American roots music fans attending next month’s Southern Fried Festival in Perth will have the chance to sample some genuine soul food.
The three-day event includes a special buffet in Perth Concert Hall, where revellers will get a taste of the deep south.
Southern Fried Festival director Andy Shearer said: “Food and music go hand in hand in the Southern USA, with countless country, jazz, bluegrass, Cajun, blues, soul and R&B songs name-checking and praising the downhome virtues of Southern cooking and soul food from cornbread and collard greens to jambalaya and fried chicken.”
Traditional treats on the table at the festival will include barbecued specials, bespoke southern cocktails, cola cake, bourbon-laden lane cake, Tex-Mex migas and the staples of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, green gumbo and peach cobbler.
Culinary consultant and US food historian Peggy Brunache said: “We’ve tried to create a menu that complements the various music artists, so if there’s a musician from Louisiana, there will be a Cajun influence.”
Chef Martin Buchan added: “It’s a lot of fun to create and it’s nice to get feedback on the food’s authenticity.”
On the musical menu at the festival will be the Mavericks, Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Danny Thompson, Tom Russell, Larkin Poe and Brennen Leigh.
On Sunday July 21, Perth Concert Hall will play host to a Gospel Brunch, featuring the McCrary Sisters.
Andy Shearer explained: “This year’s bigger and better brunch features an authentic taste of the Southern church experience, with the McCrary Sisters and friends followed by a special version of this year’s soul food menu in the greattradition of the gospel picnic, where classic Southern dishes are enjoyed after a soul-cleansing church meeting.”
Peggy Brunache added: “Soul food is about love it’s a demonstration of love.”
Individual and weekend passes for the Southern Fried Festival, which begins on July 19, are on sale now. Priced at £79, the festival pass gives the holder access to all five evening gigs at Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre.
For more information, visit the festival website, www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk, or phone the box office on 01738 621031.