SPRING FOOD EVENTS
sip, sizzle and snack
Mark your card for some action-packed food and drink events coming to a venue, street or entire town near you this spring
54 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2017
1–4 APRIL TALES OF THE COCKTAIL ON TOUR 26–28 MAY EDINBURGH CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
Various venues, Edinburgh, talesofthecocktail.com An industry gathering of international spirits professionals makes its i rst European appearance. There are various opportunities for the general public to get a piece of the action, with bars across the city shaking up special cocktail events plus a series of seminars and talks from the drinks experts in town for the week.
19–22 APRIL PAISLEY BEER FESTIVAL & FOOD FESTIVAL Paisley Town Hall & Abbey Close, Paisley, paisleybeerfestival.co.uk, paisley2021.co.uk As Paisley launches its bid to be UK City of Culture 2021, Scotland’s largest beer gathering celebrates its 30th birthday. It’s joined by Paisley Food Festival on Saturday 22 April and Paisley Restaurant Week (Saturday 15–Sunday 23 April), with discounts and deals at various places throughout the town centre.
11–13 MAY FESTIVALE4
Summerhall, Edinburgh, summerhall.co.uk Summerhall’s annual gathering of beer, spirits and street food, focusing on limited edition, can’t- get-anywhere-else beers from local brewers, a cocktail kitchen and their very own Bar of Unearthly Delights, plus live science experiments, DJs and acoustic music.
12–14 MAY SCOTTISH STREET FOOD AWARDS Pitt Street, Leith, Edinburgh, britishstreetfood.co.uk The inaugural Scottish Street Food Awards will see vendors battling it out for the public vote and the chance to compete in the UK-wide competition in September. See preview, page 57.
26–28 MAY MHOR FESTIVAL Monachyle Mhor Farm, Balquhidder, Perthshire, mhorfestival.net An in-the-know boutique food festival run by the enterprising Mhor group of hotels and shops, with baking competitions, theatre, live music and many more activities for kids and adults, as well as lots of great food.
The Biscuit Factory, Bonnington, Edinburgh, edinburghcraftbeerfestival.co.uk Scotland’s i rst global craft beer gathering with over 30 internationally renowned brewers such as Lervig, Firestone Walker, and Yeastie Boys alongside locals including Tempest and Fierce Beer. There’s food from some of The Pitt’s vendors and high-proi le DJ sets too.
26–29 MAY EAT & DRINK FESTIVAL SEC, Glasgow, eatanddrinkfestival.com Running alongside the Ideal Home Show Scotland, this big new event strand (pictured, left & bottom) offers a chef’s table from the show’s street vendors, a foodie lab demo area, a producers’ market and a drinks station for cocktails, spirits and beers.
27 & 28 MAY THE WHISKY STRAMASH Surgeons’ Hall, Edinburgh, thewhiskystramash.com Now in its sixth year, sample over 200 whiskies from Scotland and further ai eld, and get hands-on with some special ‘experiences’ too.
27 & 28 MAY LARGS FOOD FEST Largs Green, The Promenade, Largs, North Ayrshire, explorelargs.com Largs celebrates food from Ayrshire and beyond (pictured, top right) with demos, talks, tastings, bars and live music, along with kids’ entertainment.
2–4 JUNE JUNIPER GIN FESTIVAL Summerhall, Edinburgh, summerhall.co.uk With a variety of top producers to try before you buy as well as gin talks, cocktails, food stalls and handmade fashions and crafts, the Juniper Festival is a celebration of all things gin.
10 & 11 JUNE CRAIL FOOD FESTIVAL Crail, Fife, crailfoodfest.co.uk Local food celebration among the old streets and harbour of this pretty East Neuk village, with highlights including a children’s tea party and Sunday Lunch at the harbour with shelli sh, venison, i sh and chips, and haddock smoking.