A mouthwatering lineup of top Edinburgh chefs has been announced for the first Leith Food Festival, being held on Leith Links on the 30th and 31st of May.
Created and hosted by Chef Barry Bryson from Leith’s Michelin-listed Barry Fish, the team of nine chefs will take to the stage over the two-day event to show off their culinary creativity in a series of live 45-minute cookery demonstrations.
Bryson will be joined by Dan Ashmore from The Roxburgh; Sarah George from The Palmerston; Tomás Gourlay from Cardinal; Theo Pantazis from Krema; Sharif Gergis from Mirin; former Fhior chef, Scott Smith; Pedro Barreira from The Lighthouse Restaurant onboard Edinburgh’s luxury floating hotel, Fingal; and MasterChef quarter finalist 2025, Molly Pennington.
Their cooking master classes will cover everything from classic Scottish beef, shellfish and fish to award-winning Scottish Asian fusion, Greek bakery, classic pastry and good gut health recipes.
Leith Food Festival’s indoor cookery theatre can seat up to 150 people and is expected to be a major attraction at the festival, drawing food lovers from the local community, as well as visitors to the city.
Chef Bryson said: “I’m really excited to be creating and hosting the chef demo theatre at the first ever Leith Food Festival and doing my bit to promote our local Edinburgh neighbourhood as the capital’s leading food and drink destination.
“Above all, we want to make it fun, interactive and accessible for everyone.”
Former chef patron of Edinburgh’s multi-award-winning restaurant, Fhior, Scott Smith, said: “I’m delighted to be involved in the first Leith Food Festival. Leith has such a strong, vibrant food and drink community, so this feels like a long time coming.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my style of cooking to the stage and sharing a bit of what I do.”
Theo Pantazis, from Krema Bakehouse and Krema The Kitchen Project, said: “Leith has such a vibrant food scene and this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the amazing offerings and creativity the area has become known for.”
Sharif Gergis from Mirin said: ”The Leith Food Festival is a great opportunity to hang out with like-minded chefs and connect with people who genuinely care about food and where it comes from. Events like this have a strong sense of community, and that’s something I value hugely.
“I’m especially excited to showcase the kind of cooking we do at Mirin — taking exceptional produce and pushing it in bold, flavour-driven directions. It should be a lot of fun.”
The family-friendly event will also showcase international influences and local talent, brought to life through global street food, independent drink, live music, arts and charitable partnerships.
Leith Links is one of Edinburgh’s most popular green community spaces, close to The Shore and Foot of the Walk tram stops. The festival site sits within acres of shared space that have long been used for recreation, sports activities, and community-led weekends.
