Taste of Nairn

Athree-day food and drink festival celebrating the seaside town of Nairn is set to take place next month.

Taste of Nairn, supported by title sponsor Ashers Bakery, includes a two-day artisan food and drink market, food and drink demos, and the public will be invited to take part in two fun competitions.

There will also be numerous events at different venues throughout the seaside town.

The event is being co-ordinated by Nairn Connects BID which is in place to work with local businesses and the community to make the town a more attractive place to visit and do business.

Lucy Harding, Nairn BID manager said: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Taste of Nairn back. The event was first held in 2019 and was a roaring success with over 40 businesses taking part, but the 2020 event had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 event sadly never got off the ground.

“However, it’s back and is shaping up to be a fabulous weekend. The core event will be held in The Nairn Community & Arts Centre and will feature a market showcasing producers, crafters and artists from across the region. We also have a great line up of demos, so people will be able to come and learn a thing or two and there will be loads of tasters too.”

Businesses across the town are also taking part in the gastro-event and at the time of printing, over 15 ‘satellite’ events had been confirmed. “It’s so great to see the businesses getting on board and grasping the opportunity to take part and showcase themselves. Nairn has such a fabulous food and drink offering. With so many bakeries, bistros, delis, cafes, pubs and restaurants, our town has a lot to shout about when it comes to food and drink.”

Why not get involved

Frying pans and mixing bowls at the ready! Taste of Nairn has two tasty competitions for you to get involved in.

The first day of the market – May 7 – people will get the chance to take part in the World Tattie Scone Contest. The event is being supported by the Oakwood Cookery School near Elgin and was originally launched in 2013 at Piping At Forres. However, the organisers offered the contest to Taste of Nairn in 2019 and have said it can return this year too.

Elaine Sutherland, owner of the Oakwood Cookery School said she was delighted the competition will return.

She said: “It’s great the World Tattie Scone Contest lives on for another year. The contest will appeal to budding cooks wanting to put their culinary skills to the test and those just looking for a bit of fun.

“The aim of the competition is to make a tattie scone using a set recipe with mashed potatoes and flour, and contestants bring their own magic ingredient to wow the judges. The most tasty and imaginative scone will be chosen as the winner.”

If baking is more your thing, there’s chance to take part in the Showstopper Cake Bake Off, sponsored by this very magazine!

Lucy said: “Two great opportunities for people to show off their culinary skills and in very different ways. The Tattie Scone Contest is a lot of fun, and the Showstopper Contest which will take place on May 8, will be interesting as we are asking people submit cakes with a Nairn theme. We cannot wait to see – and taste – all the entries.”

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