Fiona Laing reviews Eat Drink Discover Scotland
Eat Drink Discover Scotland is run by the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland, and is the guardian of the most important farming event of Scotland’s summer, the Royal Highland Show.
The food hall at the Highland Show is always my first destination. However, I do also enjoy roaming through the animal sheds, gazing up at the gigantic farm machinery and watching the show jumping and traditional pipe bands; after all, these are things I don’t get to do in Edinburgh at any other time of year.
Eat Drink Discover Scotland was all I'd hoped it would be – a showcase of produce from all over Scotland. It was also unexpectedly laid-back, with no jostling and plenty of space for all. Saturday was pleasantly relaxed as everyone was ready to chat and share their passion for the products on offer –welcome respite from the political debates which have been dominating discussions in the lead up to the Referendum.
There was a fantastic mix of established brands and niche producers, all offering something unique. The hands-on masterclasses, the food theatres and demo areas were not crowded and there was plenty of space to move around between the stands, or linger and take stock of the goings on with a coffee or tasty snack. There was also a learning aspect to the event, with contributions from organisations including the Soil Association and Quality Meat Scotland, and a children’s workshop run by the Royal Highland Education Trust.
On the hunt for new-to-market products to discuss in an article I'm writing, I spent much of the weekend sampling products and quizzing stall holders about them. I did, of course, find some interesting new items. I'm sure every visitor was aware of the chocolate addition to the Mackie’s ice cream range, and the new oat-based nibbles from Nairns, but I did manage to sniff out some other new flavours, and boy did I savour them.
Of course, the main point of interest on Saturday was the live cook-off. A nation-wide search for Scotland’s best secret ingredient, the contest saw some of the best Scottish produce pitted against one another, including stuffed courgette flowers and a Champagne cocktail made with sea buckthorn. The competition was won by David Porter, who made a superb curry dish using goat from the Scottish Goat Meat Company based in Glen of Newmill.
With Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight running until 21 September, this was a thoroughly enjoyable (and time-efficient) way to indulge in some of Scotland’s finest produce – roll on next year!
