WITH MORE than 90% of the showgoing audience declaring that the food hall is one of the highlights of the weekend, organisers have pulled out all the stops to further impress with the best of quality produce that Scotland has to offer.

The Food and Drink Hall will be packed to the brim with around 100 companies displaying everything from honey to haggis, shortbread to seafood, delicatessen to drams of fine whisky, food lovers will have plenty of choice when it comes to tasting, sampling and buying.

Under the watchful eye of theatre co-ordinator and cook Wendy Barrie, who herself will present a celebration of East Lothian Food and Drink under the banner ‘Edinburgh Coast and Countryside’, leading names from the Scottish culinary world will participate in a rolling four day programme of cooking sessions.

In addition to Tony Borthwick and Claire Macdonald, they include Tom Lewis who has won a host of awards as chef proprietor of Monachyle Mhor at Balquhidder, including an appearance on BBC’s Great British Menu.

Also featuring are Craig Wilson, chef proprietor of Eat on the Green Restaurant at Udny Green, Aberdeenshire, Peter Norrie of Knockomie Hotel, Forres, Tim Dover of The Roost Restaurant in Bridge of Earn and Susan Crosthwaite at Cosses Country House, Ballantrae, Ayrshire.

From Edinburgh, there will be ‘capital cooking’ from Karen Mackay, head chef at Channings, part of the Town House Company’s group of boutique hotels, Mike Black of Henderson’s , the top veggie dining establishment for over 40 years and Paul Wedgwood featuring recipes from his eponymous restaurant.

For French influence, look out for Clermont-born Patrick Bardoulet of The Horseshoe Inn at Eddleston, and for a taste of Spain, Iggy Campos from Iggs in Edinburgh, will highlight some high end Spanish cuisine plus the traditional tapas.

Completing the culinary line-up are Craig Coulson, Development Chef for the Vion Food Group, James Ferguson, Director of Food Services at St George’s School, Edinburgh, Morven Hastie of the Wishingwell Farmhouse Coffee and Gift Shop at Drymen and Bernard Alessi of Simple Simon’s Perfect Pies.

Among the new companies exhibiting in the Food and Drink Hall are Browns Food Group from Kirkconnel, Dumfriesshire. Established in 1885 as a small family butcher, the group now produces a range of cooked and frozen food products including deli, cooked meats, smoked salmon and convenience food.

Also new for 2010 are the Spencerfield Spirit Company from Inverkeithing. Famous for their Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose whisky, they plan to launch a new gin at the show. Knight’s Gin of London is another newcomer whose fruit gins use Blairgowrie raspberries and brambles.

For those who like their refreshments to be non alcoholic, the Edinburgh Tea and Coffee Company will be introducing their range of speciality coffees and fine teas and also exhibiting for the first time are former Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Award category winners Hardiesmill and Tombuie from Gordon, Berwickshire, with their smoked and cured beef.

Another past winner, Mackays Ltd from Arbroath, who regularly exhibit at the show will be launching their new range of Mrs Bridges mustards and mayonnaises.

Seafood Scotland are making a welcome return to the Food and Drink Hall and will be pushing home the message that seafood is both delicious and nutritious. More than 60 different species are landed daily into Scottish ports.

Industry body Scotland Food and Drink, which is tasked to increase the value of the sector to £10 billion, will be showcasing some of the best of Scottish in its first time exhibitors’ pavilion. (see below for details).

There will be an enlarged regional exhibit from Orkney Quality Food and Drink which will be showcasing around 10 companies from the islands (See below for more details). Also exhibiting on composite stands are East Lothian and Aberdeenshire.

Royal Highland Show manager David Dunsmuir said: “Through the cookery theatre and our wide range of exhibits, we will be sending out a strong message about the quality, variety and provenance of Scottish food and drink plus selected products from other parts of the UK.

“The Food and Drink Hall is one of our most popular attractions and visitors can see – and taste – the end results of all the magnificent effort by our farmers and food producers.”

Orkney shows off its natural harvest

If you are a small cottage industry situated in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, it makes perfect business sense to join up with other local producers and reap the benefits of exhibiting at large shows together, reducing both travel and exhibitors costs.

Orkney Quality Food and Drink represent the island’s leading producers whose expertise combines the finest natural harvests of the land and sea with the highest production standards.

A membership organisation responsible for bringing mutual benefits to the Orkney food and drink industry through joint representation and promotion at a local and national level.

Their aims are to promote the continued development and growth of Orkney’s food and drink industry by supporting a commitment to quality and members efforts to improve standards with regards to sources of raw materials, production facilities, manufacturing processes and human resource development.

Producers coming down to the show are:

Orkney Fisherman’s Society – According to the Seafish Industry Authority only 2.5% of the population have ever tasted crab meat and our aim is to change that by sampling to as many people as possible and selling convenient packs of the succulent white meat for them to enjoy.

Orkney Herring – trying to raise brand and product awareness.

Highland Park Distillery

Orkney Brewery -Sinclair Breweries is very pleased to be taking part in the Highland Show this year. Hoping to use the show to increase awareness of all our product range and also promote our Raven Ale which is champion ale for Scotland for 2009/10. The Orkney Brewery is in the final stages of a major expansion project due to the demand for these quality cask ales.

Orkney Creamery – launching a new product at the RHS 2010.

Orkney Cheese – Gold and Bronze winners for their cheese at RHS 2009.

Orkney Islands Smokery – Silver winner for cheese at RHS 2009

Visit Orkney

Stockan & Garden’s – traditional family baking recipes, some dating back more than 200 years.A variety of oatcakes, shortbread and biscuits are produced in our Orkney bakeries.

Orkney Isles Preserves – Glynis Leslie makes her traditional jams and chutneys according to recipes handed down through the generations of her family. Orkney Isle Preserves works in close collaboration with many of the islands other producers.

Glynis says: “I work a lot with the Orkney Wine Company flavouring my products with their wine. Which makes my Fine Cut Marmalade with 18 Carat Fortified Wine taste amazing. Also my Blueberry Jam is enriched with Orkney Black Portent, Rhubarb Jam with Strubarb Wine.

“My Smoked Tomato Chutney is developed with the help of the Island smokery. Even the tomatoes are grown in Birsay at Nelson’s Market Gardens.”

Glynis intends to take her Chilli Jam to the show as it has proved very popular. Her biggest seller is a Really Garlicky Tomato Chutney.

“I make beetroot chutney and rhubarb jam to my granny’s recipes and it is made with beetroot grown by my brother-in-law Tommy Leslie.

“The wholegrain mustard I make is flavoured with Shapinsay honey. I do try to source raw materials locally where I can, but where this is not possible endeavour to give the products an Orkney flavour by adding local products, eg I flavour the marmalades with Orkney whisky and wine.

“My business is small so it is a great opportunity, as part of the Orkney Quality Food Group, that I am able to attend a show like this. I think it’s good to go out and meet the public so they can identify where the products are from and who makes them. I hope the show managed to advertise what Orkney has to offer and encourage more folk to come and visit.”

• Pop along to the Orkney Quality Food Producers stand and enter the competition to win the perfect break to Orkney.