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Edinburgh Reporter
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival – combining music and food in George Square
The full line-up for the Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival, returning to George Square Gardens from Friday 18 – Sunday 27 July 2025 has been announced. In just one month's time, this event will take over two venues in Assembly Festival's George Square Gardens the Palais du Variété Spiegeltent and the new Piccolo Kitchen — offering a lively programme of free and ticketed events, from markets and masterclasses to workshops, quizzes and live music. MasterChef star, food author and broadcaster Sarah Rankin is set to host several conversations in the Piccolo Kitchen with a variety of recognisable faces from the Scottish food scene, including writer and presenter Rosie Morton, celebrated librarian and promoter of Scottish heritage Amina Shah, and speakers from both Edinburgh Food Social and Nourish Scotland, charities which work to provide a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system in Scotland. Sarah Rankin said: 'I'm thrilled to be hosting the Edinburgh Food and Folk Festival in our new home at the Piccolo Kitchen. We've got some incredible Scottish talent from across the food scene with top chefs, caterers, food writers, and broadcasters. We'll be cooking, chatting and showcasing the best of Scotland's larder. Come and join us.' Sarah Rankin Some of the most successful chefs and food entrepreneurs from Scotland and beyond will also take to the Piccolo Kitchen stage over the course of the festival, offering exclusive food demonstrations and sharing their culinary insights. Michelin-starred chef Tomás Gormley, owner of acclaimed restaurants Skua and Cardinal, will be among the featured names, alongside Barry Bryson, award winning chef and owner of the independent Barry Fish restaurant in the heart of Leith. They will be joined by Steve Brown, the creative mind behind catering company Pop Conscious, and Daniela Forbes, chef, food stylist and educator known for her bold, seasonal cooking. The line-up also includes Tyroshan Attidi Panagoda and his wife Ayesha of The Tuskers, who will share the vibrant flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine, and Ameer and Nicole Limbu of Choola, winners of the Scottish and British Street Food Awards 2023, who will showcase the rich traditions of Nepalese cooking. This year's expanded programme also welcomes a range of hands-on food workshops presented by Edinburgh Food Social at the Palais du Variété. In Get Saucy! The Art of Sauce-Making, participants will learn to master everything from velvety béchamels and zesty salad dressings to vibrant green sauces — all using fresh local ingredients and simple techniques designed to build kitchen confidence. Edinburgh Food Social Other Edinburgh Food Social offerings include Cullen Skink: A Taste of Scotland, a guided workshop on preparing Scotland's beloved traditional soup; Essential Skills, where attendees can learn practical techniques to elevate everyday cooking, and Fun with Flour, a playful baking class for families, beginners, and anyone keen to get their hands messy and learn the fundamentals of working with dough. There will be a special charity quiz night in partnership with Goose's Quizzes, taking place in the Palais du Variété on Thursday 24 July. Known for their lively and interactive events, Goose's Quizzes will lead a night of fun and fundraising, with all proceeds supporting local organisations, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, St Columba's Hospice, and Edinburgh Food Social. Kirsty Haigh from Edinburgh Food Social said: 'We're really excited to bring a flavour of what Edinburgh Food Social is all about to this year's Folk & Food Fest. Our workshops are all about building confidence in the kitchen, using great local ingredients, and showing just how fun and accessible cooking can be. From traditional Scottish favourites to hands-on skill-building, there's something for everyone – and we can't wait to get cooking with you all. We're also looking forward to seeing everyone at the Goose's Elimination Game Quiz, where we'll be raising vital funds to support our work delivering food education and providing nutritious and delicious meals to those who need them.' Visitors to the Gardens can enjoy a diverse spread of street food throughout the festival, with vendors including Lazeez Street Food serving up flavour-packed Lebanese dishes, Tebaru offering fresh and vibrant Japanese fare, Cala Cala delighting crowds with their legendary arancini, and many more stalls offering global flavours to explore. Hussein Fayad of Lazeez Street Food said: 'We are thrilled to be a part of this year's newly expanded Folk and Food Festival. It's an event that celebrates so many food cultures and traditions from around the world and we can't wait to bring our bold and authentic Lebanese flavours to the Gardens in July. No matter where we are, we're always committed to delivering traditional street food with a creative twist, so make sure to come down and give our dishes a try.' During both weekends, the centre of the Gardens will have two markets, each set in its own vibrant marquee. The first weekend, Friday 18 – Sunday 20 July, will feature a vintage clothing market, where festivalgoers can browse rails of retro fashion and timeless treasures. From Thursday 24 – Sunday 27 July, a Producers Market will take centre stage, showcasing high-quality, locally made food and drink. Returning to the garden Fruin Ceilidh Band will once again lead traditional dancing in the beautiful Palais du Variété on Saturday 19 July. Following an unforgettable night in 2024, this promises to be one of the festival's standout events — a celebration of music and culture not to be missed. This jam-packed programme launch follows the previously announced line-up of folk talent set to join the festival for the first time this year. Highlights include one of Scotland's most celebrated composers and former touring fiddle player with Runrig, Duncan Chisholm, genre-defying folk group The Unthanks, international trailblazers The East Pointers, Scottish roots icons Kris Drever and Chris Stout, and folk royalty Eliza Carthy and the Restitution. Duncan Chisholm Becky and Rachel The Unthanks Adding to the musical backdrop of the festival, rising Ayrshire talent Calum Park will lead a relaxed, free-to-attend folk session on the steps of the Gardens on Friday 24 July — offering an open invitation to passers-by and festivalgoers alike to soak up live music in the heart of the city. Tickets for the full Folk & Food Festival 2025 are on sale now. George Square Gardens Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
