Cooking roadshow is a recipe for success

Thursday 22 March 2012

Shoppers in Oban will be invited to sample some tasty treats next week as a cookery roadshow hits high streets in the Highlands and Islands.

Spearheaded by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland, the roadshow will see guest chef Brian Gunn cooking up some delicious fare for shoppers to watch and taste the end results. On the menu are dishes as diverse as a prawn and scallop esquabeche, an oriental-style soup and a crème-fraiche mousse with exotic fruit salad. Brian, who lives in Fort William, has specially developed these recipes to be healthy, tasty, easy to cook and using ingredients that are easily accessible in rural areas.

The cooking roadshow will be in Station Square, Oban on Tuesday 27 March, with demonstrations taking place throughout the day, between 11am and 4pm. Staff from the Food Standards Agency in Scotland will also be on hand to advise shoppers on any healthy eating or food safety questions.

Charles Milne, Director, Food Standards Agency said: 'This is an exciting opportunity for us to take healthy eating and food safety messages straight to the High Street. Tasty recipes presented in an entertaining way will provide the perfect backdrop for some important messages about nutrition and avoiding cross-contamination, which are essential for good health.'

There will also be a presence from colleagues in Argyll and Bute Council, to talk about the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, which operates across the region. The scheme provides consumers with at-a-glance information about the food hygiene standards in outlets supplying food to the public, including restaurants, cafes, shops and take-aways.

Thanks to this scheme, consumers can find out how well their local food retailers and caterers are performing, and they can make informed choices about local businesses they want to support. Establishments are encouraged to display a 'PASS' certificate in their windows as a guide to customers.

Iain MacKinnon, Environmental Health Manager (West) said: 'Argyll and Bute Council are keen to support this event as part of our work to improve the standards of food safety through working with businesses, the consumer and other agencies.'