The chef lineup has been announced for the first Leith Food Festival
A mouthwatering lineup of top chefs from the capital will be displaying their cooking skills at the first Leith Food Festival on Leith Links, on 30-31 May 2026.
The team has been curated and the events will be hosted by Barry Bryson from Michelin-acclaimed Barry Fish on The Shore. Nine chefs will be on stage over the two-day event to show off their culinary creativity in a series of live 45-minute cookery demonstrations.
Barry 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.
The cooking master classes will cover preparing dishes with classic Scottish beef, shellfish and fish as well as displays of award-winning Scottish Asian fusion, Greek bakery, classic pastry and good gut health recipes.
The indoor cookery theatre seats up to 150 people and will be the big attraction at the festival. It is expected that hundreds of food lovers from Leith and beyond will come to the event.
Chef Barry 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.
“I’m really excited to be teaming up with some of my own chef friends and other well-known names from the city’s culinary scene to cook up a storm with some fresh, seasonal and tasty dishes people can easily make at home.
“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: “I’m incredibly excited to be part of the very first Leith Food Festival, especially alongside such a talented lineup of chefs. 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: “I’m really looking forward to being part of the Leith Food Festival. It’s 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 Leith Food Festival says that it “aims to celebrate food, local talent, performing arts, and community”.
The family-friendly event will also showcase international influences and local talent, with global street food, independent drink, live music, arts and charitable partnerships.
The festival site on Leith Links is a large open accessible area close to The Shore and Foot of the Walk tram stops, which offer a direct and easy transport link.
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