Local produce on the menu at tasteful event
Foodies from all over the region were spoilt for choice over the October holidays as the Forth Valley Food Festival swung into action.
The fortnight-long event showcased local food and drink businesses, with a range of online and socially distant events providing opportunities for families and food fans of all ages to get involved while sampling some of the best that Stirlingshire has to offer.
Among the programme of events included pumpkin picking at Arnprior Farm, online kitchen medicine workshops with Trossachs Wild Apothecary and cookalongs, including a meatball making class hosted by Stirling’s Mamma Mia restaurant.
Festival co-ordinator Carolyn
Mcgill was left delighted by the response in a particularly challenging year.
She said: “Our local food and drink businesses need our support now more than ever and the festival is one of the ways we’re encouraging people to shop local.
“Despite the restrictions this year, local families were still able to enjoy a host of festival activities from finding the perfect pumpkin from the 10,000 on offer at Arnprior Farm and meeting the goats at Achray Farm, to Camphill Blair Drummond Bakery’s fantastic rainbow bread making session and a novel naan bread-making workshop by Turnip the Beet.
“Fallen Tree Coffee also gave us their insight into local roasters and with the pubs closed, we even managed to organise a virtual food and drink themed pub quiz at the Forth Inn in Aberfoyle.”
The festival, which is organised by the Food Valley Food and Drink network, also ran workshops for those looking to forage or grow their own food, as well as a chance for the Food Train charity to appeal for volunteers to sign up for their connect service.
It also had a significant online presence, with a pair of Facebook cookalongs hosted by Bannockburn House and led by head gardener Katie White and local chef Sara Macmillan attracting more than 2,300 viewers.
Bannockburn House events manager, Ross Caldwell, said: “Thanks to funding from Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise we were able to deliver ingredient packs to 60 local families to allow them to join in at home, using produce from our own kitchen garden where possible and local suppliers such as Egglicious Eggs.”