Food Events in Scotland: October 2021

If you’re reading this while it’s still hot off the presses, we have a treat for you. To celebrate Nigeria’s Independence Day, Edinburgh-based chef Tunde Abifarin of the Farin Road supper club has put together an incredible-sounding multi-course tasting menu which fuses African dishes and techniques with foods from around the world. If you’re looking for something genuinely exciting (Goat bonbons! Plantain hash browns! Hibiscus parfait!), this is an ideal way to start your month. 1 & 2 Oct, five courses £50, seven courses £70, full details at farinroad.com or @farin.road on Instagram

For food events that keep on giving, we have a trio of book launches to recommend. Jessica Elliott Dennison of the extremely homely 27 Elliott's in Edinburgh’s southside launches her latest cookbook Lazy Baking; we have several friends who absolutely swear by her previous two books, and this concept of ‘lazy baking’ is right up our street. 1 Oct, 7.15pm, Portobello Bookshop, 46 Portobello High St; from £3, book via portobellobookshop.com; 7 Oct, 7pm; Blackwell’s, 53 South Bridge; free, register via Eventbrite

Also back with a third book are Bounceback Food; the non-profit social enterprise are launching their latest Secret Dishes From Around the World book. The new book features 40 recipes from around the world, with photography and illustration produced by artists supported by arts charities from across the UK. Food, art, charity; all good things that we fully endorse. 15 Oct, from 12pm; Social Bite, 131 Rose St; free, register via Eventbrite

Cider fans will be in their element at the launch of Gabe Cook’s new book Modern British Cider, taking place at the Aeble cider shop in Anstruther. Learn about cider, try some cider, get a new book about cider, say the word cider so many times it loses all meaning. 28 Oct, 7pm; Aeble, 17 Rodger St; free, register via Eventbrite

In a similar ‘say-what-you-see’ vein is the returning Edinburgh Cocktail Week. 100 signature cocktails are on offer, available at venues across the city for £4 with your festival wristband. There are masterclasses, tastings, cocktail crazy golf (we’ll assume that’s exactly what it sounds like) and the return of their Cocktail Village which brings a whole load of bars and brands together under an absolutely enormous marquee. If you’ve been waiting for your first big bar crawl back, this might be a good place to start. 11-17 & 18-24 Oct, venues across Edinburgh, wristbands from £8.80, edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk