They don’t make much noise about it but Fife’s food scene is steadily growing in stature. Many of its producers and restaurateurs will be showing their A game next month as The St Andrews Food & Drink Festival gets underway.

The festival was founded in 2012 by three chefs – Martin Hollis at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, Alan Matthews at The Fairmont and Ian MacDonald at the St Andrews Links Trust. This year, more chefs have entered the fray, including Geoffrey Smeddle from the Michelin-starred Peat Inn, Stewart Macaulay from The Adamson, and Davey Aspin of the 3 AA rosette awarded Rocca.

The fun will all kick off from noon on Sunday 1 November at the indoor street food market in the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa. Tickets are £25 for adults which gets you a taster from each stall. To book, call 01334 468181

Seasonal ingredients

There will be around a dozen stalls manned by chefs from restaurants such as Playfair’s Restaurant, the Terrace at Rufflets Country House and The Seafood Restaurant.

Each chef will have a market stall and visitors will enjoy samples covering a wide range of seasonal ingredients from East Neuk seafood to Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb, local game and poultry to Fife fruits, vegetables, salads and cheese.

One of the highlights of the festival will be the gourmet dinner held at Fairmont St Andrews. Six of the chefs who are helping to run the festival will each cook a course. The dinner is on Friday 20 November and tickets are £75. Call Fairmont St Andrews on 01334 837 000

Festival Menu

Canapés
Chef: Davey Aspin, Rocca

Starter
Anster cheese, beetroot, fennel & hazelnuts using St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese
Chef: Stewart Macaulay, The Adamson
Speaker: Jane Stewart, St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company

Intermediate
Game consommé, pheasant tortellini, ceps & Madeira
Chef: Ian MacDonald, St Andrews Links Trust

Main
Braised shoulder and roast cutlets of Scotch lamb, smoked potato purée, creamed sprouts, bacon and crisp shallots
Chef: Geoffrey Smeddle, The Peat Inn
Guest speaker: sheep farmer (Scotch lamb)

Dessert
Milk chocolate mousse, blackberry parfait, Williams pear sorbet, apple beignet, blackberry & pear
Chef: Alan Matthew, Fairmont St Andrews

Coffee and petit fours
Chef: Martin Hollis, Old Course Hotel & Fife College
Guest speaker: coffee expert from Zest Cafe

Annoyingly, the festival’s website doesn’t appear to have been updated since last year. Info on the rest of the programme can be found here.