Frying pans at the ready!
A fun cooking contest in which entrants compete to be crowned the World Tattie Scone Champion is returning to a three-day food and drink festival.
The World Tattie Scone Championships will be held at Taste of Nairn, which is taking place in the seaside town between April 28-30.
The Championship was launched in 2013 at Piping At Forres and was held there for six years.
However, Oakwood Cookery School near Elgin which sponsors the scone making contest and Forres Events Limited who organised Piping At Forres have for the last three years, offered the competition to Taste of Nairn.
Elaine Sutherland, owner of the Oakwood Cookery School said she was delighted the competition will return for its ninth time.
She said:
“It’s great to be working with the organisers of Taste of Nairn again and to keep this fantastic contest alive.
“It’s such a lot of fun and a great way to get those culinary juices flowing.
“It’s also fantastic to see another of Scotland’s greatest food creations being celebrated in this way.
“Last year, we saw over 20 people registering to take part at Taste of Nairn and we even had entries from pantomime favourite Window Twanky and characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who served up the whackiest tattie scones to date.”
The World Tattie Scone Championship will appeal to budding cooks wanting to put their culinary skills to the test and those just looking for a bit of fun.
The aim of the competition is to make a tattie scone using a set recipe with mashed potatoes and flour, plus the contestant’s own magic ingredient which they bring in with them.
Tables and stoves are set up for contestants to compete in heats.
The most tasty and imaginative scone will be chosen as the winner.
Last year, the winner was 55-year-old Donna Cunningham of Elgin College UHI’s Hospitality and Tourism Academy who beat off stiff competition from over 20 other contestants.
It was her maple syrup and bacon tattie sone that impressed the judges, STV’s Nicola McAlley, Nairn BID manager Lucy Harding and Vicky Farquhar from Oakwood Cookery School.
Elaine said that over the years, she has seen various ‘secret ingredients’ being used and explained what the judges are looking for.
“We have seen anything and everything from people using prawns to raspberries and this year we hope to see even more imaginative ingredients being used.
“It’s such fun to take part in.
“We have had people who are seasoned chefs or cooks, and those who have barely set foot in the kitchen taking part, and the great thing is, you just never know who is going to scoop the title.
“It might just be that the winning tattie scone is just so innovative, there is no choice but to choose that one, or it may be that it’s a fairly basic recipe, but it’s cooked to perfection.”
Places in the contest are limited and all completed forms will be entered into a draw.
Entries must be in by 5pm on April 21 when the draw will take place and the lucky entrants will be informed the following day.
There is no fee to enter the World Tattie Scone Championships which is supported by Carr’s Flour and Albert Bartlett potatoes.
Participants can be aged 13 upwards.
The recipe and principal ingredients are provided but contestants are invited to bring their own ‘special ingredient’ – but they are warned there is to be no alcohol.
There will be four different heats held throughout the day with the winners being chosen by a panel of judges.
The contest will take place on April 29 in the Nairn Community and Arts Centre which will also host a food and drink market with demos, tasters and new for this year, a well-being hub organised by Highland Yoga Collective.
Taste of Nairn is run by Nairn Connects BID and is supported by title sponsor Ashers.
Events will take place at different locations throughout the town.
Other events include paddle boarding tasters, candle making workshops, live music, special menus and a Showstopper cake making contest.
