The primacy of ingredients locally produced and ethically sourced is key to the Royal Highland Show experience

The 2017 Royal Highland Show will celebrate an outstanding range of food and drink from the very best producers in Scotland and beyond. Organisers of the Show, the best of farming, food and rural life, have announced the return of ‘Scotland’s Larder Live’ the Show’s very own food and drink festival. There will be a newly designed tasting and talk theatre, the return of the artisan cheese tasting area and the opportunity to enjoy some of the best food produced in Scotland all in one location.

New exhibitors to the event for 2017 include Lockerbie Creamery, Baxters, Luss Smokehouse and Northumberland Honey. And we welcome back many show regulars including Mrs Tilly’s Confectionary, Mackies of Scotland and Grahams Dairies. This year, Scotland’s Larder Live will present an impressive range of artisan drinks, including Scottish gin and flavoured vodkas. Berry Good will have Scotland’s first cold brew coffee liqueur, Cofaidh Liqueur (from the Gaelic for coffee), which is made using freshly roasted coffee beans from local roasters.

Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the revitalised tastings and talks theatre to smell and taste some amazing food and hear producers, which include the winners of the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards, explain their journey into food creation and offer samples of their wares. The main cookery theatre will offer a packed programme of demonstrations and talks from top chefs, including ‘The Kilted Chef’ Craig Wilson, Andrew Whitley, of Bread Matters, and Edinburgh’s Paul Wedgwood.

Due to the huge success of its launch last year, the cheese tasting pop up will return, where show-goers can taste a range of delicious artisan cheeses and meet the makers. The Royal Highland Show proudly hosts the Scottish Cheese, Butter and Ice-Cream Championships and, new for 2017, the Scottish Bread Championships.

Food-to-go providers will be on hand to offer up a tasty selection of hot and cold food across the 110-acre showground. From venison burgers to wood fired pizzas, these caterers will all be adhering to the show’s highly respected food charter which states, among other commitments, that, where possible, only ingredients that have been locally produced and ethically sourced should be served at the event. This ensures quality is high and Scottish farmers and growers are supported.

Commenting on the popularity of food and drink at the event, show manager David

Jackson, said: “The food offer continues to go from strength to strength, and visitors value the opportunity to taste and buy a wide range of quality food and drink. It has become a key part of the visitor experience, and the fact we continue to attract new exhibitors, illustrates the popularity and success of this area.

“Scotland’s Larder Live gives visitors the chance to learn about the relationship between the farm, the producer and the consumer and have the opportunity to engage with the people who create, from field to fork, some of the finest food produced in Scotland.”