Forecasts for high winds may have forced an eleventh-hour change of venue, but the eighth annual Elgin Food and Drink Festival attracted a big crowd at the weekend.
The wild weather meant locals and visiting foodies made a pilgrimage to Elgin Town Hall instead of the Plainstones on Saturday to sample some of Moray’s tasty delights.
From whisky ice-cream and Scottish wild venison to healthy Mediterranean food and fresh local fruit and vegetables, there was something for everyone’s taste buds.
Alongside the mouth-watering offers at a wealth of stalls, local chefs John McCrudden and Ed Blackhall hosted cooking demonstrations, offering recipes designed to be easy to replicate at home.
The two cooks also welcomed audience participation, with chef McCrudden even getting a member of the crowd up to show them how to use a pasta making machine.
With a clown running about entertaining the children and live music throughout the day, the event was never boring and kept visitors entertained from earning morning long into the afternoon.
Aviemore fishmongers Pro Fish hosted a stall selling their fresh product and attracted interest from far and wide.
It was their first time at the festival and co-owner Jimmy Raguenet said he’d thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere.
He said: “This is the first Elgin festival that we’ve done. “We’ve really enjoyed it. There were so many people around and everyone has been so pleasant. It’s been great to chat to people about our produce.”
James Creane-Smith is a three-year veteran of the festival with Balvenie St Ice Cream, a whisky-based twist on the popular dessert.
He enjoys the community feeling this event brings.
Mr Creane-Smith said: “We’ve been at the festival the last two years so we knew it would be good fun.
“It’s good to be part of the community, bringing people out and about to let them see that there are a lot of local producers out there.
“You don’t have to go to the big supermarkets to get what you want.”
It was announced on Thursday that the location for the festival was going to be changed, due to predictions of gale force winds on Saturday.