Photo of
August 30, 2017
Scottish Food and Drink
Chef de Campo is one of the entertaining sights to be spotted at this weekend’s Loch Lomond Food and Drink Festival. Pic: [Facebook][1].

The harvest is underway which means that we are entering peak season for Scottish food and drink festivals.

Over the next couple of weeks, dozens of events will be held to  celebrate all the good stuff we grow, rear, catch and make in this country.

Most of them will come under the umbrella of the Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight. And we will return to that subject later this week.

For now, here are a handful of food and drink suggestions for you to tuck into this weekend.

First up, Loch Lomond Food and Drink Festival is being held at Loch Lomond Shores on Saturday and Sunday.

Food, drink, live music, family entertainment and much more are promised.

Cooking demos and tastings

Feast on a full programme of cooking demos including one from the chefs at The Shore, a new restaurant, spa, and wedding/events venue.

We also like the sound of the JIM BEAM® Bourbon BBQ Experience which will be smokin’ both days.

Those with hearty appetites could enter the McIntosh’s Famous Haggis-Eating Competition which runs on both days.

Approximately 75 food and drink producers will be displaying their wares at the festival. One of them, Rapscallion, contacted us about their grown-up soft drinks.

Handcrafted in Glasgow, the range features Mr Pink (rhubarb, pink grapefruit and Szechuan pepper), Tiki (pineapple, coconut, ginger, cinnamon) and Scottish Strawberry (strawberry, black pepper and lime).

Apparently, they contain no concentrates, no preservatives, and nothing artificial at all. We bet they go great with gin.

Scottish food and drink: Edinburgh Mela

Sticking around the Central Belt but moving to the other side of the country, The Edinburgh Mela Weekend means two days of dance, music, talks, fashion and, most importantly for the 5pm Dining blog, a Global Food Village.

If whisky is more your bag, Spirit of Speyside: Distilled takes place in Elgin Town Hall this Friday and Saturday.

And, as the title suggests, the two day event is like a distilled version of the Spirit of Speyside whisky festival which is held across Speyside every May.

Expect tutored tastings, master classes and whisky tastings. Not that it is all about the whisky. Award-winning brewers, gin crafters and food producers will also be showing the fruits of their labour.

Slainte!