IT’S COUNTDOWN across Cowal for the debut of the first Taste Dunoon food and drink festival.
The crowd-pleasing event gets under way in just three weeks’ time and will be showcasing a weekend of celebrating the best tastes in town.
The event runs over Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26, and will be officially opened by Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean at the principal venue in the Castle Gardens.
Ciorsdan Fagan of Dunoon Presents noted: “The marquee for the food and drink producers will be on the Castle Gardens lawn, with the street food and drinks vendors positioned in the adjacent Queen’s Hall car park.
“Cooking demonstrations, talks, tastings and workshops will take place in the Queen’s Hall and there’s a host of other exciting, associated activities and events in various locations around Dunoon.
“The Dunoon Rhubarb Festival will be held in the Pop Shop on Hillfoot Street on the Saturday from 11am to 4pm with an array of competitions, talks and tastings. There are further details about that part of Taste Dunoon available online by searching for the Dunoon Rhubarb Festival.
“The pavilion building on the Victorian pier will be playing host to an exhibition of arts and crafts over the weekend created by members of the Cowal Art Network, part of Cowal Open Studios, from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
“Established local eateries will also be playing their part, with the Rock Café holding a seafood takeaway special evening on Saturday from 6pm, and the Cruive Cafe and Bar is hosting local covers band SOAP that evening from 9pm to midnight. More details are available at each of the venues’ Facebook pages.
“The award-winning Chatters pop-up restaurant will also be opening on the evenings of Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25.”
Hazel Salisbury of the Rock Café commented: “We’re looking forward to Taste Dunoon and it’s great to be part of an event that is sure to become a regular fixture in the town’s calendar.
“There’s also a celebration ceilidh on the Saturday at the Argyll Hotel from 5pm to 7pm. Tickets are priced at £15 (with a small booking fee) and are available to book at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/dunoonpresents/2215190.”
Ciorsdan added: “There will be displays of Highland dancing during the festival as well as local pipers and buskers. There’s so much to see and do at a festival that’s already creating a real buzz across Dunoon and further afield.
“The arrival of the PS Waverley from Glasgow on Friday means visitors can arrive in true style and witness the festival taking shape.”
Three local businesses have become official sponsors of the festival: Winston Churchill Venison, bakers Black of Dunoon and electrical retailers Gibsons.
Ciorsdan told this newspaper the festival is already promising to have a good impact on Dunoon. “We are already hearing stories about visitors to Dunoon and Cowal booking accommodation from across the central belt and beyond, which is great news and reveals the positive impact that an event such as this can have on the local economy,” he said.
