Organisers report record ticket sales ahead of the festival weekend, with celebrity chef Matt Tebbutt, fresh from his MasterChef announcement, headlining a stellar chef line-up.
Stranraer Oyster Festival takes place this weekend (12-14 September) with record advance ticket sales suggesting the 2025 edition will be the biggest and most popular in the festival’s eight-year history.
The community-led festival, which celebrates Scotland’s last wild native oyster fishery, has sold out several of its celebrity chef events and is on track to exceed the 20,000+ visitors who attended in 2024.
Adding to the excitement, festival headline chef, Matt Tebbutt, is arriving in Stranraer fresh from the announcement of his appointment as the new judge on BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals. The popular presenter will be taking part in cookery demonstrations on Saturday evening and Sunday, after he races to the scenic shores of Stranraer from the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen studio.
Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, the organisation behind the oyster festival, said:
“Having Matt join us at such an exciting moment in his career feels like perfect timing. It’s fantastic that our oyster festival is giving visitors to Stranraer the opportunity to see him cook, interact with audiences and chat about his career so soon after the announcement of his new MasterChef role.”
image stranraer oyster festival
Stranraer Oyster Festival celebrates the wild native oysters of Loch Ryan, one of Europe’s most important oyster beds. Since launching in 2017, the community-run festival has generated more than £9.6 million in economic impact for the local area and has been instrumental in the regeneration of the former ferry port town.
Speaking earlier this year, Matt said:
“I’m genuinely excited to be part of Stranraer Oyster Festival. What draws me to events like this is the opportunity to celebrate truly exceptional local produce in the place where it’s grown or caught. 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.”
Matt Tebbutt is joining an impressive chef line-up in Stranraer including the oyster festival’s Chef Ambassador Tony Singh, TV favourite Rosemary Shrager, Malaysian Scottish chef and broadcaster Julie Lin, Bake Off’s Dr James Morton and local favourites Ryan McCutcheon, David Alexander and the Lisi Brothers.
The vibrant harbour-side festival includes a full programme of live music, family entertainment, an artisan market and lots more, including the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships, where professional chefs, fishermen and industry experts will race against the clock to open native oysters with speed and precision. The winner will represent Scotland at the World Championships in Ireland later this month.
Meanwhile, the festival’s new marine science programme has also proven hugely popular, with all the advance tickets for these specialised events snapped up. Festival-goers will still be able to drop in to science talks and demonstrations, which includes researchers from Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, the Solway Coast Marine Project, and the Scottish Association for Marine Science.
“We’ve seen a surge in interest in the oyster festival this year, and the ticket sales tell us people have been planning their entire September around this festival,” added Romano. “We’ve got visitors from across Scotland, England, Ireland and even further afield. Some booked their accommodation last September! That level of enthusiasm and forward planning shows this festival has become something truly special.”
There’s also been strong demand for the oysters themselves, Tristan Hugh-Jones, Director of Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Company, said:
“This summer’s warm waters have made the oysters beautifully plump and meaty, and very delicious. It’s been a great start to the native oyster season so far and growing excitement around the shucking competitions, and in London particularly there’s been huge interest with orders of Loch Ryan natives up 20% as we head into the new season. People love them because of their crisp bite and delicious flavour with that real nutty aftertaste that sets them apart.”
Stranraer Oyster Festival takes place from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th September at Stranraer Harbour. Day admission tickets are priced from £6. Most activities within the festival site are free, but additional charges apply for chef demos.
Stranraer Oyster Festival 2025 is sponsored by Lactalis UK & Ireland, alongside Rock Island whisky from Douglas Laing, Stranraer Skills Station and Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Company.
The festival is supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Signature Events programme and the Coastal Benefit Fund, and the work of Stranraer Development Trust is also supported by South of Scotland Enterprise and The Holywood Trust.
Emma 
