Celebrity chef, James Martin, will headline a star-studded new food and drink festival set to take place in Orkney this September, it was announced this week.
Brin Pirathapan, who won BBC MasterChef 2024, will also be making an appearance at the event, along with Great British Bake Off 2023 winner, Matty Edgell.
Running across the weekend of 20 and 21 September, the festival is being organised by membership body, Orkney Food and Drink/Taste of Orkney, with the aim of celebrating and showcasing the huge range of food and drink produce from the islands.
Staged in Kirkwall Grammar School, the event will involve celebrity cooking demonstrations, questions and answer sessions, tastings, special food and drink experiences and a host of other attractions. Local producers will also have the chance to promote and sell their goods at event stalls.
The full programme for the festival is currently being pulled together by Orkney Food and Drink/Taste of Orkney, with more details to be shared over the coming weeks.
Kerry Leask, project manager for Orkney Food and Drink/Taste of Orkney, said: “There were plans to hold an Orkney food and drink festival back in 2020, but unfortunately the pandemic put paid to those. Since then, we’ve been looking at how we could showcase our amazing producers with a truly memorable event that will be a big draw for local folk and visitors alike.
“James Martin visited Orkney for his Great British Adventure show for ITV in 2019, and he’s regularly championed Orkney products, so we were very keen to have him to headline our festival. We’re thrilled he’s agreed to take part. He’s sure to be a big draw for the event, along with Brin and Matty, and we can’t wait to see how they all work with Orkney produce.”
Kerry added: “We’ll have all kinds of other exciting elements to the festival and want to ensure it’s a real highlight of the year. If it’s the success we hope it’ll be, we’ll look at making it a regular event and something to look forward to for everyone who loves Orkney’s amazing food and drink.”
The event is being sponsored by Serco NorthLink Ferries, Highland Park, Cooke Scotland, Scottish Seafarms and Salmon Scotland. Loganair is supporting chef travel for the festival, with Huws Gray providing kitchens for cooking demonstrations. Accommodation for celebrity guests is being provided by The Foveran, The Storehouse and the Ayre Hotel.
The festival will showcase the very best of Orkney's larder.
Magnus Dixon, marketing manager at Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: “We’re incredibly proud to play a role in promoting Orkney’s food and drink scene. Our partnership with the festival reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the communities we serve and sharing the very best of Orkney with our passengers.
“NorthLink customers can experience a taste of the island onboard our ships with locally sourced ingredients featuring in our menus and a wide selection of Orcadian whiskies, gins, and craft beers available in bars and restaurants.”
Graham Bruce, visits and retail operations manager at Highland Park Distillery, said: “We are a proud sponsor of the first ever Orkney Food and Drink Festival and look forward coming together with others across the industry for this highly anticipated event, showcasing the exceptional quality of products made here and celebrating the skilled craft of the people who make them.”
Luke Lovegrove, chief commercial officer at Loganair, said: "As Scotland’s airline, we’re proud to serve communities across the Highlands and Islands, including Orkney, and are pleased to be flying James Martin and fellow chefs to headline this year's Orkney Food and Drink Festival.
"The festival is a fantastic celebration of the islands’ world-class produce, and we’re honoured to help bring such prominent figures in the UK food scene to the event. We look forward to seeing James and others championing Orkney’s incredible local offerings.”
Robert Peterson, Orkney area manager at Cooke Scotland, said: “It is a pleasure for Cooke Scotland to join the Scottish salmon sector in sponsoring this festival to showcase and celebrate the finest food and drink Orkney has to offer. We hope everyone gets an opportunity to taste our delicious salmon, raised right here in the cold, fast-moving tidal waters of Orkney - the perfect conditions for our salmon to become firm, muscular and full of vibrant flavour.”
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland said: “Salmon from Orkney is the best in the world. More than 10-per-cent of the UK’s top food export is farm-raised in Orkney, and salmon from the islands holds prestigious Label Rouge and organic certifications.
“Together with our local farming companies – Cooke Scotland and Scottish Sea Farms – Salmon Scotland is pleased to sponsor this year’s Orkney food festival and help draw attention to Orkney’s world-class food and drink offering.”
Orkney Food and Drink is supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and Scotland Food and Drink.