Food and drink

More than 150 people went aloong to the launch of a new online farmers' market in West Stirlingshire recently.

The launch of Balfron NeighbourFood took place at Balfron High on Monday 23 September. The online market allows people to shop online for seasonal produce from local farmers and producers and collect their order on a Thursday evening at Balfron High School. Almost 300 people have already signed up to the new service hosted by social enterprise The Hub G63.

This year's Stranraer Oyster Festival has been hailed a 'phenomenal success' by organisers.

Attendance at the event was up 25% on last year, with around 17-18,000 people thought to have attended the three-day event.

The community-run festival is organised by the Stranraer Development Trust and takes place next to Loch Ryan, which contains Scotland's last remaining wild, native oyster fishery.

A new click and collect farmers' market will open soon in Balfron.

The Hub G63, a Drymen-based social enterprise, will launch NeighbourFood Balfron on Monday 23 September 2019 at Balfron High School, giving people across the area access to tasty, local produce.

A Fife farmer is aiming to become Scotland's first producer of buffalo mozzarella with the help of a crowdfunding campaign.

Steve Mitchell from the Buffalo Farm, who has appeared on BBC's 'This Farming Life' has launched a 'Founders Club' crowdfunding campaign with an ambitious crowdfunding target of £800,000 to build a manufacturing facility, milking parlour and slurry store

On 1 September, Scotland's native oyster season opened with the landing of the first Loch Ryan oysters.

The race is now on to gather a tonne of native oysters, most of which will be enjoyed by visitors to the Stranraer Oyster Festival, which is taking place from 13-15 September. 

From growing lemons on Lewis to a Michelin-starred chef cooking Skye mutton, Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) groups are pioneering a range of new routes to take local produce to market on the islands. RISS provides professional support to farmers interested in trying new things. It connects them with the right people and helps them develop a viable project.

Scottish Food & Drink fortnight are celebrating their 10th year of showcasing and supporting the companies, brands and peoples who are championing Scotland's larder.

The Fortnight is an annual celebration of Scotland’s outstanding produce, managed by industry leadership body Scotland Food & Drink and supported by the Scottish Government.

On 14^th September Scotland’s first ever Wild Food Festival will take place at the stunning Cardross Estate near Port of Monteith. The festival will feature a range of interactive foraging workshops, wild walks exploring the estate and long table dinners.

The programme for the first-ever Foraging Fortnight has launched, with events ranging from woodland walks to wild food feasts to foraged cocktails!

This LEADER-funded project takes place from 31 August to 15 September and will feature a wide range of events across five diverse regions of Scotland: Lanarkshire, Fife, Moray, Forth Valley and Loch Lomond, and Orkney.