SCOTLAND’s biggest one-day food and drink festival, Taste of Grampian, is just around the corner and will be held on Saturday June 2, 2018 at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

The event, which allows visitors to discover and sample a wide range of high quality food and drink products from the North-east and beyond, will include cookery demonstrations by Celebrity Chef, James Martin and BBC Masterchef the Professionals winner and Scotland’s national chef, Gary Maclean, as well as a host of local chefs displaying their talents in the kitchen.

James Martin made his television debut in November 1996 and since then, he has rarely been off our screens. Returning for the third time to the Taste of Grampian event, James will hold three cookery demonstrations at Ring 2 at 10:30am to 11:15am; 13:15pm to 14:00pm and 15:30pm to 16:15pm.

Multi-award-winning chef, Gary Maclean will be demonstrating at the event for the first time this year and can be found in Braehead Foods Demo Kitchen from 13:00pm to 13:45pm and Ring 2 from 14:15pm to 15:00pm.

On the day, both James Martin and Gary Maclean will be using fresh local Grampian ingredients in all their recipes.

Local chefs’’ demonstrations will take place throughout the day at the Outdoor Arena, The Seafood Kitchen, Braehead Foods Demo Kitchen and So on Fire BBQ Cook School.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sheep auctioneer, Colin Slessor, who was one of the stars of the BBC show, The Mart, will go against head chef of The Cock and Bull Balmedie, Graham Mitchell, who won the national title of Surf and Turf Chef of the Year, last November.

Graham has won several awards including Gold for the North-east of Scotland Seafood Chef, Gold for Scottish Seafood Chef at the culinary championship and is a two time national game chef of the year finalist. He is also a member of the Scottish culinary team and will head to the culinary world cup in November.

The cook off will take place at Ring 3 from 14:00pm to 14:45pm.

Colin Slessor and Victor Garcia, who is head chef at the Porterhouse Steakhouse and Coffee Bar, will also be cooking up the ‘Perfect Porterhouse Steak – the Tomahawk’ at the Outdoor Arena from 16:30 to 17:00.

So... on Fire Barbecue Cook School, sponsored by SO, will include demonstrations from head chef and guests including butchering to BBQ by John Davidson and Angus and Oink, while wine, beer and gin tasting can be enjoyed throughout the day. There will also be masterclasses in all wines, beers and spirits featuring Susy Atkins, one of the UK’s most knowledgeable wine experts; beer masterclasses from one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK, Brewdog; and Peter Sim (Peaty Nose).

A series of local bands and entertainment are planned for throughout the day and for the first time this year, the event will have a Year of Young People Stage with musicians aged from 8 to 24-years-old.

Featuring an array of food, fun and music, there will also be a craft marquee, children’s fun educational area, a Motor Show, dancers, magicians, buskers and pipe bands.

Event information:

TICKETS:

General admission tickets for the event can be purchased on EventBrite and cost £8 each, while children under the age of 16 go free when accompanied by an adult.

There are also a number of special event tickets like wine, beer and gin masterclasses which can be found online.

Event enquiries can be made to amandarobertson@primeeventmanagement.com or Tel: 01224 646488

DIRECTIONS:

From the south

The Thainstone Centre is situated 10 miles north of the Aberdeen airport roundabout on the A96, Aberdeen to Inverness Road.

Turn left at the Thainstone roundabout which is ½ mile before Inverurie.

The Thainstone Centre is located immediately to the left.

From the north

The Thainstone Centre is situated a ½ mile south of the Port Elphinstone / Inverurie roundabout on the A96, Inverness to Aberdeen Road.

Turn right at the Thainstone roundabout which is ½ mile after the Inverurie bypass.

The Thainstone Centre is located immediately to the left.

Shuttle bus – PARK AND RIDE

We are Inverurie will operate in conjunction with Premier Coaches.

A Park and Ride shuttle bus service will run between the Thainstone Centre and Inverurie and Kintore every 30 minutes in peak times from 9am until 9.30pm. Pick up points will be from The School in Kintore and the Town Hall and Gordon House in Inverurie. Cost will be £1 each way.