Foodie favourite FEAST
showcases the best of
Scotland’s food and drink
T
hey came from all over Scotland, the north of England and as far as Mumbai
to take part. FEAST 2012, the student-led food festival, now in its third year,
continues to draw an audience of staunch supporters and culinary experts
from far and wide.
Celebrating Scottish regional food,
FEAST once again provided a platform
to showcase some of Scotland’s finest
chefs. This year the event, which was held
in April, was headlined by Tony Borthwick
from the Plumed Horse in Leith. First
timers at FEAST also included John Paul
from the MacDonald Marine Hotel, North
Berwick and Stuart Muir from the Forth
Floor Restaurant, Harvey Nichols who
complemented the chef demonstration
line-up. Festival goers were also delighted
that firm favourites Neil Forbes from Café
St Honoré and Derek Johnstone from Chez
Roux, Greywalls returned to FEAST for a
consecutive year to share their culinary
expertise and enthusiasm for Scottish
produce. And of course, no FEAST event
would have been complete without a guest
appearance from Yogesh Utekar. Yogesh,
who is a Director at the ITM Institute of
Management, QMU’s partner institution in
Mumbai, travelled all the way from India to
share some hot tips on Indian cooking with
an enthusiastic audience.
With so many foodie activities to choose
from, the only problem facing festival
goers was how they were going to pack
everything in. Student teams from QMU and
Jewel & Esk College served up 20 mouth-
watering dishes which represented the
regions of Scotland. Visitors were invited
to sample dishes such as ‘braised leg of
Orkney lamb’ and ‘rhubarb and cheesecake
mousse’ throughout the day. In addition, a
range of top quality drinks producers held
tutor-led tasting sessions of Edinburgh Gin,
Thistly Cross ciders, beers from Broughton
Brewery, and wines and whiskies from
Inverarity Vaults. But, there was more than
a nip on offer. Producer tables groaned with
everything from rare breed pork and beef to
Asian haggis, and from sushi to cupcakes.
Kirsti McDougall, a visitor who travelled
from Carlisle for attend FEAST, said: “This is
the second year I’ve attended the festival and
I wouldn’t miss it. The chef demonstrations
were great, especially Neil Forbes who is
so passionate about his ingredients and
his support of local producers. I loved the
Booze Boutique and was delighted to take
part in the excellent tutor-led wine tasting
led by Inverarity Vaults. Also, the regional
dishes included a selection of vegetarian
dishes, so I felt very well catered for. I’ll
definitely be back next year.”
Professor Alan Gilloran, Vice Principal
at QMU, said: “Not only is FEAST great
fun, it presents an outstanding learning
opportunity for our hospitality and tourism
students to work with college chefs and
learn about a wide range of Scottish
produce. It also gives other students
experience of event management.
“The event also draws a lot of public
support and it’s great to see people from the
local community and further afield enjoying
and experiencing the diversity and quality
of Scotland’s rich larder.”
Professor Gilloran concluded: “Importantly,
FEAST 2012 helps to highlight QMU’s
commitment to food and drink, which is a
priority area for the Scottish Government.”
QMYOU / Sustainable Business and Creativity & Culture
9