A STAR studded line-up of celebrity chefs has been unveiled for this year’s Stranraer Oyster Festival.
Making a splash will be Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt and much-loved TV chef Rosemary Shrager, headlining a programme that promises to be the most ambitious yet.
The celebrity duo join festival favourites Tony Singh and Julie Lin, plus Bake Off star Dr James Morton and six other chefs for what promises to be an unmissable weekend celebrating Scotland’s last wild, native oyster fishery.
Matt Tebbutt said: “I’m genuinely excited to be part of Stranraer Oyster Festival. What draws me to events like this is the opportunity to celebrate truly exceptional local produce in the place where it’s grown or caught. The story of Loch Ryan’s native oysters is remarkable. You’ve got this incredible natural resource that’s been sustainably managed for centuries, and now it’s the heart of a festival that’s brought a whole community together. That’s exactly the kind of food story I want to be part of.”
Both Matt and Rosemary will be appearing at the ‘In Conversation’ sessions, with Matt also leading the festival’s new Sunday Oyster Kitchen experience, and Rosemary presenting a demonstration showcasing her passion for seasonal cooking and local produce.
Romano Petrucci, chair of Stranraer Development Trust, commented: “What excites me most about this year’s line-up is the calibre of chefs who said yes when we approached them. Matt Tebbutt, Rosemary Shrager, Julie Lin – these are people at the very top of their game who could be anywhere, doing anything, but they want to be here, in Stranraer, celebrating with us.
“That tells you everything about the reputation this festival has built. We’re a destination that attracts the best talent in the country. I can’t wait to introduce this year’s chefs to Stranraer and share the passion and determination that is making our oyster festival one of the most popular food festivals in Scotland.”
