Our third year of The Argyll Food Festival will take place at The Corran Halls in Oban on September the 27th & 28th. We will be open from 10am – 4pm both days.
A weekend of family fun, food, drink and entertainment with STAR GUEST Wonky the Lamb, who is all grown up but still cute as a button!
Come along and meet local artisan food and drink producers, taste their food and drink and take some home!
There will be live music, workshops with cookery demonstrations, brewing, foraging and this year we are also hosting the 2025 Argyll Coffee Festival. Loads to see, do, drink, taste, learn and listen to! (And there’s a raffle too!)
Workshop Programme
Workshops will be running in the Studio Theatre in the Corran Halls. There is a capacity of 100 in the audience so they will be on a first come first served basis. We will be taking names as people arrive.
Junior Bake Off Competition
In honour of our celebrity guest, Wonky the Sheep, you are invited to bake a sheep cake!
Sunday 28th September
Sheep Cakes must be delivered to the hall by 11:30am on Sunday.
Judging at 12 Noon, the winner will be announced at 3pm.
Open to all under 16s.
Saturday
11am
The Art of Clootie Dumpling Making
Presented by Kirsteen Oliver
Clootie Dumpling, how it all began, the earliest published recipe and traditions. Granny Beaton, her story and her chat to me accompanied by some family photos. Granny Beaton’s recipe and with a couple of wee changes, a demonstration of the Clootie Dumpling I make today. Questions and tasters.
12pm
All About Oysters
Presented by Angus Vjak
Caledonian Oysters
An introduction to the oyster farming world from seed to table. Come and learn how oysters make it to your plate cleaning the seas along the way. There will be an opportunity to learn oyster shucking and sample these salty beauties from the sea.
1pm
Michael Leathley
Head Chef at The Pierhouse
We are delighted to welcome Scotlands National Hotels Chef of The Year 2025 to The Argyll Food Festival.
Growing up in North Shields and Newcastle my grandfather was an in-shore fisherman and this led me to develop an early love of fish and seafood.
I would describe my cooking style as unpretentious – a little classic and a little modern. I like to let the produce speak for itself with nice clean flavours. I do like to honour classic dishes but add a playful and comforting twist. Coming to work at The Pierhouse has allowed me the freedom to explore and experiment with our incredible local larder and there’s so much of it right on my doorstep. I’d never really felt connected to the food in the same way as I do in Port Appin.
I work very closely with a network of Argyll’s best local producers and suppliers, including the freshest langoustines and mussels harvested from Loch Linnhe and Loch Etive, and the finest hand-picked oysters from the beds of Loch Creran just 10 minutes from the hotel. I am exceedingly proud of the relationships that I build up with our suppliers and wherever possible I source all ingredients within a 50 mile radius of the hotel.
2pm
The Oban Distillery Whisky Masterclass
Presented by Callum Hamilton
Join our experts on a guided tasting experience of three of Argyll’s iconic distilleries – Oban, Lagavulin and Caol Ila.
We will take you on a journey, learning about the rich history of these distilleries and the people who create their world renowned single malt whiskies. Will you prefer the light and fruity style of Oban, or the rich and powerful smokiness of Islay’s coastal distilleries…
Sunday
11am
Ardfern Black Pudding
Presented by the Pudding Stuffers,
Rob & Derek
Rob and Derek will be making Ardfern black pudding with goats cheese, charred ballottine of leeks and Ardfern Apiary honey.
They will also be demonstrating how black pudding can also be used to enrich sauces (most notably tomato sauces) to add depth and flavour to many dishes. It’s a really good use of the wee end bit you get rather than trying to pan fry a slice with a rounded side!
12pm
A Wild Food Adventure
Presented by Heathery Heights
Heather will be sharing her journey of discovery when she ate wild food only as a participant in the 2025 Wildbiome Project. As a pescatarian and non-meat eater she undertook the trial for the month of April – having gathered wild ingredients over the preceding months – before her self-supported walk across Scotland with her daughter in May, covering over 200 miles and 46,000’ of ascent. She explores the difficulties of being a non-meat eater when eating wild food only, the ethos and research behind the project, and how she made the transition to the foods she needed when undertaking such a physical challenge just a week after completing the Wildbiome. The workshop includes samples of some of the wild foods Heather ate during the project for people to try and tips on going back to ‘normal’.
1pm
A taste of Alba Seafood
with Jamie MacDonald
• A canapé with hot smoked salmon
• A starter with with scallops and black pudding
• A main with lemon sole, curry cream and banana
2pm
The Oban Distillery Whisky Masterclass
Presented by Callum Hamilton
Join our experts on a guided tasting experience of three of Argyll’s iconic distilleries – Oban, Lagavulin and Caol Ila.
We will take you on a journey, learning about the rich history of these distilleries and the people who create their world renowned single malt whiskies. Will you prefer the light and fruity style of Oban, or the rich and powerful smokiness of Islay’s coastal distilleries…
Argyll Coffee Festival 2025!
We’re super excited to announce that we’ll be hosting the second annual Argyll Coffee Festival on 27th and 28th September in Oban in conjunction with the Food from Argyll Food Festival!
Join us in celebrating Argyll’s thriving coffee scene, with roasters from Hinba and Mull Coffee Roasters and special guests from Parallel Coffee and Cairngorm Coffee.
You’ll have chance to brush up on home brewing tips, hone your sensory skills, sample coffees from different origins and have a go at perfecting your latte art.
Plus we’ll be hosting the first ever Argyll Roasting Competition sponsored by Mercanta Coffee and you can get involved in the judging!
The Brew Bar will be running throughout the weekend featuring coffee from all the roasters. Ryan from Songbird Specialty Coffee will be on hand pulling the shots.
Admission to the Argyll Coffee Festival is included in the entry fee for the Argyll Food Festival. See you there!
Tickets
Tickets can be bought at the door. Workshop spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served, basis.
See you at the weekend!
Meet the Stalls
We’ve got an incredible selection of producers selling their wares! They include:
Wild Barn Beer
Spice Harmony
Buy your tickets now
Book your tickets and grab your seat for our incredible workshops. The workshops sold out last year, so we recommend booking ahead.