Arbroath set to celebrate its culinary and cultural heritage this weekend
One of Angus's best-known and most loved delicacies will be celebrated in Arbroath this weekend with the return of Smokie Fest.
Food lovers, families, and coastal heritage enthusiasts are set to gather at the town’s historic Signal Tower on Sunday (September 6), for an afternoon dedicated to the town’s world-renowned Smokie, as well as the area’s coastal culture.
Organised by the Appetite for Angus food and drink network, the free-to-attend community event will run from 12pm to 4pm, and will feature a packed line-up of fresh street food, live chef demonstrations, acoustic music by David Brown, local craft stalls including Saela Ceramics, and performances from the Auchmithie Haar Festival.
Visitors will also be able to visit local smokehouses and book guided harbour walks with historian Morag Smith, of Stories of Stone.
Organisers have even extended a very special, open invitation to Scottish sporting legend Sir Andy Murray, following his recent TikTok confession that he has never tasted an authentic Arbroath Smokie.
The festival team hopes to tempt the tennis icon to Angus to finally sample Scotland’s most famous coastal export fresh from the barrel.
Fiona Walsh, co-ordinator of Appetite for Angus and organiser of Smokie Fest, emphasised the cultural and economic importance of bringing the community together.
She said: “The Arbroath Smokie is so much more than just fantastic local produce, it’s a living piece of our heritage and identity. Having Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status places the Smokie in the exact same league of global provenance and culinary prestige as Champagne, Parma Ham, or Roquefort cheese. It represents generations of skill, craft, and maritime tradition.
“Smokie Fest is all about our local community coming together with pride to celebrate our most famous export, support our incredible food and drink producers, and share that story with visitors from across the country. And if Sir Andy Murray wants to finally tick tasting a real Arbroath Smokie off his bucket list, we have one fresh off the barrel waiting for him on Sunday!”