FOODIES from across Tweeddale tucked in to a tasty swap shop recently.

Attendees braved the chilly weather the Sunday before last and were treated with a guided tour around Whitmuir Community Farm, run by Tweeddale West Councillor Heather Anderson.

Then, at 5pm, the group went inside to swap their homemade food and seeds. There were plenty of tasty treats on offer, ranging from soups, cakes, bread and more.

A pickling and preserving workshop was also held, where visitors learned how to make a selection of jams and chutneys.

The event was hailed a great success by Tweeddale Food Community organiser Adam Skelton.

He said: “It was great to meet all the people up at Whitmuir Organic Farm like Heather, Pete, Catherine, and Sarah and to enjoy the beautiful scenery and fantastic facilities.

“I particularly enjoyed the shop where everything is organic, the range of products and produce is impressive.

“Food Communities do most of our communicating and swapping via Facebook so it was great to meet more people from the groups in person, to learn about their favourite recipes and take home samples to try.

“My daughters made lots of muffins and my wife made bread and cakes. We came home with some wonderful bread, jams and chutneys and two portions of the best noodles I have eaten in ages.”

And people across Peeblesshire are being encouraged to get a slice of the action and join the group. Adam added: “If you haven’t already joined one of the Food Community groups please do, it’s completely free and we would love to have you involved. There are groups in many areas of the Borders, including Tweeddale, Berwickshire, Selkirkshire, Roxburghshire, plus we have established some in South Lanarkshire and Midlothian.”

The food communities facilitate and support the growing, foraging, preserving, storing, cooking, swapping and sharing of food in areas around the south of Scotland across the year.

For more details, and information on how to get involved, visit www.foodcommunities.org