Flavour of Shetland

Packed Programme Revealed for Flavour of Shetland 2010

June 3 2010

 Locals and visitors – including Hamefarers – will enjoy a full programme of music and activities at this year’s Flavour of Shetland.  Victoria Pier is guaranteed to be packed creating a great festival atmosphere over the four-day event (17 to 20 June).

Some of the very best of Shetland’s food, music, craft and culture will be celebrated at what has become a well-established favourite on the island’s events calendar.

Food and Drink

This year, local food and drink producers have pulled out all the stops, with a tasty and varied menu to whet the appetite.

Last year’s new innovation ‘The Seafood Shack’ returns to the pier with chef Glynn Wright cooking up a new selection of salmon, scallops, crabmeat and hot smoked salmon dishes in a choice of flavours.  Glynn Wright said: “After last year’s hugely successful event, we are looking forward to cooking with the best seafood the world has to offer and to let locals and visitors alike taste a flavour of Shetland.”

New for this year, Da Soup Galley will serve up a variety of quality soups made from locally grown and sourced ingredients, including Shetland’s favourite ‘Reestit’ mutton soup and its traditional companion, the bannock.  Local rolls and oatcakes will also be available, as will Shetland smoked fish soup and, for vegetarians, homemade lentil soup.

J.K Mainland will cook up good quality locally produced beef, lamb and pork from its own farm, and other local producers.  Their menu will include mutton stew, hot pork roast rolls, lamb burgers, sausage meat rolls and bacon rolls.

The Great Wall will return with a menu of tom yum mussel soup, spring onion soya salmon, scallops with ginger and onions, curried lamb and lamb skewers – all made with local produce.

Another newcomer is ‘In the Raw’ run by Heather Moncrieff.  She said: “We’ll be offering smoothies that are positively delicious, fun to drink and include the superfoods and fruit that can be lacking in our diets.” 

The Café Consulate will be serving up quality coffees, teas and home bakes and, for children, there will be a range of milk shakes and fudge.

Entertainment

This year’s line up includes live traditional and contemporary music from some of the islands’ most notable musicians, storytelling, a variety of children’s activities including a welcome return from Cheeko the Clown, and a visit from the Jarl Squad.

All types of music will feature over the four days with musicians from Fair Isle to Unst, and everywhere in between, taking part.  Highlights will include: Norman and the Folding Deckchairs launching their debut album on Saturday; Shetland Fiddlers appearing as part of their 50^th anniversary celebrations; while all of this year’s winners of the ‘Young Fiddler of the Year’ competition will be kicking off Sunday’s bill.

Flavour of Shetland will feature event debut performances from The Fabulous Ramstams, Bells Brae Choir (including a visit from their Samba band), Birls Aloud and Whiskyjaks.

Others on the bill include: Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag; The Revellers; Hom Bru; Scaldin Bragg; Heritage Fiddlers; Jillian Isbister; Tess with Red, Hot and Blue; and the Vinyls – getting back together for a rare public performance.

Local storyteller Davy Cooper will be back to regale with ‘Stories of Shetland folklore’ and there will also be static displays portraying the archaeological fieldwork at the Viking Unst Project and Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village.

For children, Cheeko the Clown is back again by popular demand.  There will also be regular freestyle dance sessions, a chance to make pirate ships or puppets, a games corner, face painting, and a special ‘silent disco’ with alcohol-free bar in the evenings for older children. 

Local writer Jacqui Clark will present a short play called ‘Winnie and Flushing Frank’, which is guaranteed to have everyone in stitches.

The Jarl Squad will be making an appearance on the pier on Saturday 19 June accompanied by the Hamefarin galley.

Craft Village

This year, event organisers will be creating a brand new ‘craft village’ using specially constructed retail huts.  Located at the north end of the pier, the area will showcase a wide variety of Shetland’s talented craftspeople offering a superb array of high quality goods.

Festival goers will be able to browse through the ‘village’, meet the producers and buy from a selection of crafts including: knitwear and knitted accessories; photography; traditional and contemporary furniture; jewellery; contemporary woven textiles; glassware; collectable knitted bears; a new textile design and fashion company inspired by the islands’ landscape and weather; a new textile designer; and a leather bag and belt maker.

New product launches include Lava Jewellery Design’s new ‘Shetlandic Collection’, which uses Rhoda Bulter’s poem ‘Shetlandic’ in a new jewellery range, while Aamos Designs will launch their ‘At the Button of the Garden’ new collection

Councillor Josie Simpson said:  "This is a particularly special year for Flavour of Shetland in that it ties in closely with the Shetland Hamefarin and the visit to Lerwick of the yachts taking part in the 2010 Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Yacht Race.  The aim of the event is to bring together unique aspects of Shetland and celebrate them in one place so it will give our visitors the opportunity to mingle with locals and get a feel for island life while sampling our high quality products".

Principal Officer - Marketing with Shetland Islands Council, and one of the event organisers, Neil Henderson, commented: "The event is now in its fifth year and once more presents very much a Flavour of Shetland with a fantastic showcase of music, top quality craft products and a great range of festival food made using high quality local produce.  The event offers a great platform for Shetland and this year with the Hamefarin visitors in Shetland, a number of businesses and bands have used that opportunity to launch new product ranges and albums.  I am sure that, once more, the event will prove to be highly popular again with both visitors and local people.”