• Three day oyster festival generated £1.7 million local economic impact
• Attendance was up 6% on 2019, despite heavy rain and extreme weather warnings
• Local businesses credit the festival with encouraging product and service development

The return of Stranraer Oyster Festival last month generated an additional £1.7 million for the local economy, according to an independent economic impact report. The study, which was carried out by MKA Economics, also noted that this level of visitor spend should help to safeguard 25 tourism related local jobs.

The three-day festival took place on the first weekend of September, the start of the UK’s native oyster season. Despite extreme weather warnings and torrential rain, the festival attracted more than 18,000 people to the scenic harbour town on the shore of Loch Ryan, home to Scotland’s last remaining wild, native oyster fishery.

The economic impact research identified that 87% of visitors were in the area as a direct result of the festival, and noted increases in the numbers of visitors staying in the area, as well as increases in average duration of stay, compared with the 2019 event.

Researchers also analysed the impact of the festival on participating local businesses and found traders reported individual economic impacts of up to £10k each. Half (49%) of traders said that the town’s hosting of the festival encouraged them to think about new ways to develop or promote their business, product or service.

Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, the community organisation behind the oyster festival, said:

“These are truly remarkable figures. I think we can say, without any shadow of a doubt, that the oyster festival is now the main catalyst for economic change and destination development in Stranraer. For a three day event to have such a significant impact on our local economy is a testament to the passion and the hard work of our community. And to have achieved this in the face of extraordinarily bad weather is simply incredible.”

Romano added:

“This event was created by our community to celebrate our place, our produce and our people. We care very deeply about this town, and that care is what has elevated this festival to become a driver for economic change.

“As a community we had to wait a long time for the return of our festival after the pandemic, and when the weather forecasters issued their warnings of extreme weather disruption over the festival weekend, my heart sank. So it was humbling indeed to watch people disregarding the torrential rain, filling the waterfront marquees and having an absolutely fantastic time.

“I am so grateful to everyone who has supported this event - from each and every one of our wonderful volunteers to our amazing funders and sponsors. It shows what we can achieve when we work together towards a shared vision. I am so, so proud of this community.”

Launched in 2017, Stranraer Oyster Festival is credited with changing the story of Stranraer, from one of economic deprivation to one of potential. Taking place from 2nd – 4th September, the 2022 festival programme featured numerous demonstrations and events, including by celebrity chefs Clodagh McKenna and Tony Singh. The festival was sponsored by Ascensos and was supported through EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund.

The economic impact report concluded:

The 2022 festival once again celebrated the local produce and the coastal heritage of South West Scotland, and attracted a total of 18,000 visitors, compared to 17,000 in 2019, 14,000 in 2018 and the 10,000 in 2017. This is an impressive growth rate over a four year period.

The net additional economic impact of visitor spend as a result of the Stranraer Oyster Festival was 6% higher than that reported in 2019, in the region of £1.7million. This is an impressive growth trend, considering it has maintained growth over four years, as well as the inclement weather, 2 year lay-off and ongoing cost of living crisis.

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The Scottish Oyster Shucking Championship returns after two year break 

• Scottish chefs and seafood professionals invited to compete to win the ShuckOff title
• The winner will go on to represent Scotland at the World Championships in Galway
• The ShuckOff will take centre stage at the Stranraer Oyster Festival on Saturday 3^rd September

Stranraer Oyster Festival is inviting contenders to battle it out for the title of Scotland’s Shucking Champion. Taking place on Saturday 3rd September 2022 at the popular Festival, the Scottish Shucking Championships returns after a two year Covid-enforced break.

Festival goers will be able to cheer on hopefuls competing to world standards as they battle it out through fast paced heats before the finalists shuck it out to win the title.

Open to Scottish chefs, seafood professionals and hospitality students, the winner will be crowned the Scottish Shucking Champion and will go on to represent Scotland in the World Championships at Galway International Oyster Festival, on an all-expenses paid trip in late September.

The current Scottish Champion, Tristan Hugh-Jones of Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery, will be compering the event and has offered some training at the festival help competitors perfect their shuck.

Tristan said:

“It’s fantastic to see the ShuckOff make a return to Stranraer Oyster Festival and I’m thrilled to be hosting the event this year. It was a real honour to win Championship in 2019, and represent Scotland at the Internationals in Galway, and this year I very much look forward to seeing some stiff competition, and some beautifully opened oysters!”

