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The morning of Saturday the 17th of August dawned with the grey we had become accustomed to this ‘summer,’ but a bit of overcast weather was not to dampen our spirits. It was the Trade Union Family Fun Day and EFS Community Chef Fergus set off with the E-trike laden with food for the day. 

Having entered through the side of the site the place was bristling with activity as many other Craigmillar-based organisations erected their stalls. The Edinburgh Food Social banner fluttered in the crosswinds and the much anticipated Black pudding stovies were put out and kept hot. It was fair to say all those who had heard about the stovies were certainly excited about them. The request to share a tent with the face-painting station was obviously snapped up quickly, the potential for a tiger face-painted chef was too good to pass up. 

The area filled up quickly with those who had attended the march, and it wasn’t long before the EFS stall had a queue wrapping around the corner of the tent. Some people wanted a bejewelled unicorn on their forehead, some wanted a plate of stovies. In the end, many got both. The accompanying salads and garnishes meant those waiting patiently were rewarded with a plate piled high with refreshing greens stovies as well as zingy condiments to balance the dish. 

It was 11:45 am and our previously well-stocked supply of wooden cutlery was dwindling rapidly. This meant only one option, frantically charge around the streets of Craigmillar hunting cutlery alternatives. As ever, it was the local independents that would be the heroes. Colin at the White House Cafe kindly sorted us out and Chef Fergus raced back with his pockets lined with wooden forks. 

The festivities continued with a wide range of singers, performers and an impromptu line dancing session. Excitement was reaching fever pitch with food from Syrian and Ghanaian groups (both delicious) and all the stalls seemed to be doing a roaring trade. As the stovies and salads were devoured the day began to draw to a close. Big smiles on the faces of those who attended left having had a good meal and plenty of laughs. When one of the organisers told us that the stovies had been the ‘talk of the day’ we knew they had been thoroughly enjoyed. 

It was a pleasure to have been invited by those at the Trade Unions office and we would be honoured to return for future events. The atmosphere and general feeling of community was fantastic and something we wish to build on going forward. We are delighted that this was another positive engagement with locals in Craigmillar, and hope to see many new and familiar faces at future events.