LAUNCHED today and billed as a ‘feastival for the senses’ celebrating food, whisky, chocolate and music, The Famous Feastival at The Famous Grouse Experience will see Michelin-starred chef, Tom Kitchin, play a starring role in what is expected to become one of Scotland’s best small festivals.
On Sunday 25th May, in celebration of Whisky Month, Scotland’s oldest and most-visited distillery will be kicking off the whisky flavoured feastivities with an exclusive range of VIP taste experiences, including a private lunch hosted by Masterchef judge and BBC Saturday Kitchen favourite, Tom Kitchin.
The Scottish chef has developed an exclusive menu for the event marrying whisky and seasonal produce to tempt the taste buds of Feastival go-ers.
Gordon Motion, master blender for The Famous Grouse, will also be on hand, hosting an informative session on the art of blending whisky and encouraging participants to identify their preferred flavours and create a bespoke blend based on their personal tastes.
Participants will get the opportunity to create their own bottle of whisky and take home their personalised blend at the end of the day. Gordon will also be on hand for a free whisky tasting event, earlier in the day, which will be open to those visitors who are not participating in some of the VIP experiences on offer.
Perth-based The Wicked Chocolate Company, a leading chocolatier, will bring a sweet touch to the event, with a chocolate making workshop, as well as a free chocolate tasting event later in the day.
On top of the VIP culinary experiences, which are available for advance booking, there will be entertainment throughout the day including live music from Whisky Kiss, book signings of Tom’s most recent book, Kitchin Suppers, as well as tours of the distillery.
Chef, Tom Kitchin, said:
“The Glenturret Distillery is the perfect setting for this feastival and has really inspired the menu I’ll be serving. I grew up in Perthshire so the area is special to me and I’m looking forward to returning. My restaurant, The Kitchin, is actually set in an old bonded whisky warehouse which, for me, adds to my passion for incorporating different whiskies into my cooking.
“The Famous Feastival is a great opportunity to showcase just how whisky can enhance a dish, allowing feastival goers to discover the great flavours and tastes that can be created by using different combinations.”
Lesley Williamson, business development manager of The Famous Grouse Experience, commented:
“The Famous Feastival is a completely new direction for us and, given the fantastic line up for the launch of the Feastival, we’re really excited about it. We are delighted to have such an admired Scottish chef on board, as well as having our master blender available to the public, which really is an incredible treat if you’re a whisky lover.
“For those choco-o-holics out there, an opportunity to learn how to make it from one of the area’s leading chocolatiers is just too irresistible. And the best thing about the Feastival? Well, it’s interactive: you can drink it, eat it or even let it melt in your mouth.”
For more information, please visit www.thefamousfeastival.net or to book by phone call 0844 481 8898.
-Ends-
For further information on this news release, please contact Tricia Fox, Volpa, Tel: 07989 955039 or 01738 658187, Email: t.fox@volpa.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About The Famous Grouse Experience • The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland (welcoming an average of 100,000 visitors every year). • The distillery offers the opportunity to learn how a single malt is made in the traditional way, as well as learning how some of the Glenturret single malt is then blended along with other grain and malt whiskies to create The Famous Grouse, the No. 1 whisky in the UK. • Opening Hours 9am – 6pm. Three tours are currently available: The Experience Tour (includes tewo whisky tastes), The Seasonal Tour (includes five whisky tastes) and the Taste of Scotland Tour (includes a private whisky tasting with food). Tours start from £10. Children under-12 go free. The first tour is at 9.30am and last tour at 4.30pm. • For more information please visit www.thefamousgrouse.com or call 01764 656565
About The Famous Grouse (www.thefamousgrouse.com) • The Famous Grouse is the No. 1 whisky in UK and No. 4 standard blended whisky worldwide (IWSR data 2012). • The Famous Grouse has been the best-selling whisky in Scotland since 1980. • The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries. • Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand. • The brand became so popular that on August 12th 1905 it was renamed The Famous Grouse.
About Tom Kitchin
Tom Kitchin is chef proprietor at one of Scotland’s finest restaurants, The Kitchin in Edinburgh. The restaurant opened in 2006 and was quickly awarded a Michelin star six months later in 2007. As well as running The Kitchin, Tom and his wife opened gastro pub, The Scran & Scallie, alongside fellow chef, Dominic Jack, in March this year. Tom is a regular guest on Saturday Kitchen Live, has often appeared as guest judge on Masterchef and recently headlined the BBC2 series, The Chef’s Protégé. • The Kitchin was opened in June 2006 by husband and wife team, Tom and Michaela Kitchin, on Edinburgh’s stylish Leith waterfront. • In January 2007, The Kitchin was awarded a coveted Michelin-star after only six months, making Tom the youngest-ever Scottish chef proprietor to achieve one at the age of 29. • Tom Kitchin demonstrates a culinary CV that extends from early training at the Gleneagles Hotel to experience harvested from some of the world’s most renowned chefs and restaurants, including Pierre Koffmann and the three-star La Tante Claire restaurant in London, three-star Michelin restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris and Alain Ducasse’s Louis XV restaurant in Monte Carlo. • As a result, Tom Kitchin presents a menu, which shows his love of seasonal Scottish produce, intertwined with French undertones and an appreciation of the best ingredients available. The Kitchin’s philosophy, ‘From Nature to Plate’, is a true reflection of Chef Tom Kitchin’s passion for the finest, freshest Scottish seasonal produce • In March 2013, Tom and fellow chef, Dominic Jack, opened gastro pub The Scran & Scallie alongside the management team behind The Kitchin and Castle Terrace Restaurant. The gastro pub, which is located in Stockbridge Edinburgh, presents a warm, family-friendly atmosphere, and showcases menus developed by Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack of simple, affordable dishes executed to perfection, which demonstrate their expertise, passion and knowledge of the best suppliers in Scotland. The Scran & Scallie follows the ‘From Nature to Plate’ philosophy the teams at The Kitchin and Castle Terrace Restaurant have become renowned for. • Location and Contact: The Kitchin, 78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6LX, Tel: 0131-555 1755 Fax: 0131-553 0608 www.thekitchin.com
PRESS RELEASE issued by Volpa. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka Press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Contact: Tricia Fox
Phone: 01738658187
Email: t.fox@volpa.co.uk
Website: http://www.volpa.co.uk
