Find out how to take part in the north-east’s biggest food and drink celebration this September.
Taste of Grampian is back, but not as you know it as this year we’re taking the event online.
Welcoming more than 14,000 people annually, foodies will be able to experience and enjoy the event online from Friday September 18 to Sunday September 20.
Originally scheduled to take place at P&J Live the event, which has generated £40 million for the north-east, will showcase producers from across the region and Scotland in a new, innovative way.
The festival will be run in association with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and other partners including ANM Group, Opportunity North East (ONE), the Evening Express and Original 106 FM.
But how does one take part in a virtual festival you ask? We’ve answered all your questions below to ensure you know exactly how the event will run.
How will the food and drink festival run online?
The 2020 virtual event will be hosted on the Taste of Grampian website – all you will have to do is click onto it and you will be transported into the festival.
An itinerary will be shared ahead of the event so that visitors can see all of the sessions taking place across the weekend, meaning you can plan exactly what you would like to view.
There will also be a short description of each session shared ahead of the event, along with a recipe with all of the ingredients and/or a link to purchase products directly from the exhibitors ahead of the session so you have everything you need to follow (or cook) along with.
Six virtual “tents” from regions including Grampian, the Highlands, Tayside and Fife to name only a few will be announced in the coming weeks. Each tent will stream a variety of videos from tasting sessions (gin, beer etc.), cooking demonstrations, how-tos and chef cook-alongs from producers and professionals based in the areas.
There will also be some local faces hosting the weekend so you know exactly what is happening in each of the virtual “tents”. Entertainment from DJ’s to acoustic sets will also be streamed for everyone to enjoy.
How can I access/view the event?
You’ll catch the festival and all of the sessions taking place on the Taste of Grampian website.
We are currently working very hard in the background to develop the site so that the event can be streamed here.
The event will also be free to view.
What sort of sessions will take place across the weekend?
There will be a number of demonstrations and tastings taking place throughout the event. Some examples include:
- Cook-alongs with well-known chefs from the north-east and beyond.
- A variety of how-to videos from cooking the perfect steak to making the ultimate cupcakes.
- Behind the scene tours of your favourite food and drink businesses.
- Tastings from drinks producers including whisky, gin and beer.
- Entertainment from local talent to keep the festival feeling going throughout.
- A variety of competitions, fun quizzes and discounts from your favourite businesses.
But how can I taste the exhibitor’s products?
While you may not be able to go around and sample every producers fare, every exhibitor will have a link to their online shop on the Taste of Grampian website ahead of the event where you can purchase their products and have them delivered in time for sessions you plan on joining.
For example, if you are participating in a whisky tasting hosted by a brand ambassador or whisky producer, you will be able to purchase the tasting box prior to the festival to ensure you have it in time.
For the chef cook-alongs a recipe with the full list of ingredients will be made available ahead of the event so you can purchase your ingredients in time for cooking with one of our top chefs.
Do you want to be involved in the virtual Taste of Grampian event?
To sponsor the event email carole.bruce@ajl.co.uk, or to become an exhibitor contact Laura Adam at laadam@dctmedia.co.uk.
