Win a pair of tickets to the Edinburgh festive Foodies Festival

Food lovers can rejoice – the Foodies Festival is returning to the EICC in Edinburgh to kick off the festive season on November 24, 25 and 26.

And Scottish Field is offering five pairs of tickets to the event, courtesy of our friends at Foodies Festival.

The event will feature top Scottish chefs and MasterChef winners, a brand new gin alley, artisan Christmas market, live music stage, cakes and desserts, theatre and festive masterclasses to launch the start of Christmas. 

Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre will once again be transformed into a culinary winter wonderland for a fun three-day festive feast for the whole family to enjoy. 

Showcasing the best of Scottish restaurants, chefs, street food and leading food and drink producers, let Scotland’s top chefs inspire you with the best recipes to cook up for the family this Christmas. 

Tasty Spanish churros are just one of the foods you can pick up

And if you’ve any worries about how to get the turkey right, then fear not, as Scotland’s finest will be answering all your questions on how to be the host(ess) with the mostess this Christmas. 

The chefs theatre demonstrations currently include Callum Dow – new head chef at Trump Turnberry, Scott Davies from The Three Chimneys, Scott Smith of Norn, Dan Ashmore from The Pompadour, Neil Forbes of Café St Honore, Jamie Scott of The Tayberry and MasterChef: The Professionals champion, Paul Wedgwood from Wedgwood Restaurant, Kaori Simpson of the Harajuku Kitchen, Iain Pirrie from The Edinburgh School of Food and Wine, Ally McGrath from the Great British Menu and Osso Restaurant, and Gordon Craig from Taisteal.

The festive edition of Foodies Festival is the perfect way to kick off the Christmas season in style. Get hands on with festive masterclasses and create everything from Christmas wreaths with florists to psychedelic meringues, Christmas canapés with Edinburgh School of Food and Wine, winter cocktails with Mike McGinty, fine chocolate tasting, champagne liquer tasting and Kombucha tasting. 

Live music will keep the crowds entertained at the Foodies Festival

A stunning array of Great Taste Award winners will be exhibiting the best of local produce at the artisan Christmas market. Ask artisan producers questions about their produce and story, and stock up the Christmas stockings with award winning treats to make Christmas extra special. 

With over 200 stalls, visitors will be spoilt for choice between smoked salmon tasting stands, outstanding local cheeses, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, show-stopping cakes, award-winning oils and chutneys, and much, much more. There is something for everyone at Foodies Festival, including delicious, healthy vegan, veggie and gluten-free, guilt-free treats for visitors to indulge in. 

New this year is Gin Alley: Over 70 per cent of gin in the UK is produced in Scotland. To celebrate Scotland’s superb range of gins, the organises have brought in a brand new Gin Alley to Foodies Festival this Christmas. Infused with natural botanicals, rose, elderflower or casked in whisky, there’s plenty to sample from exhibitors and from new daily Christmas gin cocktail masterclasses. 

The UK’s top wine, beer and champagne experts will teach visitors how to match their tipple with food, inspired by the best flavours and tastes of Christmas. Learn from the UK’s top experts, including Charles Metcalfe who will be presenting the Pleasures of Port, Rioja wines and wines from the Rhone Valley, and Diana Thompson who will be presenting champagne tasting and wine tasting in the drinks theatre. 

Top chefs will be on hand to give some excellent Christmas cooking advice

Taste flavours of the world at the street food avenue with a culinary trip taking you from Japan to Thailand, Malaysia, Argentina, India, Mexico, Africa and more. With everything from crème brulee campervans to sushi burritos and paella, it’s not to be missed. 

For those with a sweet tooth, the cakes and desserts theatre will be inspiring Christmas baking with Great British Bake Off Winners and top patisserie chefs whipping up both traditional Christmas cakes and show-stopping alternatives to impress your guests with this season. Worked up an appetite watching their demonstrations? Stop by the pudding hall for a haven of sweet treats such as mulled wine, mince pies, Christmas cakes, macaroons and delicious brownies.

If you’re a competitive baker or aspiring Bake Off participant, take part in the Foodies Cake Off Competition each day with your homemade cakes for the chance to be crowned champion.

 Take the kids along to the Elf Cookery School where they can bake and decorate snowballs and snowflakes, gingerbread men, reindeer food and flapjacks or cookies to leave out for Santa. Take a break from the Champagne Ski Bar and enjoy the post-feasting fun by the Live Music Stage, with carols and Scotland’s best unsigned bands bringing the festive spirit throughout the day.

Visitors can also enter the famous chilli-eating competition or register their team to compete in the Christmas pub quiz.

Edinburgh’s next Foodies Festival takes place on November 24, 25 and 26

Tickets are on sale now and are available at www.seetickets.com/tour/foodies-festival or by calling 0844 995 1111.

Friday adult day ticket £10 (£8 concession); Saturday or Sunday adult day ticket £14 (£12 concession); three-day adult ticket £20 (£16 concession); Friday VIP ticket £35, Saturday or Sunday VIP ticket £38. VIP tickets include a welcome glass of bubbly, access to the VIP lounge with private bar and refreshments throughout the day, priority entry to food and drink masterclasses, a festive goody bag and a showguide.

All children aged 12 and under go free to all Foodies Festivals when accompanied by an adult. 

However, if you want to win tickets, then simply tell us where this year’s Foodies Festival is taking place in Edinburgh. Email your entries to ksmith@scottishfield.co.uk by 5pm next Wednesday, November 15, and the first five entries randomly selected will win the tickets. Remember to include your name and address, plus a contact telephone number.

Open times: Friday, November 24, 5–9pm; Saturday, November 25, 10am–6pm; Sunday, November 26, 10am–5pm.