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WATCH: Banff's Local Hero Festival launches bake off competition


By Kyle Ritchie

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Banff's Local Hero Festival has launched a twist to a popular competition making the National Rabbit Pie Bake Off the first of its kind.

Residents of Banff, home to the classic movie Local Hero, are planning a three week festival to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film said to have put Scotland on the cinematic map.

The festival is set to bring superfans from around the world together and breathe new life into the town.

The quirky headliner event is based on one of the main roles of the film – a rabbit who is rescued but then ends up being served in stew.

Inspired by this “Casserole du Lapin” scene, the Local Hero Festival is launching a nationwide hunt for Britain’s best rabbit pie chef.

Festival director Andrew Mellon has launched a bake off competition.
Festival director Andrew Mellon has launched a bake off competition.

The bake off is scheduled for Saturday, May 13 in Banff as part of the 21-day festival, and is expected to attract entrants from across the country – whether professional chefs, keen amateur bakers or simply those who pride themselves on making a great rabbit pie. The one (and only) requirement is that rabbit must be in the mix.

The winner will take home a prestigious trophy and £3000 worth of prizes: £500 cash and a once in a lifetime experience (worth £2500) for a fully catered weekend for up to eight guests in a shooting lodge in the country – the 50,000 acre Tulchan Glenisla Estate in the Angus Glens.

Here they will have the opportunity to enjoy Scotland's finest stalking and other country pursuits, or simply to relax in the lodge setting.

Once the King or Queen of Britain's Best Rabbit Pie has been crowned, all the pies will be auctioned off to raise funds for the local food bank in Banff.

The winner’s pie will be recreated by a local bakery to sell to festival goers during the remaining two weeks of the festival.

Entrants can choose to ship their pies or travel to Banff to attend the event in person. They will be given the option to have their entries served hot or cold, and must provide a full list of ingredients.

Anyone interested in entering can register their interest on the Local Hero Festival website at http://www.localherofestival.com

Andrew Mellon Local Hero Festival director, said: "The rabbit element of this pie competition makes it very hare – I mean rare!

"I’ve run Great British Chocolate Challenges for a number of years, and witnessed the upset in 2015 when many of Britain's top chocolatiers were beaten to first place by 18-year-old Zara Snell, an amateur chocolate maker and shop assistant from Waitrose, who scooped up first prize winning a once in a lifetime trip to Grenada and the opportunity to sell her chocolates in Selfridges in London.

"I think the event will attract a lot of interest from both professional chefs and amateurs keen to show off their skills, and it’ll be very interesting to see who takes the crown."

The festival has also created a video that showcases Banff's local heroes which can be viewed below:


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