Thainstone Saturday Sale set to pull the crowds

Thainstone Centre, Inverurie is preparing for another busy Saturday Sale this Saturday (July 2).

The event will feature a wide selection of goods including tractors, commercial vehicles and 4x4s – which will be sold using the eBid @ live auction remote bidding system – garden machinery, builders’ plant and equipment, and farm implements and machinery.

Viewing takes place on Friday (July 1) afternoon and on the morning of the sale. The dates for the remaining Thainstone Saturday Sales in 2005 are August 27th, October 22nd and November 26th.

For further information on the Thainstone Saturday Sales, call (01467) 623700.

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Taste of Grampian 2005 is a resounding success

Thousands of visitors flocked to Taste of Grampian at Thainstone Centre on Saturday, June 11, ensuring that the sixth food festival was a huge success.

Among the many attractions which pulled the crowds were over 100 food stands, a craft fair, a motor show, children’s rides and competitions for primary and secondary schools.

In addition was a demonstration by Grampian Chef of the Year Kareen Horne from the Swallow Waterside Inn, Peterhead and Grampian Junior Chef of the Year Paula McEwan from the Marcliffe at Pitfodels, Aberdeen.

The Scottish Women’s Rural Institute (SWRI) made a return to Taste of Grampian, staging the final of a competition for members to create a romantic picnic for two. The winner was Michelle Paterson who was representing the Aberdeenshire Federation of the SWRI.

An undoubted highlight of the day was the attendance of celebrity chefs Brian Turner and Sophie Grigson who gave a series of cookery demonstrations and rounded off the day with a sell-out fun “duel.”

Brian Turner also judged the competition for the best trade stands on the day, and the award went to Granite City Fish for their extensive and eye-catching display. For the second year running, the award for the best small stall went to Crannach Home Made Bread.

Meldrum Academy pupils Kerry Bennett and Claire Elder cooked up a storm when they won the Taste of Grampian 2005 secondary schools’ cookery competition.

The winning team was one of six from throughout Grampian which made it to the final of the competition – a live “cook-off” judged by Aberdeen College chefs Brian Mutch and Jeff Purves.

The competition was sponsored by Quality Meat Scotland and supported by NHS Grampian Get Set Cook. It required teams of two to create a two-course meal for a sports personality of their choice, sourcing all ingredients locally and preparing their dishes within a £15 budget.

Winning duo Kerry and Claire chose to cook for showjumper Ian Stark and their menu consisted of a piebald chicken fillet with apple and elderflower dip and parsley and peppercorn sauce with a vegetable stir-up and paprika potato wedges. That was followed by rhubarb and strawberry horseshoe cobbler with a white chocolate custard puddle.

In recognition of their success, the pair each received a £50 voucher and a trophy while Meldrum Academy received £50 and a trophy. The prizes were handed over by Quality Meat Scotland’s “Glen” and celebrity chef Sophie Grigson. In addition, the winners will spend a day in the Barn & Bushel restaurant at Thainstone Centre preparing their dishes for that evening’s service.

Second place in the secondary schools’ competition went to Marnie Thomson and Jillian Davidson from Inverurie Academy and in third place was the team from Mintlaw Academy which comprised Claire Brown and Catriona Richard.

In the competition for primary schools, pupils were asked to create a healthy packed lunch featuring Grampian produce on a budget of £3 and this section received its largest ever number of entries with a number of schools taking part for the first time.

A total of 15 entries made it through to the final and Torry’s Walker Road Primary School picked up first and third places whilst Foveran Primary School’s team two was in second place.

Members of the winning team were presented with their prizes by Sophie Grigson and they each received a trophy and £20 voucher, with a trophy and £50 going to their school.

Commenting on the success of Taste of Grampian 2005, steering committee chairman Brian Pack said: “Taste of Grampian was once again a resounding success and thousands of people turned out to enjoy the event which is going from strength to strength – we are already starting to think about the 2006 one!

“The involvement of Brian Turner and Sophie Grigson was an undoubted draw, coupled with the fact that the best of Grampian’s produce was on offer. There was a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day, and we are grateful to all the sponsors, partners and participants who helped make this such a memorable occasion.”

Taste of Grampian was jointly organised by the ANM Group Ltd, Aberdeenshire Council, Scottish Enterprise Grampian, the Grampian Food Forum and the Press Journal. This year’s sponsors were FirstGroup, Aberdeen City Council, Baxters Food Group, the Clydesdale Bank, the Marcliffe at Pitfodels hotel, Makro, Quality Meat Scotland and More Than Kitchens.

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Anthony Nolan Trust to receive more than £600

The Anthony Nolan Trust is to receive a donation of £640 from the Thainstone Centre-based ANM Group Ltd.

