The full programme for the Orkney Food and Drink Festival 2025 is now live on Orkney.com.
Celebrity chef James Martin will headline the event, running across the weekend of 20 and 21 September.
Brin Pirathapan, who won BBC MasterChef 2024, will also be making an appearance at the festival, along with Great British Bake Off 2023 winner Matty Edgell.
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.
Primarily staged in Kirkwall Grammar School and the Orkney Theatre, the event will involve celebrity cooking demonstrations, questions and answer sessions, tastings, and special food and drink experiences, along with a host of other attractions – all with an Orkney flavour.
The festival programme is available to view on Orkney.com where tickets for events can also be booked. In addition, a hard copy of the programme is being produced and will be available shortly.
Kerry Leask, project manager for Orkney Food and Drink/Taste of Orkney, said: “After a lot of planning, we’re really excited to be sharing the programme for the Orkney Food and Drink Festival 2025. In addition to the celebrity chef appearances by James, Brin and Matty, and all the special events and experiences, a lot of our local producers will be involved, sharing their products and telling their stories. Indeed, the event just wouldn’t have been possible without the support and enthusiasm of Orkney’s food and drink businesses, so a massive thank you to all of them, and our sponsors.”
She added: “We hope everyone will be as thrilled as we are about the programme and we’re now really looking forward to it all happening in September! We’re sure the Orkney public will get behind the event and we also hope it’ll prove a draw for visitors.”
The event is being sponsored by Serco NorthLink Ferries, Highland Park, Cooke Scotland, Scottish Seafarms, Salmon Scotland and The Orkney Distillery. Loganair is supporting chef travel for the festival, with Huws Gray providing kitchens for cooking demonstrations, using appliances from CDA. Accommodation for celebrity guests is being provided by The Foveran, The Storehouse and the Ayre Hotel.
Orkney Food and Drink is a membership body representing many of the islands’ producers, and is financially assisted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and Scotland Food and Drink.