Assembly’s Edinburgh Food Festival opens today promising many and varied tastes including edible insects and savoury ice cream. Philippa Marsden, a graduate of the Queen Margaret University MSc in Gastronomy will be there with some insects for you to taste, and she will explain what they are and why you might eat this source of protein.

The festival will run from today until 30 July in George Square Gardens and is open to all ages. On Sunday 30 July there will be the biggest Sunday brunch from 11am to 2pm in the streets around George Square where a table for 60 will be set.

Sharon Burgess, MD of Assembly Festival and Edinburgh Food Festival, said: “We’re excited to be back, bigger and better for a third year with the finest line-up of Scottish stallholders yet. At Assembly we love to push boundaries and challenge perceptions which is why we’ve brought you edible insects, savoury ice-cream and not to forget, Scotland’s biggest brunch! It’s free for all, so bring your friends and family and kick off Edinburgh’s brilliant festival season in good taste.”

There is a series of talks in the Piccolo Tent from tomorrow

Talks (Non-ticketed, held in the Piccolo Tent)
Thursday 27th
 Jannettas Gelateria: Sample the Savoury Trend, 2pm

Friday 28th
 Blair Bowman hosts The great Gin Debate Part II, 1pm
Whisky Pocket Book with Blair Bowman & Nikki Welch, 3pm

Saturday 29th 
Shirley Spear: A Talk on History, Heritage and Marmalade, 2pm
Hipsters & Hobos: Urban Foraging, 4pm
Eating Insects: buzzy, buggy or grubby? 6pm

Sunday 30th
 Taste Adventures for Kids, 12pm
Carina Contini: An Immigrants Story, 2pm
Slow Food Youth Network: Building our Food Future, 4pm

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.