The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Taste of Grampian serves up a virtual feast for 2020
Get ready to enjoy a free, front-row seat at the fantastic virtual Taste of Grampian Food and Drink Festival, writes Susan Welsh
There should have been candles on the cake, banners flying high and a celebratory atmosphere in the air as Taste of Grampian marked its 21st birthday. Like all good 21sts, a key to the door would have featured prominently – in this case the key to a new venue, the P&J Live arena in Aberdeen. The annual food and drink festival showcasing large and small top-quality food and drink producers from the north-east of Scotland and beyond regularly attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the former site at Thainstone, Inverurie.
Because of Covid-19, a decision was taken reluctantly to postpone this year’s event in its new home until next year.
But the idea of thousands of visitors and producers missing out didn’t sit comfortably with event organisers.
Doing nothing was never an option – so a bold decision was taken to make this year’s Taste of Grampian (ToG) a virtual festival.
Cara Munro, head of events for DC Thomson Media, takes up the story.
“Our main aim has always been to support our local farmers, growers, fishermen and artisan producers,” said Cara
“By making the festival virtual, we can still bring an audience to local food and drink producers who, more than ever, need our support this year.
“Many of them use summer shows and festivals such as ToG to showcase their produce and let people see, hear about and taste new products.
“But it was more than that, it had become a traditional, must-attend family event and red-letter day in the calendar.”
The idea for the original event stemmed from dozens of conversations between the late Brian Pack, then Aberdeen Northern Mart Group chief executive; Derek Tucker, then P&J editor; and the paper’s farming editor, the late Joe Watson.
As a result of those chats, Taste of Grampian was born with around 6,000 visitors attending the first event headlined by celebrity chefs Antony Worrall Thompson, a regular on the hit BBC show Ready, Steady, Cook, and Lady Claire Macdonald.
Lady C may have had access to a crystal ball then as, after the first festival, she said: “I could see this being developed into a weekendlong or three-day festival.”
She was right.
Over the years the festival grew, generating millions of pounds for north-east producers.
The virtual festival takes place from September 18-20, and runs in association with Quality Meat Scotland and other partners including ANM Group, Opportunity North East, the Press and Journal/Evening Express and Original 106 FM.
“Making it an online event was a big challenge because we wanted it to have the festival atmosphere people love; allow them to ‘taste’ produce and see much-loved events such as chef demonstrations,” said Cara.
“We’re delighted to say there will be cookalongs, gin and whisky tastings, etc, which people can take part in by logging on now to the website and deciding which event they’d like to join.
“They need to order samples, drinks or food ingredients now if they want to join in the fun at home while tuning in live to the festival.”
On the next two pages you’ll find a full programme of events which lets you plan exactly what you’d like to view.
Click on to the website www. tasteofgrampian.co.uk and you’ll find a short description of each session along with links
to the exhibitors allowing you to buy products directly from them before the virtual festival so you have everything you need in time to join in the fun.
“Visiting the tents was always a fun part of the festival and the virtual one will be no different,” said Cara.
There will be six virtual tents from regions including Grampian, the Highlands, Tayside and Fife, to name but a few, and each one will have a variety of videos and live links ranging from tasting sessions to behind the scenes tours and musical entertainment – all of which will be free.
At the click of a mouse you can have a front-row seat at the festival which features chefs including Craig Wilson, aka the Kilted Chef.
“I’ve been involved in ToG for many years and always tried to share my personality and talk about local produce,” says Craig.
“This year has become one where we have had to learn to be daringly different, and making ToG virtual is a great idea.
“Taking the theme A Taste of Land and Sea, I have made videos of me meeting fisherman Jimmy Buchan at Peterhead Harbour and Highland cattle farmer Craig Finnie – they are good examples of people who are really passionate and care about local produce.
“I’ll also be cooking – no big fancy recipes, just good, traditional, fresh fare using local products.
“There will be a twist on Cullen skink and possibly a recipe including grass!”
Tuning in to watch the virtual Taste of Grampian festival couldn’t be simpler. Just visit the website www.tasteofgrampian.co.uk and enjoy, FREE of charge, a fun weekend of events giving you an insight into the wonderful work being done by hardworking farmers, fisherman, artisan producers and drink makers from this part of the world, musical entertainment and much, much more.