The ShuckOff will be judged by shellfish experts David Jarrad and Janet Brown. David Jarrad is Chief Executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, an organisation representing the entire shellfish supply chain. David is an experienced oyster opening expert, having owned oyster farms and run a mobile oyster bar opening thousands of oysters at events and festivals.  He has been a judge at the British Oyster Opening Championship for over a decade.

Janet Brown has championed shellfish for decades, from research work on giant clams in the South China Sea to her current role as Editor of ‘The Grower’, the newsletter of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers.  Much of her working life has been spent in the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling where she ran the shellfish unit.

Oyster shucking (or opening) championships are a popular feature of oyster and seafood festivals around the world. Each competitor is required to open 30 oysters in under three minutes, and points are awarded for the speed of opening plus the presentation of the tray of opened oysters. The test for the judges is how attractive the tray would look for a customer in a hotel or restaurant.

The Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships will take place on Saturday 3^rd September from 12.30pm – 2pm at the Stranraer Oyster Festival.

If you are a chef or professional in the seafood sector and are interested in competing in the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships, email Allana Hardie at hardie@stranraerdevelopmenttrust.co.uk .

Stranraer Oyster Festival takes place from Friday 2^nd to Sunday 4^th September in Stranraer, south west Scotland. Tickets cost £5 per day or £10 for the full three-day event for over 16s, with concessions available. 16s and under can attend free of charge.

Stranraer Oyster Festival marks the opening of the British native oyster season. To avoid the breeding season, native oysters in the UK are traditionally harvested only during months with an ‘R’ in the name.

The festival programme includes demonstrations and events by celebrity chefs Clodagh McKenna and Tony Singh, live music, extreme pond dipping, an artisan market, the Big Oyster Bash, children’s entertainment, a massive oyster bar and a spectacular firework display over Loch Ryan, home of Scotland’s last wild, native oyster fishery. For tickets and information visit www.stranraeroysterfestival.com .

The festival is sponsored by Ascensos and is supported through EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund. The Scottish Shucking Championship is sponsored by Seafood Scotland, the national trade and marketing body for the Scottish Seafood Industry.

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EVENTSCOTLAND – Notes to Editor

EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events by securing and supporting an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events. It provides funding opportunities and access to resources and information to develop the industry.

EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation, alongside Business Events and Development teams.  For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.eventscotland.org or follow Twitter @EventScotNews and LinkedIn.

Scotland’s spice king, Tony Singh, has been appointed Chef Ambassador of Stranraer Oyster Festival in recognition of his support for the festival and his engagement with the community of Stranraer.

Tony was the headline chef the last time the festival ran, in September 2019, after which Covid-19 forced a two year hiatus.

Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, the community group that organises Stranraer Oyster Festival, said:

“Tony’s enthusiastic support of the festival, his exceptional culinary skills and his genuine warmth in connecting with festival visitors was absolutely inspiring when he joined us in 2019. So, I was keen to secure his longer term involvement in the Oyster Festival and I was absolutely delighted when he agreed to become our Chef Ambassador.”

“Tony’s appearance in Stranraer had an energising effect on the local community that remained long after the festival had finished. When he wasn't impressing hundreds with his culinary skills, he was posing for photographs, talking shop with anyone who cared to ask about a menu, and enjoying a cold beer with many local friends he made during his visit. Never has anyone blended so easily into a community, and we are thoroughly looking forward to welcoming him back to Stranraer.”

Tony Singh will join fellow ‘Cooking with the Stars’ chef Clodagh McKenna at the 3-day harbour-side festival, which takes place from 2^nd to 4^th September. He’ll host a repeat of his sell-out show from 2019 ‘An Audience with Tony and Massi’, alongside local award-winning mixologist, Massi Lisi, on Friday 2^nd, and he’ll lead a cooking demonstration in the Kitchen Marquee on Saturday 3^rd September.

Tony Singh said:

“What the community of Stranraer have achieved with their oyster festival is remarkable, and I’m delighted to support it. Scotland has a diverse and delicious natural larder, and the wild, native oysters of Loch Ryan are right up there with the very best our country has to offer.

