Oxford Cultural Collective Returning to Stranraer Oyster Festival – 12th to 14th September 2025

 

OCC is heading back to the shores of Loch Ryan for the Stranraer Oyster Festival, the annual celebration of Scotland’s only remaining wild native oyster fishery.

Enriching the festival’s programme, OCC is bringing together some of the country’s best loved chefs to perform in the Kitchen Marquee and new Speakers’ Corner.

Joining Don Sloan at the three-day festival are Matt Tebbutt, host of BBC1’s hugely popular Saturday Kitchen Live and Rosemary Shrager, beloved TV chef, who in recent years has also become a successful novelist. Festival favourites Julie Lin, whose first cookbook Sama Sama was recently published to great acclaim, and Tony Singh, Edinburgh-born chef and restaurateur and one of Scotland’s best loved television personalities, are also returning to Stranraer.

Commenting on his first visit to Stranraer, Matt Tebbutt: “The story of Loch Ryan’s native oysters is remarkable. You’ve got this incredible natural resource that’s been sustainably managed for centuries, and now it’s the heart of a festival that’s brought a whole community together. That’s exactly the kind of food story I want to be part of.”

Launched in 2017, the festival now attracts around 25,000 visitors each year and its economic and social impact has been considerable. As well as showcasing Dumfries and Galloway’s unique coastal heritage and renowned seasonal produce, it’s a powerful reminder that the collective effort of community leaders and food professionals can help a place, its people and natural environment flourish.

Also appearing at the Stranraer Oyster Festival are popular local chefs Ryan McCutcheon, who honed his skills at Cromlix House and Gleneagles, before embarking on a career as a private chef and champion of the very best Scottish ingredients; Helen Cross, podcaster, story-teller, gardener and author of Grow, Cook, Inspire; Bake-Off star James Morton; Head chef of the beautiful Dunskey Estate, David Alexander; and Douglas and Massimo Lisi, known for their ever-popular cooking and cocktail masterclasses.