Big British Food Map Feasting on festival food

Date Published:

30/07/2008

Andrew's in Edinburgh getting his fill of festival food

Was it good? Well when it arrived the plate had a pattern!

Hired a bike today and spent the day exploring Leith. Like a lot of dockland areas it's been transformed and now hosts a number of good restaurants. Strangely there's not that many of them on the map - perhaps Edinburghians want to keep this place secret. Went for a fantastic lunch in Fishers - a seafood place and Leith institution. Queenie scallops to start, and Scottish classic finnan haddie (a split and smoked haddock) served with bacon and goat's cheese for main.

Raising damp spirits

Nipped back over the border into England today to visit Chain Bridge Honey Farm. Amazing how you can drive for 40 minutes and the accents completely change. The people I met had that Geordie twang. I came back to Edinburgh in the evening and checked out the Spiegel tent, which is something of a festival institution for al fresco drinking in the university area of town. Sadly after an hour or so the heavens opened, which sent everyone running for cover and me to a pub where there was a folk band on all fiddling away.

The e4 udderbelly. A giant upside down purple cow

Woke up this morning to carnage: the population of the town is set to treble and every available surface is been plastered with posters - yup, the festival is all set to start at the weekend. I'll be moving on so will miss it sadly, but I spent today chatting to performers, promoters and fans about where to get good cheap festival food.

Andrew's back for more on Monday

So long Scotland, it's been a blast. I'm taking a long weekend off to attend my mum's 60th birthday party this weekend, so I'll be back writing this diary and heading for the North East of England on Monday - way aye man! I'm about half way through the grand tour now, and have met some amazing people growing, making and cooking amazing food. And that's happened all because of you, 4Food readers; you've been invaluable in tipping me off to what's good, what's interesting and what's exciting. So for those of you in the eastern side of the country, all the way down to the South East I say this: if you know somewhere good to buy or eat great food, please share it with the rest of the country (and me!) and get it on the map.

Last week Andrew was in Edinburgh.

Next week he's heading to Newcastle.

Back to top