{"id":68572,"date":"2019-09-16T19:10:04","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T18:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aberdeenbusinessnews.co.uk\/2019\/09\/16\/north-east-businesses-boosted-by-bumper-food-festival\/"},"modified":"2019-09-21T15:15:38","modified_gmt":"2019-09-21T14:15:38","slug":"north-east-businesses-boosted-by-bumper-food-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aberdeenbusinessnews.co.uk\/north-east-businesses-boosted-by-bumper-food-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"North-east businesses boosted by bumper food festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The corridors and courtyards of Cults Academy were reverberating to rather different sights and sounds on Sunday 15th<\/sup> September, as thousands of people descended on the venue for the Deeside Local Food Festival\u2019s fifth outing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over 3,400 people of all ages immersed themselves in an enticing array of gastronomic delights, as well as foodie talks, chef demos, workshops and activities, all designed to celebrate the North-east\u2019s thriving food and drink scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Featuring a staggering 74 food and drink businesses, over 90% of whom hail from the local region, the festival was a resounding hit with visitors and businesses alike. Food and drink producers from across the North-east reported brisk business throughout the course of the day, and revelled in the opportunity to present their products to both locals and visitors. Indeed, such was their popularity that many of the outlets and stalls sold out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VisitScotland Regional Director, Jo Robinson, welcomed the lasting legacy of the festival for local businesses, saying: \u201cDeeside is home to many first-class food and drink producers and experiences; the Deeside Local Food Festival is a fantastic asset to the events programme in the North-east, and attracts visitors from far and wide, making a valuable contribution to the visitor experience and the regional economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVisitors spend around a fifth of their holiday budget on eating and drinking when they are on holiday in Scotland, demonstrating the importance of the industry to Scottish tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am delighted that the community and businesses in Deeside have been able to once again showcase the inspirational products as well as food and drink experiences in this region for visitors to enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The local produce market was at the heart of the annual festival. From jams to jalapenos, cheese to chocolate and bread to bacon, the North-east\u2019s most exciting producers were on hand to share their artisan wares \u2013 and their passion for fine food – with the appreciative crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gin-blending workshops were a new addition to this year\u2019s programme. Run by master gin-blenders, the Deeside Distillery, these popular workshops gave gin-lovers the opportunity to craft their own signature bottle of gin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Younger foodies were also well catered for. Lynne from \u2018Kids in the Kitchen Aberdeen\u2019 ran a number of children\u2019s afternoon tea making workshops, which sold out in record time. The budding young chefs whipped up a selection of delights including cheese scones, custard creams and rocky road bars, as well as enjoying food themed games and activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lots of visitors enjoyed learning more about the story behind the brand, with talks from Wes Lewis of the Seafood Bothy, Jamie Hutcheon of Cocoa Ooze, Anna Mitchell from Castleton Farm, and Jenny Fyall from Udny Pumpkins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Returning to the festival was particularly special for Wes and his wife Maria, as it was a visit there last year that sparked the idea for their business \u2013 a converted horse-box serving up the fresh seafood Wes catches off the Stonehaven coastline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The much-loved chef demonstrations returned this year, with some of the North-east\u2019s most distinguished chefs serving up culinary masterpieces. Craig Wilson of Eat on the Green and Lauren Mitchell of Northsound, compered the Marquee stage which hosted Graham Mitchell of the Newmachar Hotel, Orry Shand of Entier Services, Nick Coetzer of Roots Catering and Ross Cochrane of the Rothesay Rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Franchetti and Cat Frankitti compered the Seafood Scotland stage, which celebrated Scotland\u2019s rich seafood bounty. Top chefs Ross Cochrane, Orry Shand and Kevin Dalgleish of the Chester Hotel cooked up a mouth-watering menu of fish and shellfish dishes. Kids also took part in lots of fishy-themed fun activities at the stage, including challenges, competitions and storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout the day The Street Food Caf\u00e9 thronged with visitors serving up tasty treats to diners, while they enjoyed live entertainment from a number of music and dancing groups, including Cults Academy Ceilidh Group, Chalmers Mackay Music School and the Sinclair School of Highland Dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n