13th & 14th June 2018 sees the Aros Centre, Portree host the Skye Food and Drink Festival. A celebration of food and drink from Skye and the surrounding 
regions as well as some local musicians playing in the restaurant. As I only live about 4 miles from the Aros Centre it seemed only right to have a drive out and have a look around. It must have been an intriguing prospect as hubby tagged along too!Now bearing in mind I have been a stall holder at Food Festivals for the past 6 years you would think it would be like a busman’s holiday for me, but not so on Skye. After 3 weeks of glorious sunshine the weather was not kind but as the majority of the festival was indoors it was a perfect venue to keep dry!
Skye Food and Drink Festival
The first thing that struck me was the entry ticket. It costs £10 per adult which seems a little steep compared to festivals I have 
been to before. However, there is a twist! With every entry ticket you receive a complimentary, engraved “Spirit of Skye” whisky tasting glass on a handy lanyard. This proves to be a very useful addition for the festival goers.
We made our way into theatre where the food and drink producers were showcasing their wares. It was a tight squeeze and very hot but if you were patient you could get to see and taste everything and taste we did. Every stall holder was engaging and handing out lots of samples. It would take too long to go through them all so I’ll highlight our favourites.
Whisky…
The drink scene on Skye is in huge growth right now with two new whisky distilleries recently opened on Skye and Raasay. Our first stop was the new Torabhaig Distillery who are based in Sleat at the south end of the island. Here we sampled their sister whiskies, a Speyside and an Island whisky. In 4 years Torabhaig hope to have their first whisky available for sale which is aiming to be a heavy, peaty, typical island whisky. In the meantime you can visit the distillery for a tour and a bit to eat in their cafe. First use of the sampling glass – done!
Beer…
Next up was Wooha Brewing Company who are based in Kinloss. They brew 4 different beers and lagers from their Highland base and are very proud of their 
natural brewing process. I let hubby do the tasting as I’m not a fan of beer. His first choice was the Porter as he loves Guinness and Dark Ales – out pops the sampling glass again. The Porter was given a thumbs up straight away, it is a rich, dark, slightly smoky brew. Next up was the IPA which gave robust hoppy hit on his palate with a hint of spicy flavours. And, what is not to love about the bold branding, I bet many Dads receive a Wooha Gift this Father’s Day!
Charcuterie…
The stall next to Wooha was Great Glen Charcuterie which had caught my eye in the brochure. Here I sampled the Vension Chorizo and Venison Salami. The chorizo simply melts in your mouth and the salami packs a cheeky kick. Perfect charcuterie for me as I also love venison. I enjoy using chorizo, salami and other cooked meats in paella, pannini, risotto and other dishes so it is great to find something new. Even better news, is that when I run out they have a stockist here in Portree. Often you buy something at a food festival and then never find it again, not the case this time, I’ll be able to pop down to the Isle of Skye Baking Company for more supplies.
More Whisky…
Back to the sampling glasses. It was the turn of the Isle of Raasay Distillery which is a short ferry ride from Skye. They began distilling in September 2017 with water drawn from a Celtic well on their site. Whilst there will be a short wait until the first Whisky is ready they do have a “While we wait” Whisky to be enjoyed. They should be bottling their first batch on 2020 so not too long to wait. In the meantime you can pop over to Raasay and enjoy a distillery tour, or even stay a while in their accommodation and enjoy the island. Keep your eye open for some of their special events too. From our house we look out to Raasay and can nearly see the distillery from our garden, so it would be rude not to go across and buy an inaugural bottle in a couple of years! I was so busy enjoying the Whisky I forgot to take a photo of the stall !
Gin…
A plethora of gins then came my way, putting the sampling glass to good use again! First up was a spicy Gin from Pixel Spirits called Devil’s Staircase Highland Spiced Gin. A great balance between the traditional juniper and the spicy cardamom and nutmeg. Their base is in North Ballachullish where you will also find their new Gin School.
Then a short hop back to Skye brought along Uisge Lusach the Gaelic Gins from Isle Ornsay (Eilean Iarmain in Gaelic). This was another slightly spiced gin with the addition of cardamom alongside Juniper 
and citrus bursts. Distilled in Isle Ornsay where you can visit the wee copper still, and also experience the range of whiskies at Praban .
Last but not least on the gin front were the Isle of Skye 
Distillers, based just down the road in Portree. Brainchild of two brothers, the Isle of Skye Distillers are making their mark in the craft gin world. Their signature Misty Isle Gin boasts 11 botanicals and I can highly recommend it. There is often a bottle to be found in my pantry. However I was intrigued by Tommy’s Gin as it a new product created in the memory of their father Tommy who himself was a “Tommy” soldier. With less botanicals and a higher strength than the Misty Isle it is a very robust gin. However it stays true to the flavours of Skye. So now my pantry boasts a bottle of each!
And finally…
As well as all of the above we tasted sweet jellies, chutney, flapjack, chocolate, coffee, sea salt and more. For a small food and drink festival there was a lot on offer. After some well thought out purchasing we stopped for a coffee, enjoyed whilst the local musicians entertained us! We didn’t have time to watch any chef demos but there was plenty going on in the cookery theatre. Local chefs cooking up a storm with local ingredients.
And not to leave out Man’s Best Friend we brought home a packet of Skye Tails handmade Beef Dog Biscuits, they have been very well received!
I look forward to seeing how the Skye Food and Drink Festival develops over coming years. Onwards and upwards.