SCRUM Magazine – September 2019

13-15 SEP ’19

A three day celebration

of Scottish seafood next

to stunning Loch Ryan,

home of Scotland’s last

remaining wild, native

oyster fishery.

Plus a full weekend of:

Chef Demonstrations | Family Fun

Seafood Celebrations | Live Music

Artisan Market | Dining Experiences

Fireworks and more!

For tickets, short break special offers

and programme information visit:

Festival

admission:

WEEKEND DAY

£3

CHILD UNDER 12

£5 FREE

http://www.stranraeroysterfestival.com

@stranraeroysterfestival

CELEBRITY CHEF

TONY SINGH

Inspirational and entertaining

celebrity chef demos, plus an

exclusive ‘Friday Evening with

Tony’ event!

THE SCOTTISH OYSTER

SHUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP

On Saturday afternoon the

chefs battle it out to be named

the winner of the ShuckOff!

THE BIG

OYSTER BASH

£20 - Saturday Evening -

Live band, buffet and the

Big Bash Auction.

hey’re sought after by chefs around

the world but until fairly recently

Scotland’s only wild, native oyster

fishery, hidden beneath the crystal clear

waters of Loch Ryan, was a well-kept seafood

secret.

Stranraer Oyster Festival has shone a

spotlight on this delicious seafood delicacy,

making Scottish native oysters accessible

and easy to try and enjoy during this

three-day foodie celebration.

The festival returns for its third year from

13-15 September, and despite being relatively

new to the food festival scene, it has quickly

become established as one of Scotland’s

most exciting foodie experiences.

September marks the start of the native

oyster season, which opens on 1 September,

and the crew of oyster boat the Vital Spark

will be on a two-week race to gather the

thousands of oysters needed for the festival.

Native oysters used to be common around

Scotland’s coast but they’ve been harvested

to near extinction everywhere except Loch

Ryan. Stranraer Oyster Festival celebrates,

not just the oysters, but the local produce

and locally caught seafood of the delicious

south west. Other tempting foodie treats

will include a spectacular giant paella and a

range of pies from the current winner of the

World Champion Scotch Pie award.

This year’s packed programme includes

celebrity chef demonstrations by Tony Singh,

the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships

for chefs, and the Scottish Oyster Eating

Championship for those whose preference is

enjoying them rather than preparing them!

So regardless of whether you’re an oyster

aficionado or you prefer a more grounded

eating experience, there will be plenty

to whet your appetite at Stranraer Oyster

Festival - and it’s the perfect way to prepare

for Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters

celebrations taking place next year too!

T

DISCOVER SCOTLAND’S

WILD, NATIVE OYSTERS

Friday Evening
Stranraer Oyster Festival opens with a bang
as the oysters are piped ashore in an opening
ceremony that includes an ‘Ode to the Oysters’
plus live music, streetfood and fireworks.
Those with tickets can enjoy An Audience with
Tony Singh, an exclusive chef demo foodie
experience with canapes and fizz.

Saturday
The festival programme is packed with chef
demonstrations , the entertainment marquee
hosts the fast and furious Scottish Shucking
Championships, there’s an artisan market to
explore, an oyster bar to try and Extreme Pond
Dipping will introduce you to the creatures that
live at the bottom of the sea loch! Those with
tickets can dance the night away at The Big
Oyster Bash.

Sunday

The Scottish Oyster Eating Championship is

your opportunity to take to the stage to see

whether you’ll be crowned Scotland’s Oyster

Champion! Or if you’re not quite sure about

oysters just yet, oyster expert, Tristan Hughes

Jones, will be leading an event to gently

introduce you to this fascinating seafood

treat. There’s also another packed day of chef

demos, family activities and live music before

the festival closes on Sunday evening.

Special Offers

Make a weekend of it with a two-night oyster

festival break, which includes tickets to the Big

Oyster Bash, from only £96 per person at either

the stunning North West Castle or Fernhill

Hotels. Find out more at

http://www.mcmillanhotels.co.uk.

Book Now

Stranraer Oyster Festival runs from Friday

13 - Sunday 15 September 2019.

Weekend tickets cost £5 and under-12s

go free. Additional charges apply for

selected events.

For more information:

http://www.stranraeroysterfestival.com

Highlights

Chef demonstrations

throughout

Fishing native oysters

on the Vital Spark

Tristan Hugh-Jones explains

all about Oysters

Giant Paella from

Henrys Bay Restuarant

142 • WWW.SCRUMMAGAZINE.COM • ISSUE 116 2019

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