A major celebration of Scottish tatties will take place in Perthshire’s production heartland in February, with the support of The Courier.
The Strathmore Tattie Day, which held its inaugural event last year with a sale of heritage seed potatoes, is being relaunched in Coupar Angus town hall on February 22 with additional artisan food and drink stalls, seminars on production and fun activities for children.
Gardeners, allotment owners and spud addicts will be able to buy more than 60 speciality varieties such as Arran Victory, Mayan Twilight, Edzell Blue, Red Duke of Yorks, Sharpe’s Express and Pink Fir Apple from Dundee grower Andrew Skea, who devotes 20 acres of his farm to heritage tatties, many of them usually bound for Germany, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.
He said: “We’ve seen other areas of the country develop local tattie days and we thought Strathmore needed its own, so that folk can buy produce that’s grown no further than a few miles away in Auchterhouse or Burrelton rather than being transported all over the country by some of the big multiple outlets.
“The end of February is the right time to buy seed and get it chitting in the greenhouse or windowsill, ready for planting in April.”
Speakers include John Marshall, a lifetime potato enthusiast from Auchtermuchty, permaculturist Graham Bell and Kate Everett, who runs a plant nursery at Inverquiech.
The Coupar Angus organics growers group will also offer information on growing your own food as well as hosting a seed swap and providing cuttings and plants for people to take away on the day.
Stalls attending include chilli farmers, Foragers; Organic Welltree chutneys, jams and preserve; and Simply Herdwick, who produce grass-fed Herdwick lamb and hogget at Burrelton.
Jane Wilkinson of Special Branch Baskets in Alyth will keep children entertained with a tattie bogle-making workshop in conjunction with Coupar Angus Low Carbon Classroom, and the town’s activities group will host a pop-up café serving tea, coffee and stovies.
Entry will be £2 and children are free.
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
