Taking place this Saturday (May 29), Glamis Castle will open its gates to welcome visitors from far and wide to its first food and drink festival.
With customers encouraged to buy tickets for access to the grounds and gardens, visitors for the Spring Food Festival will be asked to stick to their allotted entry time in order to avoid crowds and keep the event Covid-19 safe.
Running from 11am to 4pm, the event will welcome more than 15 different exhibitors from the region who will be showcasing their products, some of which will do so for the first time since the pandemic first started last March.
The Glamis Castle restaurant will also be serving up afternoon teas and all tickets will allow access to the castle’s vast gardens, nature trails and its inaugural food festival.
General manager of Glamis Castle, Helen Buchanan, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the Spring Food Festival here at Glamis Castle, offering many local food and drink traders one of their first opportunities to meet with customers in a lively and vibrant outdoor event environment.
“We hope many people will come along to see the very best of Scottish produce on display and support our local businesses after such challenging times.”
Here are some of the must-visit food and drink vendors who will be in attendance:
1. Screaming Peacock
Certainly not as chaotic as their name suggests, the Screaming Peacock team provide what is arguably some of the best burgers around.
Making best use of wild Scottish venison and pheasant, their brightly-coloured van will most certainly catch your eye this weekend, and your tastebuds will thank you for it.
2. Glenkilrie Larder
Perthshire-based Glenkilrie Larder will be making an appearance at the festival this weekend with their range of meats and barbecue packs.
Andrew and Lauren Houstoun, the couple behind the brand, became members of the Scotch Beef club run by Quality Meat Scotland earlier this year, meaning their products are some of the highest-quality in the land.
Also, once you’re stocked up, keep an eye on their Facebook page for Lauren’s handy cooking tips and recipes for using their products.
3. Candy Dreams
Arbroath’s Candy Dreams will also have a stall at the event, with – hopefully – a large selection of their vast amount of sweets and treats.
Even if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, just looking at the eye-catching colours is enough to bring some joy to your day.
4. Feragaia
Scots have been going crazy for Fife-based drink company, Feragaia, which is a completely alcohol-free spirit.
Launched in 2019 by business partners Bill Garnock and Jamie Wild, its name means “wild earth”, with fera in Latin meaning “wild” and “gaia” in Greek mythology translating to “earth”.
Feragaia has been taking the country by storm with more than 100 restaurants, hotels and independent shops stocking in Scotland before the lockdown, and now you can have some of your own by visiting their stand at the Glamis Castle Spring Food Festival.
5. Strathearn Cheese Company
What food festival is complete without cheese?
Well, certainly this one isn’t as Strathearn Cheese Company will be in attendance with plenty of their award-winning goodies for cheese enthusiasts.
For more information, visit their website here.
Other producers in attendance include Brown Street Brewing Company, Woodmill Game, Spice Harmony, Falls of Dochart Smokehouse, and Carnoustie’s The Littlest Herb Company.
Tickets for the event will cost £7.50 per adult, £4.50 per child between five to 16, £7.50 for concessions, £25 for a family of two adults and three children, with children under the age of five going free.
A £3 transaction fee will be added to all bookings made online.