SeaFest Peterhead to welcome five top north-east chefs to first seafood stage

A quintet of leading chefs from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will showcase the finest seafood dishes on stage at this year’s SeaFest Peterhead. 

Taking place this Saturday (September 9) from 11am to 4pm, the family-friendly seafood festival at Peterhead’s Seagate will welcome north-east talent Kevin Dalgleish, Graham Mitchell, Orry Shand, Kenny Smart and Khanim Guild who will cook up a storm. 

The five chefs will serve up sustainable seafood dishes, with some making them family-friendly to be easily replicated at home.  

Haddock, hake, halibut, langoustine, king scallops, and more will form the main ingredients on the plates served.

Kevin Dalgleish opened his restaurant Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish on Queen’s Gardens in Aberdeen in July 2022 and shot to fame when he appeared on BBC One’s Great British Menu earlier this year. The well-established chef will be joined by restaurateur Graham Mitchell whose venue, Tarragon by Graham Mitchell in Rosemount, has received numerous accolades since opening in October last year. 

Also on the line-up includes Scotland’s Culinary captain, Orry Shand, who is the executive chef of Entier and local chef Kenny Smart who showcases family-friendly recipes on Instagram at @KennysHome Kitchen_. 

Khanim Guild of Peterhead’s North Bar will bring the event to a close with two delicious dishes. 

The chefs will cook back-to-back from 11.15am to 4pm utilising their 45-minute sessions. 

The line-up: 

• 15am - noon: Kenny Smart will cook up tasty family dishes with hake and haddock.
• 15 - 1pm: Kevin Dalgleish creates his popular king scallops signature dish served with bacon jam which features on the menu at his award-winning restaurant Amuse.
• 1 - 1.45pm: Captain of Scottish Chef’s national team, Orry Shand of Entier, will plate smoked haddock and squid dishes.
• 15 - 3pm: Graham Mitchell will cook halibut and langoustine recipes which can also be enjoyed at his award-winning restaurant Tarragon.
• 15 - 4pm: Khanim Guild will serve up salmon soup and haddock goujon tacos.

The seafood kitchen will be hosted by Cat and John Frankitti on behalf of sponsors Seafood Scotland. The duo both boast more than three decades experience in the industry and are passionate advocates for sustainable seafood. 

North East of Scotland Fisherman’s Organsiation (NESFO) will supply the sustainable seafood for the kitchen. 

As well as the Seafood Scotland Kitchen there will also be another stage where culinary students will show off their cookery skills alongside some of the kitchen team at ESS. This stage is sponsored by ESS. 

Kevin Dalgleish, said: “I’m looking forward to taking part in the inaugural SeaFest Peterhead and showing off top tips and tricks for cooking the perfect roast king scallops at home.

“The north-east is renowned for its amazing larder with Peterhead Harbour being one of the best around for sourcing fresh fish and shellfish - it’s great to see so many businesses come together to celebrate seafood.” 

Other entertainment will also include masterclasses, a food and drink market open and docked fishing vessels. 

A live demonstration from the RNLI and other emergency services and the World Prawn Tailing Competition will take place in the afternoon by the harbour side.

Family-friendly activities will be available to enjoy, and local community and dance groups will perform. 

Festival goers can also try tasters of north-east seafood including canned, pickled or smoked mackerel, herring, sprats, crab, salmon and mussels. 

Donna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland, added: “The seafood sector is at the heart of the Peterhead community and is of significant value to the local economy, as well as the rest of Scotland.  

“SeaFest Peterhead offers a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this, and Seafood Scotland, as part of the steering committee, has been working with the organisers to ensure the festival demonstrates the importance of this sector. 

“As part of our involvement, we’re hosting a marquee which will feature cookery demonstrations and top-quality Scottish seafood for people to sample. We’ll be showing attendees the variety of seafood available and how to create healthy, nutritious, and economical dishes for all the family. We hope to see locals and visitors from further afield come along and enjoy what is sure to be a great celebration of the Scottish seafood industry.” 

SeaFest Peterhead is free to attend.