Stirring It Up: Andi and Miquita Oliver explore Scotland!

Mother-daughter duo Andi and Miquita Oliver kicked off their special Scottish series of Stirring It Up back at the beginning of October, with episodes still being released now. We caught up with them to find out more about their Scottish adventure…

This season marks a big change with your first on-the-road adventure in Scotland! What inspired you to take the podcast on tour, and why was Scotland the perfect destination for this journey?

Andi: Scotland was the logical place for us to start our journey because Miquita is half Scottish and she has in the last few years become close to her Scottish family, she wanted to show me and discover for herself a part of her that we have never really thought about very deeply before.

Miquita and Andi Oliver at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. Photograph: Ebony-Louise Carrington @highestmediagroup

Miquita, you’re exploring your roots from your dad’s side of the family during this series. How has this personal exploration influenced the dynamic between you and Andi on the podcast?

Miquita: It opened up my mother and I’s relationship. Things that were stories became very real. I’ve been on a journey of my own getting to know all of my Scottish family. To have my mother join this adventure was something very unexpected for both of us. I truly believe my mother found out things about me on this trip that she might never have learnt otherwise. It’s made us closer in a way neither of us could have predicted.

Photograph: Ebony-Louise Carrington @highestmediagroup

As a food and culture-focused podcast, what unique Scottish culinary traditions or dishes are you most excited to dive into during your travels?

Andi: It was amazing to see how diverse Scottish food is! From seeing my old Great British menu alumna Roberta Hall at The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh to Mara with the wonderful Ross Cochrane in Aberdeen to gorgeous Julie Lin at Gaga in Glasgow, and foraging and having a picnic in the woods on the river Don in Alford with Leanne Townsend we experienced a full flavour explosion! It was so exciting, extraordinary food at every turn and of course everywhere we went the welcome, the hospitality was just beautiful, it’s embedded within the culture. The Scots know how to nice up the area!

What have been some of the most surprising or emotional moments you’ve experienced while uncovering your Scottish heritage?

A&M: Our time in the Highlands was extremely emotional. We had the joy of seeing seven or eight salmon swimming upstream at the Falls of Feugh. We made cider in the hills of Aberdeenshire, we fly fished on the River Dee and we sailed across the depths of Loch Ness. These are all things we never thought we’d get to experience together.

Miquita and her father, Robin. Photograph: Ebony-Louise Carrington @highestmediagroup

How do you think being on the road and visiting new locations changes the way you approach conversations with each other and with your guests?

Andi: This trip has been extraordinary for us we both learnt so much about Scottish culture and the innate ways that Miquita carries that culture within her. Interestingly it actually felt a bit like we had our metaphorical kitchen table with us! It’s intimate, it’s hilarious, it’s adventurous and it’s us, it’s human.

What can listeners expect from this series in terms of the themes and stories you’ll be covering? Will it be more focused on food, culture, or the personal family journey?

A&M: We think they’ll get a bit of all of that. It was so thrilling to get out and meet people working on exciting projects, the conversations that we had and people that we met really affirmed the things that we always hope to be true out in the world. Community is strong, creativity is explosive and people are essentially excellent and do their best to help and support each other. Our listeners can expect the Stirring It Up fun that we always have, the depth of emotional conversation, and we hope that they will learn along with us that Scotland is an incredible place. Vibrant, proud, passionate and thoughtful.

Photograph: Ebony-Louise Carrington @highestmediagroup

After this Scottish adventure, do you have plans to explore more family heritage or take Stirring It Up on the road again to other destinations?

A&M: Oh yes yes! we have PLANS yes we do! This is just the start of our next chapter, some of it will be about family heritage just not always our own family, we’ll be exploring culture, family, community, art in all its forms, heart and soul in some very surprising places. What comes next will be intriguing, illuminating, full of adventure and a whole load of fun along the way! What you can be sure of is that will be undeniably Stirring it up!

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