Chef Kevin MacGillivray cooked up hake, megrim, langoustine mackerel and crab for an eager public, and gave plenty of tips on preparation.
Seafood Scotland (SFS) also sponsored five live theatre cooking demonstrations using top chefs including Nick Nairn, Roy Brett and David Haetzman, plus a live discussion session with TV host Steven Jardine and Scottish Fishermen’s Federation president Ian Gatt. Ian showed off his cookery skills with a langoustine dish and chatted knowledgeably to a huge audience about the fishing industry and sustainability issues.
The show was organised as part of a package of measures to encourage greater domestic consumption of Scottish seafood and a better understanding of the variety of sustainable species available. “We found the show highly effective in educating people of all ages about the industry in general and about how to prepare and cook seafood” explained SFS Marketing Executive Sarah Holmyard. “Without exception people found the simple recipes delicious and were keen to try them out at home” she added.
Ian Gatt spoke to many consumers as he helped dish out seafood on the stand “we have inspired many people to try different species and I feel it was a very valuable experience,” he said. Jimmy Buchan who also attended for a day agreed with his sentiments “It was a fantastic venue to promote Scottish seafood and we reached so many people,” he stated.