The Homecoming event reaches it climax this weekend with St Andrew’s Day celebrations taking place all over the country. Many of the shindigs get underway from tomorrow. One of the most rocking should be the Malinky gig at Glasgow’s St Andrew’s in the Square, home to 5pm member Cafe Source.

As well as the Borders Banquet festivities, which we have already mentioned here, one of the main food related events is taking place at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrew’s. Part of the town’s wider St Andrew’s Festival, the Taste of Scotland bash is a food and wine matching event hosted by the ever enthusiastic Master of Wine, Rose Murray Brown.

Alongside wines from Spain, France, Portugal,  South Africa and New Zealand, guests will tuck into fab Scottish produce such as Salar’s flaky smoked salmon, Loch Fyne organic smoked salmon, Inverawe smoked trout, Fletcher’s venison carpaccio, Anster cheese, Strathdon blue cheese and aronia berry cake.

The latter is one of the superberries which have come to prominence lately. Grown by fruit farmer Thomas Thomson of Blairgowrie, Perthshire, the aronia berry (called the less market-friendlychokeberry in America) has three times the level of anti-oxidants compared to blueberries. Apparently, scientists rate it as the healthiest berry in the world and it was used as an aphrodisiac by North American Indians. A fact which could make the tailend of the evening more lively than many might anticipate.

Rose will be joined by venison expert and award-winning food writer Nichola Fletcher of Seriously Good Venison, cheesemaker Jane Stewart of Anster cheese and Sandy Milne of patisserie Fisher & Donaldson.

Tix cost £20 from The Hub, Tel  0131 473 2000.

There are plenty of other events taking place in the town over the weekend and the following St Andrew’s 5pm members can help you make the most of your visit: Alexander’s Restaurant at the Scores and Playfair’s at the Ardgowan Hotel.