New Organic Food Festival Announced: Spots on my Apples from Futtle Brewery at Bowhouse Fife

Presented by Futtle brewery, a new organic festival, Spots on my Apples, is to take place at Fife’s Bowhouse promising a programme of inspiring conversations, hands-on activities and outstanding food and drink.

Providing visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the issues and hear from the voices at the centre of the organic growing movement, the line-up includes talks and discussions and tastings by:

• Broadcaster, writer and longstanding presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme, Dan Saladino, whose latest book Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods & Why We Need to Save Them won Best Food Book at Fortnum & Mason’s Food & Drink Awards this month
• Organic grower and cook, Xanthe Gladstone, who is Director of Food & Food Sustainability at Hawarden and Glen Dye Estates and The Good Life Experience
• Writer, campaigner and bread expert Andrew Whitley, whose Flour to the People campaign was recently the recipient of a BBC Food & Farming Award
• World renowned spirits writer and educator, Dave Broom, whose book A Sense of Place, due out later this year explores the importance of terroir and provenance in scotch whisky
• Creative Director Jonny King, of Garthenor, which is the first certified organic British yarn brand
• Directors of Ocelot Chocolate, Matthew Broadbent and Ishbel Neat, the organic, Edinburgh-based cult chocolate brand.
• Nc’Nean Distillery, Scotland’s only certified organic distillery, will be represented by both their Distiller, Lorna Davidson and Head of Sustainability, Amy Stammers
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Alongside workshops and talks, visitors will also be able to tour the organic farm at Balcaskie, where Bowhouse is based. This will include visits to the mob-grazed cattle, followed by the chance to meet with the Butchery at Bowhouse team, as well as tours of the East Neuk Market Garden plot where people can find out more about permaculture growing methods and how to save your own seed. Visitors will even be able to help harvest crops and have them cooked into delicious tasters at the outdoor cookery station by Xanthe Gladstone.

Futtle’s organic brewery will be opened up for the duration of the festival with the taproom hosting a series of wine and beer flight tastings from specially invited natural drinks producers, including Cyclic Beers from Barcelona. These will feature alongside Futtle’s own range of spirits and beers.

The brewery opens up onto Bowhouse’s courtyard space, which will host a number of street food producers. Bowhouse’s café, Baern, will also provide a full menu of dishes that focus on the strength of local ingredients. There’s also the opportunity to enjoy picnics on a series of grassy mounds beyond Bowhouse – likely to be a firm favourite with visiting families.

A programme of live music will take place within Bowhouse’s market area, where visitors can enjoy refreshments and browse from a range of specially selected food, drink, homeware and gardening market stands including Lochaber Farm Bakery, Fife Dexters, Scotland the Bread, Garthenor organic yarn, Cream o’ Galloway, Nc’Nean Single Malt and Novar Cider. Independent booksellers, Topping & Co, will host a book area with a carefully curated selection of titles that focus on food, growing and the landscape.

Children will be kept busy with a series of craft activities that focus on the natural environment. These include the chance to make your own floral crown with Bowhouse’s resident flower grower, Keeping the Plot, and other hands-on crafts that use natural materials.

Bird watching tours will take place throughout the day, alongside foraging sessions that allow visitors of all ages to learn about harvesting food from the wild.

Organiser, Lucy Hine of Futtle brewery said:

“This is a brilliant little line up for our first festival, bringing together some of the foremost voices and best producers in food and drink. Spots on my Apples brings together chefs, writers, growers, farmers, producers, drinks makers and activists to make the day a really special one. It also allows you to get actively involved – chat direct to the producers, growers and cooks – and learn from the professionals themselves – all in a beautiful countryside setting.”

Tickets to Spots on my Apples cost £15 with under 16s admitted free of charge. Activities, tastings, beer/wine flights and workshops are all included in the ticket price with only produce at the bar, street food area, café and marketplace to be purchased separately. Tickets can be purchased at www.futtle.com.

Spots on my Apples takes place at Bowhouse on Balcaskie Estate in the East Neuk of Fife. Bowhouse opened as a makers hub for local food and drink producers in summer 2017, working to provide the missing link between farm and fork for producer and consumer. Its Market Weekends take place monthly but Bowhouse is also home to a growing number of independent artisan producers which sell direct to the public.