Scottish Food News – April 2016

We begin our April round-up in scientific fashion, with a trio of events from the Gastrofest strand of this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival. Lavish Leftovers (5 Apr, 8pm, £15) tackles the issue of food waste – basically, we all throw away far too much food and need to pull our collective socks up. The event will attempt to convince us of the error of our ways by serving up dishes made entirely of foraged leftover ingredients.

A Short History of the Cocktail (7 Apr, 8pm, £20) promises a potted history of the blended drink, discussing the role played by cocktail ingredients, flavour combinations and visuals in making your face screw up into one of those ‘smiles’ we’ve heard so much about. For those looking for a more family-oriented option, the Festival’s annual SciMart (3 Apr, from 11am, £3) combines food producers, researchers and chefs for a scientific take on the farmers’ market complete with a range of talks, demos and tastings. All Gastrofest events at Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl; sciencefestival.co.uk

On the same weekend over in Glasgow, there’s a chance to try your hand at sushi-making with chef Mayuko Ieiri. Attempt the fine art of putting together a selection of nigiri, maki, and temaki – we expect your afternoon to be nearly as scientific as events over in Edinburgh, but with the added bonus of being able to eat any mistakes you make. 3 Apr, 4pm; Gesso Coffee Lounge, 20 St Georges Road; £29.50, book via eventbrite.co.uk

Also in Glasgow this month, the Project Cafe on Renfrew Street plays host to a Syrian Supper Club. An evening of discussion and cookery led by a pair of Glasgow-based Syrian chefs, the night aims to engage people with the humanitarian crisis in the country as well as its culinary culture. All the money raised on the night goes to charity Syria Relief. 7 Apr, 7pm; Project Cafe, 134 Renfrew St; £10, book via cca-glasgow.com 

Over in Edinburgh, the Scottish Aeropress Championships hit Summerhall with a full evening of coffee-powered merriment. The centrepiece is the 36-person battle to brew the best aeropress cuppa, but there’s a whole host of other activities going on should the high-stakes coffee-making prove too much to handle. There’s a brew bar featuring a host of the city’s best cafes selected by the team behind the Edinburgh Coffee Lovers blog, live music from former Meursault frontman Neil Pennycook’s Supermoon project, food and drink from Jones & Son, Brew Lab and Twelve Triangles, and a special coffee beer from Steampunk Coffee and Barney’s Beer. Plenty to be getting on with, basically. 21 Apr, 6.30pm; Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl; £10, summerhall.co.uk

Oh, and one other thing – we made a beer! Our lemon and grapefruit IPA, the cunningly-named Hop Off The Press, will be on tap at this month’s Edinburgh Beer Festival at the home of our beer collab chums Stewart Brewing. The festival also features one-off collaborations with Fallen, Hawkshead and Oregon’s Crux Fermentation Project, as well as a host of unique beers, food from some of Scotland’s best food trucks, and some live music as well. You’ll find us propping up the bar, nodding at our beer and fishing for compliments. Honestly, it’s delicious. 16 Apr, 3pm; Stewart Brewing, Loanhead nr Edinburgh; £15, tickets from bit.ly/EdinBeerFest