot+2022-02-04+at+11.53.57.jpeg WRITING - Magnet Fishing An original story, I found contributors, conducted interviews and co-produced the TV report for BBC News. Accompanying social media videos were made for Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (combined views of over 335,000), as well as a radio report for Saturday Good Morning Scotland. BBC Scotland’s Scot Squad even turned my report into a comedy sketch! Read: The enthusiasts getting hooked on the power of magnet fishing Listen: Magnet Fishing on BBC Radio Scotland Glasgow Magnet Fishing on Facebook