Hundreds flock to first food festival
Food for thought was the order of the day when the Victory Hall in Benderloch threw its doors open to local farmers growers and makers on Saturday.
As well as featuring a mouth-watering array of stands, the inaugural Awakening in Argyll Food Festival encouraged interaction from visitors throughout the day.
Children were invited to use the play area, complete with a toy cooker, while Campbell Cameron’s soup making demonstration and sampling station proved to be to everyone’s taste.
More than 200 members of the public enjoyed the opportunity to connect directly with producers, while local chef Alex Needham, ably assisted by his daughter Elizabeth, cooked up a treat in a Ready, Steady, Cook using locally sourced food selected by the organisers.
Mairi Stones, from Awakening in Argyll, said: ‘The Festival of Food was hugely successful in connecting local people with our amazing local produce.
‘We were delighted to have the support of so many local people, as were the local producers, who really enjoyed selling direct to their customers.
‘An amazing team of Awakening in Argyll volunteers made this happen, along with support from the Barcaldine Community Association providing teas and coffees, and chef Alex Needham teaching us some quick tasty recipes using the local produce.’
Saturday’s gourmet gathering also gave members of the community an opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Good Food Nation proposals, which ends on March 29.
Mairi continued: ‘As part of the Good Food Nation government consultation, we feel it sends a strong message about the importance our local food system here in Scotland.
‘Encouraging and supporting local food production strengthens a community’s ability to face future food shocks, which we may experience due to climate change, resource depletion and the current political shenanigans.
‘Purchasing from local producers also helps to keep money in the local economy, it provides local employment and lessens our dependence on the global agro/food businesses which are so damaging to our planet.
‘Having a thriving local food economy is a critical part of creating a strong, resilient community that can flourish well into the future. This is what Awakening in Argyll is all about.’
Organisers would like to thank all the contributors who made the Festival of Food a great success, including Dave Croucher, The Old Garden Taynuilt (veg and herbs); Brendan Reade, Isle of Mull Cheese; Highland Fold: ice cream; Seil Bakery; Jessie Wormell (veg and herbs shop at the gate); Moira Newiss, Fermentation Station (fermented foods and sourdough bread); Amanda Coates, Wee Pig Company, Kilmore (pork goods); Jill Bowis, Kintaline Farm (hogget, eggs, mutton, herbs); Gill Vollum, Kerrera (frozen beef and pork); Katherine MacDonald, Duntarrin Farm (beef burgers, scotch eggs); Amanda Anderson, Food from Argyll (information and examples); Karen MacDonald, Alba Seafoods (smoked fish products); Rhonda Pettigrew, Auchinbreck Farm (pork burgers and pulled pork); North Connel and District Horticultural Society (information about show and plant sale in May).