With local food all the rage, a new survey reveals that over three quarters of those asked are proud of the locally sourced food and locally inspired dishes available in the UK with Scotland the area proudest of its local offering and most strongly aware of its regional specialities.

The news comes as a host of events for food lovers take place this autumn in Scotland, ranging from the Whisky & Words festival at the Wigtown Book Festival (30 September – 3 October) and the Peebles Food Festival (23 – 25 October) in the Borders to the Trossachs International Mushroom Festival (22 – 25 October) and Whisky Week (1 – 7 November).

A poll carried out by Opinion Matters amongst 1610 participants in the UK found that people across the country are proud of the local food and locally inspired with 76% confirming this. In Scotland, this rose to 83%, making it the area of the UK proudest of its locally sourced food and dishes.

Yet despite this, when it came to identifying dishes traditional to each area of the UK, opinions differed as to what constituted a regional speciality. Many dishes such as shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, steak and kidney pie were all claimed by regions across the UK as dishes traditional to their area. Fish and chips was rated by 9 out of 11 regions as the dish most traditional to their area, with Scotland placing an alternative dish (haggis, neeps and tatties) as the strongest dish from the region. Other surprises came with over 1 in 10 in the North East laying claim to lasagne as a dish traditional to their area. Scotland was the region with strongest recognition for dishes specific to the area with porridge, haggis, Cullen skink, whisky all identified as Scottish.

Autumn was felt to be the season that best showcases food and drink in the UK with 30% believing this to be the case. Scotland was the area that most closely agreed with this, 10% above the national average.

Celebrity chef and cookery writer, Nick Nairn said:

“These survey results show Scotland as having strong awareness of its distinct food and drink culture in terms of our local dishes and the richness of the produce available. Autumn is an abundant time of year for food and it’s therefore a great time of year for food lovers to go on holiday and taste the specialities of the region. Here in Scotland, we’re spoilt by our natural larder and diversity of the food and drink festivals taking place from the Whisky & Words festival at the Wigtown Book Festival in the Highlands to the Peebles Food Festival in the south of the country. People visiting Scotland at this time of year have the opportunity to experience the stunning autumnal landscapes, the vibrant events and festivals and a warm Scottish welcome.”

Visitors can find out more about planning an autumn break and Scottish food and drink specialities on www.visitscotland.com/autumn.

This comes on the back of news that sales of Scottish produce across Great Britain has increased by 21% in two years (Scottish Government statistics).

Forthcoming Food & Drink Events:

WHISKY & WORDS
30 September – 3 October
In the south west of the country, one of Scotland’s literary hotspots, Wigtown celebrates whisky at its annual Stena Line Wigtown Book Festival with a special mini whisky literary festival. The programme explores the relationship between whisky and writing and most of the events will take place at Scotland’s southernmost distillery, Bladnoch Distillery. Amongst the events lined up are Roger Hutchinson on the real Whisky Galore; Tom Morton’s ‘Drinking For Scotland’; Ian Buxton on Aeneas MacDonald (who wrote one of the greatest literary book ever written about whisky); the poetry of drink; and a whisky-themed creative writing course. Top whisky writers, including Charles MacLean, Dave Broom and Gavin Smith, will be hosting events. Nips and tastings will be available at most events to combine the practical whisky information with the literary themes.
www.wigtownbookfestival.com

16TH ANNUAL GOLDEN SPURTLE™ WORLD PORRIDGE MAKING CHAMPIONSHIP
11 October
Carrbridge, Inverness-shire
Participants can compete in either the traditional or speciality rounds of this competition. The event also includes a farmers market, live music, cookery demonstrations, product tastings, pipe bands and forest runs.
www.goldenspurtle.com

TROSSACHS INTERNATIONAL MUSHROOM FESTIVAL
22 – 25 October
Scotland at home and abroad is celebrated at this year’s festival. Traditional Scottish cookery demonstrations, a family ceilidh, beer, whisky tasting and many other activities all feature.
www.visitthetrossachs.com

PEEBLES FOOD FESTIVAL
23 – 25 October
Now in its third year, the Peebles Food Festival in the pretty Borders town of Peebles includes this year a Ready Steady Cook event; healthy eating cook offs in local primary schools; wine and food matching events and a seven course dinner showcasing the skills of local chefs. There’s also a large farmers market with cookery demonstrations.
www.peeblesfoodfestival.com

A TASTE OF DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY
Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 November
Savour the Flavours of Dumfries & Galloway at this tasty event celebrating Dumfries & Galloway food and drink. There will be plenty of delicious goodies for visitors to sample, enjoy and buy as food and drink producers from across Scotland’s south west showcase their treats, share their passions and tell the story of their food and drink at this friendly event. Previously known as ‘Feast of Galloway’, 2009 is the fifth year that Forestry Commission Scotland’s Kirroughtree Visitor Centre,Newton Stewart has hosted this successful food event. The event has been so popular with visitors, local people and food producers that two new events are being hosted at Gretna Green and at Cream o’ Galloway, Gatehouse, to try and replicate the success of the original event.
www.savourtheflavours.co.uk

WHISKY WEEK
1 – 7 November
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Inverness, Dufftown, Fort William and Oban
In celebration of Homecoming and in recognition of one of Scotland’s great contributions to the world, Whisky Week comprises a unique series of gala whisky dinners held in venues across the country, starting with Whisky Live in Glasgow.
www.whiskymag.com

ST ANDREW’S DAY BORDERS BANQUET
28 – 30 November
Various venue’s across the Scottish Borders
For the first time the Borders Banquet will be celebrating St Andrew’s day with a series of events in November. These include the Hawick food and drink Festival, a cookery demonstration in Kelso, enhanced activities at the Kelso Farmers Market, a Christmas Food Fair at Traquair House and a reception and banquet at the two historic venues of Abbotsford house and Wedderburn Castle near Duns. These events will celebrate the quality and diversity of food produced in the Scottish Borders and will showcase a variety of different business sectors to our visitors. . It will emphasise the strong link between the quality of our regional food and its exceptional landscapes.
www.bordersfoodnetwork.co.uk