Foodies Festival Edinburgh brings the largest food and drink festival in the UK, including some of the country's biggest food and drink stars to Inverleith Park in the capital this August.
Launched in 2005 with a single event in Edinburgh, over the last 12 years Foodies Festival has expanded across the UK, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015 with 13 festivals (10 summer and 3 winter events).
The organisers of Foodies Festival are expecting this year to be their biggest festival and line-up of foodie fun yet, promising visitors the tastiest day out in Scotland in 2017.
Foodies Festival proudly celebrates local produce in each festival region and showcases the most exciting and talented chefs, bakers and producers in the UK.
To date, Foodies has welcomed over 3 million visitors and helped launch hundreds of new businesses and supported thousands of small producers.
This year, Foodies Festival launches itself as a food, drink and wellbeing festival with a new healthy living zone.
Inverleith Park (enter via Inverleith Place Gate). One of the city's best loved green spaces, the park is situated near the attractive inner suburb of Inverleith.
Picture: Google
Inverleith Park
Arboretum Road, Edinburgh, EH3 5NZ
The festival begins on Friday the 4th of August, and runs until Sunday the 6th of August.
Friday 5th August: 11am – 7pm
Saturday 6th August: 10am – 8pm
Sunday 7th August: 10am – 7pm
Tickets are on sale now at www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111.
Friday adult day ticket costs £10.00 (£8.00 concession) while the Saturday or Sunday adult day ticket will cost £14.00 (£10.00 concession).
Should you wish to enjoy all three days then the 3-day adult ticket is just £20.00 (£16.00 concession).
VIP tickets are also available and include VIP tickets include a welcome glass of bubbly, access to the new music stage with private mirror bar and refreshments throughout the day, priority entry to food and drink masterclasses, a goody bag and a showguide.
Friday VIP ticket costs £35.00
Saturday or Sunday VIP ticket costs £38.00
All children aged 12 and under go free to all Foodies Festivals when accompanied by an adult.
Tickets include one day entry to the festival and free admission to food and drink masterclasses in The Chefs Theatre, The Drinks Theatre, The Cake & Bake Theatre and The Children’s Cookery Theatre (subject to availability).
There is live music provided throughout the day from The Unsigned Music Awards Stage and samples available across the festival site.
By car - street parking in the area is available but limited
By bus - (recommended) - 23 or 27 from city centre
Chefs Theatre
Scotland's culinary masters will showcase their skills and share insight into this year's food trends while answering questions from the audience.
Enjoy masterclasses from top chefs like Jacqueline O’Donnell and Mark Greenaway, while MasterChef Winner 2016 Jane Devonshire will also be cooking up her family favourites and showing the Foodies visitors how to make gluten-free healthy, comfort food.
Picture: Foodies Festival
Other top chefs such as Kaori Simpson of Harajuku Kitchen, Graeme Pallister of 63 Tay Street, and Adam Newth of The Tayberry, will also be putting in an appearance.
This year's festival will also see a focus on a new health and wellbeing focus, with a partnership with Lululemon providing an exciting timetable of yoga classes, mindfulness, meditation, as well as nutrition talks from Olympic Silver medallist Keri-Anne Payne.
Picture: Foodies Festival
‘Ask the Experts’ sessions will highlight the latest trends in ‘feel good foods’ and healthy living to educate visitors on why what we cook is key to a happy, balanced lifestyle.
Drinks Theatre
Expert mixologists and sommeliers, including Neil Phillips and Charles Metcalfe, will host a full timetable of masterclasses on wine, whisky and champagne and cheese tastings in the Drinks Theatre each day.
There’s a Beer for That will be leading craft beer and food pairings, so there’s something for everyone.
Street Food Avenue
Now in its 12th year, Foodies Festival attracts street food vendors from around the world, offering visitors the chance to take a culinary trip to all corners of the world.
Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Argentinian, Turkish, Indian, Korean, Mexican, French and African are just some of the flavours to feast on this summer.
With everything from Crème Brulee campervans to flavours of Morocco and paella, the team behind the event challenge you "not to be lured in by the sensory overload of the Street Food Avenue".
Cakes & Desserts Theatre
From Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown to baking extraordinaire Charlotte White, master chocolatier Fiona Sciolti and top local cake-makers and patisserie chefs, the Cakes and Desserts theatre is set to expand to include not only top local bakers but also local chefs renowned for their outstanding desserts.