“What impressed me most about Stranraer Oyster Festival in 2019 was the diversity and accessibility of the food experiences and the programme. This is a real celebration of place and of produce, of which the people of Stranraer should be rightly proud. The passion of the organisers in showcasing the very best of the area is impressive. For anyone with an interest in Scottish food, and seafood in particular, this is an unmissable event, and I’m very much look forward to returning in September.”

Stranraer Oyster Festival marks the opening of the British native oyster season. To avoid the breeding season, native oysters in the UK are traditionally harvested only during months with an ‘R’ in the name.

The native oyster was once widespread around Scotland and much of the UK but has been harvested to near-extinction. Loch Ryan next to Stranraer is Scotland’s last remaining native oyster fishery.  To support the growth of the oyster bed the fishery return 95% of each catch to the water, gradually dispersing the oysters across the loch to encourage breeding. The conservation-management of the Loch Ryan oyster bed has been so successful that oysters from Loch Ryan are now being used by pilot projects across the UK and Europe to try to re-establish native oyster beds elsewhere.

While the famous wild, native oysters of Loch Ryan are the focus of the festivities, you don’t need to love seafood to enjoy the event. As well as the two celebrity chefs, Tony Singh and Clodagh McKenna, Stranraer Oyster Festival’s programme includes oyster shucking and oyster eating competitions, local chef demos and talks, extreme pond dipping, more than 60 market and food stalls, the Big Oyster Bash, children’s entertainment, live music, a massive oyster bar and a spectacular firework display over Loch Ryan.

Romano added:

“While it might not be good practice to ask the chef from a previous food festival to do a repeat showing, the good will Tony shared in 2019 left us thinking we just had to have him back. When we approached he didn't hesitate and nothing was a stumbling block to him being here. I don't think there is any doubt at all that while this will be Tony’s second visit to Stranraer Oyster Festival, it most certainly won't be his last.”

Stranraer Oyster Festival is sponsored by Ascensos and is supported through EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund. The work of Stranraer Development Trust is also supported by Kilgallioch Community Fund.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said:

“I am delighted that EventScotland are supporting the Stranraer Oyster Festival in 2022 and it’s great to see Tony Singh joining the line-up as Chef Ambassador. Scotland is the perfect stage for food and drink events with a world-renowned natural larder and I look forward to celebrating our world-class seafood in Dumfries and Galloway this September.”

Tickets cost £5 per day or £10 for the full three-day event for over 16s, with concessions available. 16s and under can attend free of charge. Additional charges apply for selected chef demo events and experiences. Tickets are available to purchase now.

Celebrity chef and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna is set to wow the crowds attending Stranraer Oyster Festival 2022 as the event makes a triumphant return to scenic Stranraer after a two year wait.

The much-loved resident chef of ITV’s This Morning, who was previously a regular on The Today Show in the USA, will be cooking up a storm in the Kitchen Marquee of the harbour-side festival site.

Clodagh will be showcasing her delicious recipes with cooking demonstrations on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th of September. The celebrity chef will also star in ‘An Audience with Clodagh’ – an exclusive event on the Saturday afternoon. Tickets for Clodagh’s events opened for booking this morning, 7^th July 2022.

Speaking about her attendance at Stranraer Oyster Festival, Clodagh said:

“Scotland’s reputation for high quality and award-winning produce is world renowned. Stranraer Oyster Festival is a perfect opportunity to bring family, fun and artisan producers together for 3 days of celebration! I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in the beautiful scenery Stranraer has to offer and learning more about the delicious locally sourced produce on show, not least of all the famous Loch Ryan oysters!”

Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, said:

“We are thoroughly looking forward to welcoming Clodagh to Stranraer Oyster Festival, and we think her fun, vibrant and inspiring approach to recipes will be a perfect fit with the festival atmosphere.”

Taking place from 2nd to 4th September 2022, the Stranraer Oyster Festival programme is packed with chef demonstrations, entertainment, market traders, live music, children’s activities, water sports and of course plenty of oyster-related fun.

Stranraer Oyster Festival is sponsored by Ascensos and is supported through EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund. The work of Stranraer Development Trust is also supported by Kilgallioch Community Fund.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said:

“Scotland is the perfect stage for food and drink events so it’s wonderful to see Stranraer Oyster Festival attracting high profile names like Clodagh to Dumfries and Galloway where I’m sure she will receive a warm welcome and join in the celebrations of the region’s natural larder.”