The cash was raised thanks to an online auction held as part of the company’s involvement in Taste of Grampian 2005 on Saturday (June 11th) and will be donated to the Anthony Nolan Trust which takes back lives from leukaemia by providing lifesaving donors for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.

The star lot in the auction was a champagne reception and meal for four in the Barn & Bushel in the company of Emmerdale star Chris Chittell and it realised £200. In addition a Manchester United football, complete with certificate of authenticity, raised £300 and an Anthony Nolan Trust teddy bear made £40. A donation of £100 helped boost the final total to £640.

Anthony Nolan Trust area manager George Walker commented: “We are delighted with the continued support that the Trust is receiving from the ANM Group Ltd. Every £70 raised adds one new donor, fully tissue typed, to the register and they could be a potentially life-saving match so this money will definitely make a difference.”

Emmerdale star Chris Chittell (centre) with, from left, lot buyer Alister Milne, his wife Jacqueline and their guests Rhoda and Raymond Parkin.
(Picture by Joanna Stewart Photography)

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Schools' Competition finalists set to cook up a storm

Finalists in the popular annual Taste of Grampian schools’ competitions are preparing to do battle in the kitchen during the one-day food extravaganza at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie next Saturday (June 11th).

The competitions have been organised by Taste of Grampian and supported by NHS Grampian Get Set Cook. Sponsorship has again been provided by Quality Meat Scotland, the red meat promotion body.

Earlier this year, teams of four pupils in P5 to P7 were invited to create a healthy packed lunch, while pairs of secondary schools pupils were asked to prepare a two-course meal for a Scottish sport personality of their choice.

Both competitions aim to develop skills in research, presentation and budgeting as well as addressing food preparation and production skills, and hygiene and safety standards.

The final “live” cook-off in the secondary schools’ competition and the display of the best packed lunches from the primary school entrants are widely regarded as one of the highlights of the Taste of Grampian food festival, which attracts thousands of visitors to Thainstone Centre each year.

Making it through to the final of the primary schools’ packed lunch competition, which will be judged by celebrity chef Sophie Grigson, are teams from Foveran, Dunecht, Easterfield, Tipperty and Walker Road.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen College chefs Jeff Purves and Brian Mutch will judge the teams of two from Inverurie, Meldrum, Kemnay and Mintlaw Academies, Speyside High School and Aberdeen Grammar School as they spend 30 minutes preparing their meals in front of a live audience.

“We are delighted to have received the largest ever number of entries in the schools’ competitions, and are particularly encouraged by the high standard of entries which continue to be produced in both sections,” commented competitions co-ordinator Laura Black.

“The emphasis of both events is always on the use of Grampian produce and this year’s entries feature an excellent range of ingredients. The competitions really are going from strength to strength.”

QMS chief executive Jan Polley said: “We are delighted to continue our support for Taste of Grampian by sponsoring the very popular schools cookery competitions.

“As an organisation with a remit to position eating red meat as part of a balanced diet in Scotland, we recognise the importance of encouraging young people to cook healthy and interesting meals as part of their daily diet.”

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Press Release

Bad weather did not deter 2,000 registered bidders from attending one of the biggest ever Thainstone Saturday Sales on Saturday (May 28th).

Prospective bidders made the trip from as far away as Shetland and Darlington for the event which saw a team of ten auctioneers sell 4,150 lots in a combined selling time of 32 hours.

Top price of the day was £16,300 which was paid for a JCB 3CX Sitemaster whilst a JCB 802 achieved £15,000 and a Caterpillar tracked excavator made £9,800. In addition, a New Holland 8060 combine harvester and JCB 530/120 telehandler each realised £8,000 and a grain lorry made £4,400.

More than 100 commercial vehicles and 4x4s were sold on the day, including a Mitsubishi L200 crew cab pick up which fetched £8,200, and an Isuzu double cab pickup which realised £4,950. The sale also included 90 car trailers, 27 livestock and horse box trailers and 40 artic trailers and storage containers.

In the implement section, £6,700 was paid for a FM 3000HPC mower while a Stewart 12-ton mono trailer achieved £6,200, a McHale bale wrapper and Opico 590 gas dryer realised £3,700 each, and a Marshall spreading cart sold for £3,550.

Commenting on the latest Thainstone Saturday Sale, Aberdeen & Northern Marts’ deputy general manager Alan Hutcheon said: “This is one the busiest Saturday Sale we have ever seen at Thainstone. It grossed our largest total to date and offered the best show yet of second hand agricultural machinery.”

The dates for the remaining Thainstone Saturday Sales in 2005 are July 2nd, August 27th, October 22nd and November 26th.

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