The organisers said: "From delectable desserts to show-stopping cake towers, these chefs and bakers will be inspiring visitors to reach for their spatulas and whisks at home to recreate their delicious summer bakes."
Picture: Foodies Festival
Avid bakers can get hands on with the event's practical baking masterclasses or bring along their best bake to enter the festival's very own Foodies Bake Off competition judged at 3pm each day with a KitchenAid Mini for the winner.
Artisan Producers Market
A huge array of Great Taste Award winners will be exhibiting at Foodies Festival 2017, each being hailed as a producer of ‘Exquisite, Outstanding and Simply Delicious’ food and drink.
The team say this will be a fantastic opportunity for visitors to meet artisan producers from the local area and across the country, ask questions about their produce and story, and stock up on award winning produce.
With over 200 stalls to peruse at each festival, visitors will be "spoilt for choice" while they meander between smoked salmon tasting stands, outstanding local cheeses, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, award-winning oils and chutneys, and much, much more.
Kids Zone and Kids Cookery School
The Kids Cookery School is a chance for the whole family to join in while the children are introduced to new food and flavours from around the world.
There will be fun science inspired kids cookery with Kiddy Cook leading classes on ‘Marvellous Microbes’, science experiments you can eat, making sherbet and ‘Fizz! Bang! Wallop!’ classes on how Co2 makes dough rise as they make bread bubble bombs, carbon dioxide rockets and delicious dough balls with homemade garlic butter with the kids.
In addition there will be outdoor activities, simple crafts, toys, books, bouncy castles and trampolines, giant hula hoops, giant Jenga, chess and garden games. Private toilets and a nursing area will also be included.
Cook with Critters: Creative Healthy Living
There is a new bug-eating trend in healthy living, with Chef Dan Barber having declared that “Sushi of 30 years ago is the insects of today”.
Don’t shy away from this new trend too quickly, as the insect food industry is booming and the Vietnamese Street Food Stand will be demonstrating how to cook with critters and the health benefits of doing so.
Amongst growing research that eating insects may be the road to a more sustainable future, stop by to learn about the benefits of chocolate-dipped and candy-coated worms, scorpions, locusts, ants, caterpillars, mealworms and crickets.
These tasty critters will also be sold in powder and flour form – a high source of protein - to bake, season and cook with.
For those brave enough, there’s a daily Bug-Eating Contest, where visitors compete against one another by eating jungle insects, from small ants to large juicy grubs, with the contestant eating the biggest and the most being crowned champion.
Chilli-Eating Challenge
The famous Chilli-Eating Challenge also continues in 2017, inviting fans of spice to compete in a challenge for only the bravest of visitors.
Live Music, Restaurant Tents and Pop-Up Bars
Described as a “Gastronomic Glastonbury”, the festival will offer the chance to dance along to the live music on their Entertainment Stage, with local favourites taking to the stage.
Enjoy the music and soak up the atmosphere with a glass of Pimms from the Giant Pimm’s Teaport, a rum cocktail from the Rum Galleon Ship, a gin and tonic from the Giant Gin Pot or bask in the sun atop the double-decker BarBus.
Also, why not stop by one of the amazing restaurant tents, which champion new restaurants and provide visitors with the first taste of newly launched menus.
This year, restaurant tents include Bilbao Tourist Board, celebrating the new direct Edinburgh-Bilbao route with Spanish delicacies, CAU Steak Restaurant with it’s distinct Buenos Aires twist and Maki and Ramen restaurant with freshly made sushi and steaming hot ramen.
How do I pay for things? Cash is accepted on site and some stalls accept cards. Cash machines are available as well. The festival does not operate a token/crown system.
Can I bring my dog? Dogs are welcome at Foodies Festival on a short lead at all times. There are water stations at the back of the site for dogs to drink from.
What is the recommended footwear? As the festival is on grass, it is recommended that visitors wear comfortable footwear.
Wellies are only needed if there has been heavy rain, but the festival is on a hill designed to reduce puddles and mud forming.
Can I buy a guide or programme on the day? Yes, there will be Festival programmes on offer for £4.
Can I take pictures at the event? Visitors are welcome to take pictures and share their experience on social media with hashtag #foodiesedin
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