06-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Craigmillar girls serve meal to benefit community
This latter point was particularly important to Lauren Munro, a local police officer who was one of the driving forces behind the project. 'As a police officer in Craigmillar and Niddrie I see a lot of youth-related reports,' Lauren said. 'For example, from November 2024 to April 2025, we have received 172 anti-social behaviour calls, 82% of which are specifically related to youth disorder.' According to Lauren, young people from the Greater Craigmillar area are often bored during the holidays – a factor that contributes to youth disorder. This is why organisations such as Edinburgh Food Social, which offers a variety of cooking classes and projects that are free for residents of Craigmillar and Niddire to attend, play such an important role in the local community both during the holidays and all year round. As head of Edinburgh Food Social Kirsty Haigh noted, 'Young people have suffered through COVID, the cost of living crisis and the closure of so many public spaces and affordable activities. We all must do what we can to counteract this.' To further the project's positive impact on the community it was agreed that sessions would culminate in the young people preparing, cooking and serving a meal for members of Caring in Craigmillar, a day care centre for the elderly. 'EFS are a huge part of the local community through all the work they do, such as preparing food for the White House monthly community meal,' Lauren said, explaining why the local police had approached Edinburgh Food Social with the idea for the project. 'The team at EFS are also amazing with the local young people, they show patience and encourage the young people to step outside their comfort zone.' In order to encourage young people to step out of their comfort zone, you have to first start with something familiar. In the young people's first session at the Edinburgh Food Social kitchen it quickly became apparent that, in this instance, that familiar something was a kimchi instant noodle pot the girls frequently bought from the supermarket. Needless to say, products such as these are often incredibly unhealthy and rarely, if ever, are made using seasonal, Scottish produce. As one of Edinburgh Food Social's driving ethos is to teach people how to create wholesome dishes using local, seasonal food, it quickly became apparent that creating a healthy alternative to this noodle pot using local ingredients would be an impactful way to engage the young people while also developing their culinary skills. Edinburgh Food Social's chef-activists consequently spent the initial two sessions teaching the young people how to recreate the noodle pot (as well as various other food products they enjoyed eating). Among other things, this saw the girls fermenting their own kimchi and making hand-pulled noodles from scratch, forming, rolling, stretching and cooking the dough. The resulting dish was far healthier and tastier than the noodle pot the young people were used to eating and proved to be a real hit with the girls. While developing practical skills and culinary knowledge formed the basis of these early sessions, the team at Edinburgh Food Social also took pains to ensure that the young people were developing respect for those around them and gaining an understanding of the part they play in the local community. 'This project was about so much more than just teaching — it's a recipe for connection, respect, and shared stories,' Kirsty said. 'It's about ensuring our young people not only have activities to do in the school holidays but are set up with skills for life and feel like they are part of our community.' Nothing makes you feel part of a community more than serving others food you've cooked. After spending the remaining sessions prepping dishes for the meal at Caring in Craigmillar, including braised beef and black pudding pie with mashed potato and a lemon and blueberry tart, the young people were ready to contribute to the Craigmillar community. On the day of the meal, the young people watched as over 30 guests filed into Caring in Craigmillar's dining room. Despite their nerves, the young people made a point of introducing themselves and the food they would be serving – a fantastic start. The food that followed was even more impressive; George McKenzie, a member of Caring in Craigmillar, said of the lemon and blueberry tart, 'I have been here for four years and that's the best dessert I have had.' Another member called Margaret Swanson added, 'I loved seeing all the young ones busy and happy. The meal was lovely.' Perhaps more importantly, the meal served as an example to all in attendance how younger generations can bring joy to others in their community. As Kirsty said, 'Food has the power to bridge generations, shift mindsets, and transform diets. Around the table, we share more than meals—we share stories, respect, and a stronger, more united community. I couldn't have been prouder of these girls and the wonderful meal they pulled off.' 2 . Contributed Members of Caring in Craigmillar enjoying the food. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 3 . Contributed Lauren Munro and one of the participants making hand-pulled noodles. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed A participant and one of Edinburgh Food Social's chef-activists portioning a tart. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales Related topics: Food
