TV chef to headline new food and drink festival

Celebrity chef, James Martin, will headline a star-studded new food and drink festival set to take place in Orkney this September, it was announced this week.

Brin Pirathapan, who won BBC MasterChef 2024, will also be making an appearance at the event, along with Great British Bake Off 2023 winner, Matty Edgell.

Running across the weekend of September 20 and 21, the festival is being organised by membership body, Orkney Food and Drink/Taste of Orkney, with the aim of celebrating and showcasing the huge range of food and drink produce from the islands.

Staged in Kirkwall Grammar School, the event will involve celebrity cooking demonstrations, questions and answer sessions, tastings, special food and drink experiences and a host of other attractions. Local producers will also have the chance to promote and sell their goods at event stalls.

The full programme for the festival is currently being pulled together by the organisers, with more details to be shared over the coming weeks.

Kerry Leask, project manager for Orkney Food and Drink/Taste of Orkney, said: “There were plans to hold an Orkney food and drink festival back in 2020, but unfortunately the pandemic put paid to those.

“Since then, we’ve been looking at how we could showcase our amazing producers with a truly memorable event that will be a big draw for local folk and visitors alike.

“James Martin visited Orkney for his Great British Adventure show for ITV in 2019, and he’s regularly championed Orkney products, so we were very keen to have him to headline our festival.

“We’re thrilled he’s agreed to take part. He’s sure to be a big draw for the event, along with Brin and Matty, and we can’t wait to see how they all work with Orkney produce.”