The Foodies Festival prepares for first time visit to Glasgow

The Foodies Festival (Gastro-Glasto) – the biggest touring gourmet food festival in the UK – arrives in Rouken Glen Park, Glasgow, from the 12th - 14th August.

Article Source: Foodies Festival
Last Updated: 10 August 2022 9:45

The gastronomic celebration features TV chefs and Celebrities, champions from Masterchef and Great British Menu and many award-winning Scottish chefs. Music headliners include Callum Beattie, Toploader and N-Trance.

Celebrities cooking their signature dishes live in the Chefs’ Theatre include: Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean, champion of MasterChef: The Professionals and chef-patron of Creel Caught in Edinburgh, and MasterChef: The Professionals 2021 finalist, Liam Rogers, from two Michelin starred restaurant, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles.

Celebrity TV Chef and star of Great British Menu, Jimmy Lee, from Leith Woks, Salt and Chilli in Glasgow’s West End, Edinburgh St James Quarter and Glasgow Hamilton will bring an Oriental flavour, showcasing a selection of mouth-watering Honk Kong street food.

Jimmy Lee, said: "Excited to be involved in this Years Foodies Festival. The Foodies Audience are always keen and knowledgeable. This year I’ll be cooking a dish which is all locally sourced to highlight the abundance of great produce Scotland has in its Larder. I’ll also be discussing my new venture Leith Woks. Hope to see as many of you there!"

MasterChef 2022 semi-finalist, Sarah Rankin, from Kinross, MasterChef 2021 finalist Laura Michael, from Lanarkshire, and Great British Menu star, Calum Montgomery, chef-patron of 3 AA Rosette awarded Edinbane Lodge in Skye, will also be showing off their culinary skills.

A legion of chefs from Michelin starred and award-winning restaurants will give the festival a distinctive local flavour, including, Graeme Cheevers, chef-patron from Unalome, Glasgow, which received a Michelin star in the 2022 awards.

Dean Banks and Dan Ashmore from 3 AA Rosette-awarded The Pompadour in Edinburgh and Haar in St Andrews, Peter McKenna, chef-patron from Plate Michelin awarded The Gannet in Glasgow and Michelin trained head chef Ronan Shaftoe from Glasgow’s Bar Brett will also appear.

Graeme Cheevers, said: “Foodies Festival coming to Glasgow is fantastic news! To have the festival on our doorstep celebrating the best of the region and its produce is a real plus. I am looking forward to cooking live in the Chefs theatre and enjoying the festival experience.”

Pete McKenna, said: “I’m really excited to bring a taste of what I do at The Gannet to the Foodies Festival this weekend. As always I will be using incredible Scottish produce, from hand dived scallops from Mull, foraged mushrooms from Argyll to organic Greenheart flowers and herbs from Fife.

It’s great to cook alongside my friends and contemporaries in Scotland's brilliant food scene.”

Author and entrepreneur, Dominique Woolf, winner of Jamie Oliver’s Channel 4 show, The Great Cookbook Challenge, joins the star line-up to showase recipies which wowed the judges and secured a publishing contract with Penguin.

In the Cake & Bake Theatre, an impressive line-up of expert star bakers will create delicious show-stopping masterpieces and share their best tips and tricks.
A FEAST FOR THE EARS

The music line-up includes: Noughties platinum-selling Brit Pop sensations Toploader, and rising Scottish singer-songwriter, Callum Beattie. Callum’s debut studio album ‘People Like Us,’ went to number 1 on the Scottish Physical Album Charts featuring the powerful track ‘Salamander Street’.

Callum Beattie, said: “Great food, AND great music! What’s not to like? Can’t wait to perform at Foodies Festival in Glasgow.”

Toploader, said: “We are properly excited to be performing at this years Foodies Festival at Rouken Glen. What more could a band want than a stage to perform on in a beautiful setting, awesome food and free flowing drinks in the sunshine? Bring it on and see you there!”

And to kick the weekend off in style, the festival hosts a ‘Big Party Night’ – taking a nostalgia-filled trip back to the 90s, featuring bands and artists performing some of the biggest tracks of the era, including a live performance from N-Trance, one of the best selling dance acts of the decade.

N-Trance, said: “Incredible food and festival vibes…we can’t wait! It’s brilliant to be performing in Glasgow with the UK’s biggest touring food and drink festival. Bring your dancing shoes and let’s make it a big summer weekend to remember!”

The festival (dubbed “Gastro-Glastonbury”) has announced a busy programme of events, in the quest to deliver an unforgettable weekend of fine food, new experiences and exceptional quality, promising a great family day out.

What else to expect?

Go Global and browse the very latest world food trends in the Shopping Village and try exotic and unusual new dishes on Street Food Avenue. The incredible range includes tantalising delicacies from all four corners of the globe.

Over 150 exhibitors will showcase their produce, providing festival-goers with a fantastic opportunity to sample the best of Scotland.

Ready Steady Chef! Celebrity chefs from TV’s biggest cooking shows will once again compete against each other, turning up the heat in the Chefs’ Theatre. Presented with a bag of surprising ingredients chosen by their competitors, it will be an exciting and often hilarious race against the clock to create the best dish, and to win the public vote.

Meet the authors and discover new recipes in the Cook Book Shop – with celebrity signings and top chefs’ showcasing their latest cookbooks.

Join masterclasses in the Drinks Theatre, including Cocktail Making, and Champagne, Beer, Cider and Wine tasting. Taste and compare some of the best products on the market.

To keep the children entertained, the Kids Cookery School hosted by Foodies super chefs will take on a ’Ninjas Love Noodles’ theme, encouraging kids to make simple food which they can take away and enjoy. And for those little thrill seekers, a funfair, sand art, craft tents, face painting and family friendly areas.

Supporting rising talent – the Musicians Against Homelessness stage will feature over 40 superb artists across the weekend, with the best of local bands and an introduction to exciting new acts from across the UK.

At the three-day festivals, visitors can enjoy the Chefs’ Theatre, Cake & Bake Theatre, Drinks Theatre, Shopping Village with award winning artisan producers, Street Food Avenue, Feasting Tent, Cook Book Shop, Kids’ Cookery School, fairground, live music stage and family-friendly areas with activities for children.

More Quotes

Liam Rogers said: "I’m super excited to be a part of the Foodies Festival in Glasgow. It’s a great chance for me to showcase my food to a great audience and interact with some lovely people! I can’t wait!”

Gary McLean, said: "Being part of Foodies this year is going to be so much fun, getting out and getting face to face with the public again is going to be very special, I am also excited to see and meet and learn from the incredible line up of chefs who have kept us going throughout lockdowns. Getting in front of a Glasgow audience is always a highlight. Can’t wait.”

Foodies Festival director, Sue Hitchen, said: “I am delighted to bring Foodies Festival to Glasgow. We will be celebrating local produce and giving top local chefs an opportunity to cook live in the Chefs Theatre. There is such a great foodie scene in Glasgow and I know that Foodies will be made very welcome”.