A brand new food festival with 40 independent businesses and discounted menus is coming to Edinburgh, offering locals the chance to taste exciting new food for lower prices.
With a similar setup to the popular Edinburgh Cocktail Week, the organisers of 358 EAT have teamed up with some of the city's most popular food establishments to offer ticket holders a special discounted menu.
The countdown to the event is officially underway, running from January 30 - February 6 and tickets are now on sale via the 358 EAT website.
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Tickets are priced at just £6 and give access to specially designed taster menus at 40 venues across Edinburgh, while £1 from every ticket will go directly to the homeless charity Social Bite.
Norwegian entrepreneur Katja Mäki-Komsi is the brains behind the new festival as she says the decision was made in light of the tough economic climate that residents across the capital find themselves in at the moment.
She said: “There is a cost of living crisis going on, we are in tough economic times, and many independents are feeling the pinch too. Our hope is that we can bring some love, while filling tables, at what can be a tough time of the year for many people. We also want people to discover new eateries, perhaps in new parts of town, so there is a positive legacy for the restaurants, cafes, and bars taking part.”
Katja, from Norway, added that the festival incorporates the same theme as a similar event held in her hometown of Arendal. She added that back home, eateries come together for a week-long period and share some of their most inventive and mouth-watering food offerings.
Those taking part in the festival include Taco Libre, Vesta Bar & Kitchen, Tupiniquim Brasil Crepes, The Sly Fox, Vegan Soul Paradise, Bibi's Bakery, Throat Punch Coffee, Lady and The Bear, Bar Zero Zero, Babyfaced Baker, Lazeez Street Food, Dulse, Tantra, The Haggis Box, Kilted Donut and many more.
Rosana Pedroche, who is a co-owner of Indaba Cafe Bar and Indaba Restaurant, which offers Spanish and South African tapas-style food, with Begoña Navarrete, said: “We love the idea of participating in a food festival like this, where we not only have the opportunity to make ourselves better known to more customers, but also to collaborate with a charity we admire.”
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