Councillor Archie Dryburgh, Chair of the Council’s Communities Committee said:

“The Oyster Festival is the perfect recipe for a great day out or weekend break in Dumfries and Galloway. The promotion of local produce and the wonderful unspoilt environment is a real tonic for visitors. It’s fantastic that the Festival is back after its enforced absence.”

Romano added:

“Lots of people have already booked their tickets online, and I’d like to thank each and every person who has done so. We are asking people to plan ahead and book in advance, because we want to minimise queues within the festival site. So if you haven’t already booked your Stranraer Oyster Festival tickets, please do so soon!”

Tickets cost £5 per day or £10 for the full three-day event for over 16s, with concessions available. 16s and under can attend free of charge. Additional charges apply for selected events and experiences. Tickets are available to purchase now.

General admission tickets for Stranraer Oyster Festival 2022 can be purchased from Eventbrite.

Stranraer Oyster Festival has announced customer service experts Ascensos as their headline sponsor for 2022, and is pledging to deliver exceptional customer service alongside an exciting programme of chef demonstrations, entertainment and fun activities for people visiting the festival.

Taking place from 2^nd to 4^th September 2022 Stranraer Oyster Festival, which is organised by community organisation Stranraer Development Trust, returns after a two year covid-related hiatus. The festival dates coincide with the opening of the UK’s native oyster season, and the local oysters will take centre stage in a three-day programme that celebrates the place, people and the produce of south west Scotland.

The sponsorship announcement comes nine months after Ascensos opened a ‘local hub’ in Stranraer, creating high quality digital jobs in the rural area, with staff mainly working from home.

Ascensos, which is headquartered in Motherwell, currently employs more than 3,500 colleagues across its network of offices in the Isle of Wight, Glasgow, Bucharest, Antalya, Cape Town and Istanbul. Stranraer is the first location of a community-focused arm of the business called Ascensos Local, and the company is on track to create 100 jobs in its first 12 months in the town.

For John Devlin, CEO and co-founder of Ascensos, supporting community-led initiatives, like Stranraer Oyster Festival, is a natural fit with the values of Ascensos Local. He said:

“As a company we understand the value of community, and becoming part of the vibrant community spirit in Stranraer has always been important to us.

“Stranraer Oyster Festival is a real focal point for the town, and for visitors to Galloway, so we are delighted to be working with Stranraer Development Trust to support their fantastic work and to help spread the word about the return of the oyster festival.”

One of Scotland’s biggest food festivals , Stranraer Oyster Festival takes place just a short distance from the famous oyster beds in Loch Ryan that provide the inspiration for the festival. Loch Ryan is home to Scotland’s last remaining wild, native oyster fishery, and the oysters are highly sought after by top chefs and seafood lovers around the world.

Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, welcomed the sponsorship by Ascensos, describing it as a ‘perfect partnership’ in furthering the development of the festival.

“Stranraer Oyster Festival is a hugely important part of our town’s identity, and a real focal point for celebrating the very best that Stranraer and the wider Galloway area has to offer. It’s also a great example of what can be achieved when our community comes together to encourage people to visit our beautiful part of Scotland.

“So I am delighted that John and the Ascensos team are keen to play an active part in helping Stranraer Oyster Festival to thrive. The warmth of our welcome combined with Ascensos’ inspiring and fun approach to customer service is a perfect partnership that is bound to make the 2022 return of Stranraer Oyster Festival a must-visit.”

Stranraer Oyster Festival is supported through EventScotland’s National Funding Programme and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund. The work of Stranraer Development Trust is also supported by Kilgallioch Community Fund.

Romano added:

“Lots of people have already booked their tickets online, and I’d like to thank each and every person who has done so. We are really keen to minimise queues within the festival site this year, so we’ve set up online ticketing and we are asking people to plan ahead and book in advance.

“Having an early understanding of attendance will help us enormously in creating a festival atmosphere we can all be proud of. So if you haven’t already booked your Stranraer Oyster Festival tickets, please do so soon!”

General admission tickets for Stranraer Oyster Festival 2022 can be purchased from Eventbrite.

Tickets cost £5 per day or £10 for the full three-day event for over 16s, with concessions available. Under 16s are free of charge, and tickets are available to purchase now. The full programme will be announced next week, when tickets for chef demos and activities go on sale.