Organisers of Scotland’s iconic annual event, The Royal Highland Show, have announced the introduction of ‘Scotland’s Larder Live!’ a food extravaganza bringing Scotland’s larder to the fore.

Showcasing a diverse range of quality, Scottish produce (and some exciting tastes and flavours from other parts of the world), Scotland’s Larder Live! will be a dynamic, experiential food show, promoting and celebrating our food provenance, regionality and seasonality.

 
Featuring over 120 producers and showcasing the very best of Scottish produce, the event will ambitiously reposition and refresh the Food Hall by building interactivity and visitor engagement and bring to life the main consumer message of ‘farming equals food’. It will be a lively, stimulating, informative and interactive area full of smells, sights and samples.

 
It was announced on Friday [15th May] that the Show has received support through the Year of Food and Drink initiative, delivered by VisitScotland. The Show has received funding to produce a new ‘Food To Go’ map which will provide showgoers with information about the event’s on-site catering, helping visitors to find delicious food for lunch, dinner or a quick bite. Each 2015 Food To Go provider will have passed the Year of Food and Drink Food Charter, meaning showgoers can rest assured their food is responsibly sourced and, where possible, bought locally.

 
The Cookery Theatre – this year featuring top chefs such as Neil Forbes, Paul Wedgwood, Craig Wilson, David Haetzman and Fred Berkmiller – will have a theatrical element, with chefs and celebrities being challenged to whip up a dish against the clock. Tastings and talks will give showgoers the opportunity to meet some of Scotland’s finest producers with plenty of audience engagement and participation.

 
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment Richard Lochhead said: “The Food Hall at the Royal Highland Show is, without doubt, always one of the most popular places to visit. Having it rebranded this year as Scotland’s Larder Live! really puts the focus – and rightly so – on our fantastic natural larder

 
“We have some of the best, freshest, tastiest products in the world, and given that we are celebrating the Year of Food and Drink, I think producers at this year’s Show will be going all out to give visitors their best taste of Scotland, and I would strongly encourage those coming to the show to speak to the producers to hear how our food is made, and to try something new. I think it will really prove to people that local, in-season produce that is available on their doorstep is among the very best you can get.”

Show Manager, David Jackson, explains: “42% of visitors come to the Royal Highland Show to enjoy the food and drink. This year we want to appeal to and attract a new and bigger urban consumer audience by developing and growing our food and drink offering whilst remaining true to our core values.

 
“The Royal Highland is the only food event in Scotland that links together the farmer, the food producer – sometimes one and the same with farm diversification – and the consumer. With over 120 food and drink producers from across Scotland and the rest of the UK, the Royal Highland is Scotland’s Larder Live!”

 
The Year of Food and Drink is all about celebrating Scotland’s natural larder and the people, landscapes and culture behind our iconic food heritage. Food is an integral part of the visitor experience in Scotland and this year is the opportunity to showcase local cuisine and provenance.

 
The Royal Highland Show takes place from 18th – 21st June with RBS, a proud partner since 1981.
www.royalhighlandshow.org.uk