Local producers are showing Clipper Round the World crews and visitors they’re world-class at Oban’s Festival of the Sea Food & Drink Village.
Held at The Rockfield Centre, the Food from Argyll market showcases everything from cakes and coffee to specialist salts, candles and seaweed products.
It’s part of a series of events welcoming thousands of people to Oban for Clipper Round the World, where teams race 40,000 miles around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht.
Oban is the first Scottish port in the history of the iconic race and the penultimate stop for 11 Clippers and their crews, who’ll depart for their final dash to the finish line in Portsmouth on July 21.
We caught up with some of the producers – make sure to visit the market between 10am and 4pm before it ends on July 21.
Helen Butler – H20 Designs
Lochgilphead-based Helen Butler, 43, set up H20 Designs while she recovered from brain surgery.
After suffering from epilepsy for 29 years, a condition that in her case was unable to be managed by medication, she was offered life-changing surgery.
“That’s when I started to concentrate on my art,” she said.
“And from there my business grew.”
Helen’s designs are of the coast and sea including some “steampunk” fish.
She donates part of the sale of her “waves” collection to the RNLI.
Mhairi MacDonald – Bluebell Jewels
Mhairi MacDonald, 44, runs Bluebell Jewels – where her stall is gleaming with all the gemstone jewellery she has on offer.
Mhairi is from Lochgilphead and has been making jewellery for the last 14 years.
She also has clocks on sale – but she jokes “they are from my long-suffering ‘driver'” who wanted to make his own items.
Louise MacPhail – Kilmartin Glen Spirits
Louise MacPhail, 42, from Kilmartin was joined by Jean McPhee to serve up some tasty cocktails.
Louise said: “We have been making Kilmartin Gin for two-and-a-half years and we are really enjoying it”
The gin is described as being “enriched with hand-foraged botanicals from our fascinating and mysterious glen.
“Our key sustainable botanicals are Noble Fir, Scots Pine and Spruce leaves unveiling a citrus essence, complementing the traditional juniper of our classic dry gin.”
Bottles of the gin on sale at the market are £42. Cocktails are £9 for Ladies Seat and Ri Cruin, and £7.50 for a ‘sailors daily ration’ of gin and tonic.
Petra Hurska – Annie’s Herb Kitchen
Annie’s Herb Kitchen infuses fresh herbs in salt – and its owner is winning awards for her idea.
Named after her daughter, Annie, mum Petra Hurska says she is thrilled to have been awarded a Great Taste Award for her course garlic salt and hopes to get a second one for her smoked chilli salt.
The key to her Lochgilphead-based business is “great salt as a good ingredient to any dish”.
Annie’s Herb Garden is based in Lochgilphead, but stocked in 45 businesses throughout Scotland.
Kate Francklin – Northern Lights Cakery
Kate Francklin’s Northern Lights Cakery stall looks incredible with mountains of cakes and biscuits.
Based in Colintrive, the 39-year-old is acclaimed for her sweet treats which include vegan and gluten-free options.
In celebration of the Clippers coming to town, she has ship biscuits for £2.50.
But it is not just the wee things she makes – the talented baker also makes bespoke five-tiered wedding cakes.
Hazel MacCormick – Lismore Luminations
Lismore Luminations is riding high after opening a shop in Glasgow’s West End.
Owner Hazel MacCormick still returns to Lismore to make her luxury hand-poured candles.
Her packaging all has a striking logo of the Lismore Lighthouse.
She said: “My son plays rugby and he got a place in Glasgow to study for his last two years of high school at Kelvinside School.
“So I took the opportunity and I have taken a shop in De Courcy’s Arcade in Glasgow.
“We got the keys and opened in a matter of a few weeks.
“It is a little bit of Lismore in the city, but I still manage to get back to Lismore to hand pour all our candles.”
Her products all have a connection with the coast and the islands.
Rhianna Rees – Scottish Seaweed Industry Association
Rhianna Rees, business development manager, is representing the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association at the market.
Her stall includes products from across Scotland, including Notably Shore crisps from Caithness and dried seaweed and butter from Fife firm House of Seaweed.
Rhianna also had crackers on hand for free samples of some of the best seaweed products in Scotland.
She’s to talk to anyone looking to develop a seaweed business and says there are “wonderful opportunities” for people across the west coast.
Nicki Sturrock -Isle of Mull Coffee
Isle of Mull Coffee Roasters owner Nicki Sturrock is enjoying her second market of the week.
The former teacher’s coffee is inspired by the coastline and landscape of Mull.
She will soon be setting up a new roasting room on the Inner Hebrides island, allowing even more people to taste her delicious coffee.
Nicki said: “We aim to produce quality, fresh roasted beans from ethically sourced growers creating irresistible new blends and single origin roasts using recyclable materials.
“We wish to move to a new way of packaging, to be responsible producers with minimum impact on the environment – we call it ‘coffee conscience'”.
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