Floors Castle Returns With Food and Drink Festival

Submitted by edg on Fri, 6 Sep '19 5.44pm
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Floors Castle

Bakers, artisan producers and assorted foodies are getting ready for the Great British Food Festival which comes to the stately home of Floors Castle, near Kelso, next weekend (14th and 15th September).

The historic visitor attraction in the Scottish Borders is currently closed following the death of the Duke of Roxburghe at the end of August, but the castle, gardens, grounds and terrace café re-open on Thursday 12th September in time for the two-day food fest.

The Great British Food Festival is a touring food jamboree that brings together artisan food and drink producers, street food vendors, food demos and other entertainment.

As well a Cake-off featuring hundreds of cakes baked by amateur bakers in competition, the event will have a craft and gift tent, chef demos, foodie talks, "man versus food" competitions, and forager walks.

You can also get tips and ideas for preserving, baking and packing, jams, cakes, cheese, sausages and lots of other tasty treats.

For the kids, there are cookery lessons, free circus skills, and children's inflatables, and local bands will be providing live music.

If the currently favourable long-range weather forecast holds out it should be a good day to sit out and enjoy the entertainment.

Floors Castle was originally designed by Edinburgh architect William Adam for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe in 1721 and built on the site of an existing building called the House of Floris. Another renowned Edinburgh architect William Playfair embellished the existing symmetrical Georgian country house between 1837 and 1847 into the palatial building found today with its turrets and battlements.

The grounds include Victorian kitchen gardens in the Walled Garden, mature woodland and glades, and a French-style parterre which features the intertwining initials of the late Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe.

Tickets for the Great British Food Festival are £9 (£8 concession) per day and £12 (£10.50 concession) for the weekend for adults and £5 per day and £7.50 for children. Family tickets are £37.50 for two adults and three children.

Individual day tickets have a 10% discount if bought in advance and there is free admission if you enter your cake into the "Cake-off".