Top-notch food at Fair Isle Festival

Chef Glynn Wright (far left) watches on as Phu Siam chefs Ura Kamchureon (left) and Phet Phosoongmoen serve up a Thai dish. Photo: Ben Mullay.

The Fair Isle Festival opened today with folk enjoying top-notch grub and plenty of live music. 

Local cheese, pies and brownies were among the treats on offer at Fort Charlotte.

The three-day festival continues on Monday and Tuesday, celebrating the Commonwealth and Shetland’s part in it.

Organisers Living Lerwick, said the aim of the event was to “create a buzz” throughout the town – in the lead up to the Queen’s Baton arriving in Shetland and Lerwick on 1st July, and the countdown to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Members of the Shetland Food Producers Group set out their stalls today, and co-founder of the group, Jay Hawkins of Shetland Cheese, said there had been “good, steady trade”. 

“It has been a good first trial to see whether we could have a regular food market,” he said. 

Mr Hawkins added other traders had been selling well and it had been encouraging in terms of demand for a food market in future – for example in the Market Cross or Harrison Square.

“I think there’s a need for it [a food market] but it needs to be regular. It needs to have a regular location,” he said. 

Inside the neighbouring TA hall were food demonstrations – mixing local produce and cooking methods from around the Commonwealth. 

This included a demonstration by chefs from Lerwick’s Phu Siam restaurant serving up Thai dishes such as king prawns in panang sauce and a spicy seafood salad. 

After an interesting presentation – discussing the ingredients, sauces and spices used in Thai cooking -plenty of people were keen to tickle their tastebuds by trying the samples.

And there were plenty of medal winners in the children’s sports day too, with various events taking place on the grass in Fort Charlotte.

In Harrison Square local singer songwriter Toni Sidgwick  took to the stage as well as young rockers Autopilot, winners of the Shetland Young Promoters Group battle of the bands competition earlier this year. 

On Monday and Tuesday there will be craft market and bouncy castle in Fort Charlotte with live music in Harrison Square starting at 1pm both days. 

A flag hunt competition is also being held, with commonwealth flag posters in business windows and market stalls in Fort Charlotte. 

Each flag poster includes a Shetland word translated into English and the language of the country the flag represents.