SPEYSIDE’S VERSION OF what has become a UK TV institution is set to challenge would-be master bakers when it adds flavour in Grantown next month.
What the Great British Bake Off has done for national television audiences the Spirit of Speyside hopes to do for a local audience when the Great Whisky Bake Off takes place on May 1.
Entrants are being invited to don aprons and produce baked treats that include a touch of whisky when they man their tables at the Grantown YMCA Community Centre.
Spirit of Speyside Festival manager Pery Zakeri explained: “Grantown’s Whisky Cake Off is a really fun way to experiment with whisky, as it allows you to understand which ingredients and flavours complement certain single malts.
“We are very proud of the wide range of food-related events available throughout the Festival, as each one is so different and will appeal to a large variety of people.
“You would never normally associate whisky with baking, but that is the beauty of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival – it allows people to see the full potential of single malts and the huge selection of food you can enjoy them with.
“Speyside single malts are so diverse, meaning that anyone can enjoy a good dram if they find the right one for them. Due to the abundance of different flavours and notes available our beloved drink can be paired with a whole host of different food.”
The bake-off is just one of several unusual events that will accompany an abundance of food, music and of course whisky events at the festival from April 28 to May 2.
Balvenie Street Ice Cream Shop in Dufftown will be serving up tastings of its five different whisky ice creams, which are created especially for the festival.
In Fochabers at Gordon Castle a traditional afternoon tea in their Walled Garden restaurant will come with a variety of scones, cakes and sandwiches alongside whisky truffles and a bottle of their handcrafted whisky cask cider – the tea will be served from 3pm to 5pm on May 1.
Also Gordon & MacPhail is hosting on April 29 from 10am a whisky and cheese tasting at their Elgin shop, allowing whisky fans to pair their drams with a variety of different cheeses to create the perfect match.
These and dozens more food events with a whisky flavour are included in the 500 activities contained in the festival programme – tickets and details for all events are available now at www.spiritofspeyside.com.