Bruce Festival banquet offers chance to take a culinary step back in time

A feast fit for a king — that is what is being planned for Dunfermline's Bruce Festival.

Christopher Trotter (right) with Matthew Roberts (left) and David Austin.

By Leeza Clark
Published in the Courier : 25.07.11
Published online : 25.07.11 @ 04.35pm

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And banquet-goers need not worry about the "sell-by" date on their meals, even although the fare is authentically medieval.

Fife's newly crowned food ambassador Christopher Trotter is the man behind the banquet, designed so diners can experience a feast typical of that served in King Robert the Bruce's royal court in the 14th century.

But he has been helped to ensure its authenticity by none other than Bruce's descendent, the Earl of Elgin — who has provoked some debate about the type of food that would be most in keeping with Bruce's era.

The earl, an acknowledged Bruce scholar, said, "There would have been an element of savagery to a typical feast with near starving soldiers served an animal which the king had probably shot with bow and arrow before it was bled and then skinned."

Chef Christopher, who is also organising a food village at the festival, added, "It is also more likely that King Robert's generation drank burgundy which was much more easily obtained through the Low Countries, although there is evidence that claret was being imported by later generations of the family. Food was central to life in medieval Scotland, so it's a natural extension to the Bruce Festival."

The banquet menu will include traditional roast pork preceded by a pottage starter — a barley risotto flavoured with herbs.

Christopher continued, "We're trying to be authentic to the flavours and dishes that would have graced King Robert's table. It will be hearty fare served on bread trenchers baked specially by Dunfermline's Steamie Bakehouse.

"In those days the trenchers would have soaked up all the flavours of a meal and then be ready to be eaten themselves."

To wash it all down will be imported claret and local heather ale which would have been typical of the drink of the royal court. The banquet, on August 27, is one of the festival's evening highlights and organisers Dunfermline Delivers expect tickets to be in high demand.

"We can only accommodate around 100 people at the banquet and already there's been a lot of interest," said Stuart McGann, events sub group chairman. "It's a first for the festival and another way for people to experience the atmosphere of medieval Scotland and let their hair down a wee bit as well."

Fans of locally produced food are in for another tasty treat after the announcement that some of Fife's most celebrated producers will be exhibiting at the inaugural food village. A rapidly-growing food sector has been one of the region's recent success stories and the festival will be the first time that the likes of Puddledub Buffalo, Pillars of Hercules and Fletchers of Auchtermuchty will be showcasing their produce at the same west Fife event.

Visitors will be able to sample dishes including Arbroath smokies, locally reared venison and fresh baked artisan breads, heather ale or Cairn o'Mhor cider.