Scottish Food Fortnight - what are you cooking?

The Staff Canteen

Scottish Food Fortnight is a celebration of Scottish food and drink in an attempt to raise awareness of the brilliant quality the Scotts produce every year. Join us in celebrating Scottish Food Fortnight this year on the 8th- 21st of September with our favourite traditional Scottish meals.

SFF was established in 2003 by Scottish Countryside Alliance Educational Trust (SCAET) in an aid to raise awareness of the quality and variety of Scottish food. Its promotion of great Scottish food will encourage us to:

  • Change our food habits
  • Reduce food transfer costs
  • Change where we buy our products from
  • And show us to appreciate the benefits of fresh, seasonal, local produce.

In celebrating Scottish food it is hoped the popularity of Scottish meals and produce, such as its seasonal game, wild venison and pheasant, not to mention their marvellous scallops and lobsters all year round, will be raised.

The holiday recently got backed by Lady Claire Macdonald, Wendy Barrie and Martin Wishart who have promoted more than 320 events in 2013 to celebrate Scottish food. From more awareness they hope that the Scottish food and drink industry will grow to 16.5 billion by 2017. Gordon Ramsey also supports the celebratory fortnight as he says Scottish produce is world class and that the most amazing scallops and lobster he’s ever had has been from Scotland, he also says they have the finest beer too!   To find out what some of you are doing at home to celebrate the Scottish delicacies we asked you on Twitter and Facebook to let us know your favourite Scottish food…

  And if you have no idea what skirlie is then it's a type of stuffing, traditionally made by frying oats in lard or fat with onions and seasoning mostly served as a stuffing inside a meat or as a side to mince and tatties.

Scottish Chef Brian Grigor is making the most of “great Scottish produce” for his celebration of Scottish Food Fortnight. He is cooking up Orkney Beef and Lobster, Organic Pork and Boarders Grouse this year:

What will you be cooking for this year's Scottish Food Fortnight? Let us know.

Take a look at these recipes by Brian Grigor and Andrew Fairlie for some inspiration: Roast feather blade and confit flank of Scotch lamb from Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Blairgowrie Beef Fillet, Pearl Barley risotto, Eassie Farm Asparagus, Aylesbury Snails and Bordelaise sauce by Brian Grigor in association with Quality Meat Scotland.

Words by Emma Buchanan

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The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 10th September 2014

Scottish Food Fortnight - what are you cooking?