Provenance Festival kicks off with more than 170 events across the region

Provenance Festival, the North-east’s food and drink extravaganza, kicks off this weekend with more than 170 events scheduled over the next nine days.

Local businesses have created one-off behind the scenes experiences for visitors from across Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen, that celebrate the ingenuity of the region’s food and drink businesses and producers, who are opening their doors for one-off events from Saturday 21 to Sunday 29 September.

Launched in 2021 by Opportunity North East (ONE) to grow food tourism in the region, Provenance Festival is now delivered by VisitAberdeenshire and ONE, supporting the key food and drink and tourism sectors and economic diversification across the North-east.

Chris Foy, CEO, VisitAberdeenshire said: “This year’s Provenance Festival provides the rare opportunity to see behind the scenes and get a flavour for the incredible people and produce behind the businesses, whether that is a farm tour for the family, a cider tasting, or dunking your own donuts.

“The high calibre of this year’s schedule of events is testament to the creativity of the sector, and we look forward to another successful Provenance Festival.”

Peter Cook, Director of Food, Drink and Agriculture at Opportunity North East said: “North-east Scotland is a driving force in Scotland’s premium food and drink sector. The diversity of production in this region is unique – from some of the worlds best seafood, to high sustainability meat, top quality soft fruit and every type of drink. Provenance is your chance to get behind the scenes of this success story, hear first-hand from the people who make the products sought out by discerning consumers across the country and internationally, and have a great day out in the process.”

Mackie’s of Scotland is one of the businesses involved in this year’s line-up, and Mackie’s 19.2 ice cream parlour has created tasting flights, inspired by the flavours of the region.

Angus Hayhow, Head of Marketing, Mackie’s of Scotland, said: “The Provenance Festival is an excellent opportunity for food and drink producers from the region to showcase their offering in a different and unique way, while giving customers the chance to experience something new and exclusive to the festival. This year, the festival will give consumers a chance to visit our ice cream parlour in Aberdeen and try out a combination of delicious flavours while learning about the process of ice cream making.”

For more information about Provenance Festival 2024 events, visit www.provenancefestival.co.uk to book now.