Cookery Demonstration - Shetland Food Fair 2015

The Shetland Food Fair officially launched last night with a fiery start - there was a visit from the Jarl Squad and Leith-born celebrity chef Tony Singh was cooking up some local Shetland produce and setting some Shetland Reel Gin alight on the cookery stage!

Tony demonstrated a fantastic spicy dahl recipe with pan seared Shetland scallops for a keen taste-testing audience. I'll be sharing some of his cooking tips in a blog post after the event is finished, and I do believe you will be able to watch his cookery demonstration on the 60 North channel soon!

Shetland’s food and drink producers are using this weekend’s Shetland Food Fair, Shetland’s annual event dedicated to all that’s great about locally-produced food and drink, as the platform for launching a wide range of products into the market. All products will be available for tasting and purchase at the Food Fair.

Frankie’s, the UK’s No.1 fish and chip shop, will be selling its own unique batter. Frankie’s Finest was specially made by Middleton Food Products Ltd following a visit to the shop by the company’s sales manager, Ryan Baker. Sold in the shop for £1.99 for a 250g bag, it will be available to visitors to Food Fair visitors for a discounted price of £1.75.

They also have a competition on to win a £20 Frankies voucher - all you have to do is correctly name the fish species!

Frankie’s manager Carlyn Kearney said: “We spent a few weeks testing a range of batter samples in the shop and tweaking the contents a little before choosing. We had it made up in time for it to be shipped out to Japan recently where I ran a pop-up shop at the Hankyu department stores in Fukuoka and Osaka. I received a lot of positive feedback on the quality and consistency of the batter which we coated and fried Scottish MSC haddock in for thousands of delighted Japanese customers.”

Da Kitchen Bakery will be launching two new products at the Food Fair.

The Cheese Scone – a collaboration with Shetlandeli – uses Taing Onion Marmalade as a key ingredient. This delicious new scone will not only extend Da Kitchen Bakery’s already-popular line of scones (sultana and cherry versions are currently available), but this will be the company’s second Shetland collaboration with another local food producer.

Baker Stephen Thompson says: “We are a great advocate of using fresh local produce where we can and in the bakery we rely on Shetland Dairy to supply all our milk, cream and butter, so this collaboration with Shetlandeli is equally exciting.”

About his second new product he adds: “Fresh cream cakes have been something of a success for us, and after watching an episode of The Great British Bake Off, I was inspired to make some fresh cream horns after a 10 year interlude! After searching out some vintage cream horn moulds, the Shetland Dairy Cream Horn was produced. It’s a killer combination!”

New from the Lerwick Brewery comes Lerwick IPA, the fourth addition to the company’s core range of 330ml bottles. Lerwick IPA promises a traditional style of beer brewed with modern techniques. Rich amber brown in colour, this new beer at 5.0% ABV combines American Cascade Hops and caramel malty sweetness to produce a flavour sensation. Available shortly in local shops, pubs and hotels, it will be available to try at the Food Fair.

Shetlandeli is launching Kishie - the fifth addition in its award-winning range. Jill Franklin, Founder of Shetlandeli says: “Kishie is very different to any of our other products, but we hope that it’s going to attract as much interest. We infuse crispy carrot and turnip with ginger, orange and cardamom to make a lovely sticky relish."

Kishie, priced £2.70, will be on sale at Scoop Wholefoods after the Food Fair.

The Shetland Distillery Company will launch a second gin at the Shetland Food Fair. Shetland Reel Ocean Sent Gin is made with seaweed harvested from the shoreline in Unst, home to the distillery. At 49% ABV, it is slightly stronger than the distillery’s original, award-winning Shetland Reel Gin, but will sell for the same price – £32 for a 700ml bottle.

Shetland Distillery Company director Stuart Nickerson said: “This is a very well balanced, dry London gin with the local bladder wrack giving a highly distinctive taste. It has a real depth of flavour and serves as a fabulous cocktail base as well as a superb gin in its own right. We’re delighted to be launching this exciting new product at the Shetland Food Fair.”

Shetland Fudge is launching its new range of luxury Drinking Chocolate made with Belgian Chocolate flakes. The company will be launching a range of flavours at the Fair, and is looking forward to visitors tasting this new product.

Managing Director, Nicola Johnston, says: “All you have to do is add three tablespoons - or more for that extra-rich taste - to hot milk and stir to get the perfect hot chocolate experience.”

The Shetland Food Fair will be held in the Main Hall at Clickimin Leisure Centre on Friday 30 October (7pm to 9pm); Saturday 31 October (11am to 6pm); and Sunday 1 November (11am to 5pm). Admission is £2 per adult with children free. Weekend passes will be available for the first time, either on the door or in advance from Scoop Wholefoods, priced £3.50.