In the Year of Scottish Food and Drink, what better way to celebrate our natural larder than with a summer festival in the heart of the capital?

The inaugural Edinburgh Food Festival kicks off on Wednesday at George Square Gardens with a jam-packed five days of talks, entertainment and delicious gourmet food and drink.

A mouth-watering range of hot food is on offer; you can taste Thai cuisine from Pad BKK or try an exotic take on the fish supper at Alanda’s Scottish Seafood Grill.

If that's just too 'out there,' you can't go wrong with a wood fired Pisa pizza, or Aberdeen Angus beef steak with caramelised onions and cheddar from Edinburgh butchers Well Hung and Tender.

In the stalls, local producers will be selling Scottish seaweed flakes, pies, baking mixes and handmade chocolates: The haggis truffles from Edinburgh confectionery brand Thinking Chocolate may sound horrifying at first, but the spicy sweets really go down a treat.

There will also be some ‘food for thought’ at this culinary jamboree; debates will be held on the sustainability of food and drink in future and the health benefits of organic produce.

Looking for some inspiration? The entrepreneurs behind Scottish firms Cream O’ Galloway, Eve’s Apple Shack and Galloway Chillies will talk about their rise to success and the perks and pitfalls of running a small business.

After sampling some Scottish fare as you walk around the stalls, get down to the iconic Spiegeltent later for some top-notch shows to whet your appetite.

Award-winning Scottish fiddler, composer and producer Aidan O’Rourke – who also plays in experimental folk trio Lau – will give you goosebumps with his powerful solo performance. 

Don’t miss all woman four-piece The Poozies, either; they blend harp, fiddle, acoustic guitar and accordion with melodic puirt-a-beul vocals to create their own style of emotive folk-rock.

You can feast your eyes on the spellbinding Le Haggis on Friday and Saturday night; a sensual, cutting-edge acrobat show which has been branded ‘Scotland’s sexiest cabaret.’ It’s a carnival showstopper with burlesque dancers, talented troubadours and trapeze artists – with its tongue firmly in cheek.

Comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli will also be talking about V Deep, Scotland’s first craft beer and curry bar which he opened in Leith earlier this year. With a passion for food and drink and a cheeky sense of humour, Hardeep could persuade even the fussiest eater to try out his restaurant.

The Edinburgh Food Festival runs in George Square Gardens from Wednesday July 29 to Sunday August 2.