There saying goes that there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Well, Edible Edinburgh’s Feeding the 5,000 came pretty close. For the small price of listening to a few sensible and educational messages, as part of their Food Information Fair in the Potterow dome, you were rewarded with a ticket for a free lunch prepared by esteemed folks like Union of Genius, Cafe St Honore, the Edinburgh Larder, Iglu, Punjabi Junction, and Blackfriars.

The queues were impressively lengthy, as you would expect, so it was rather lovely to see Bruce from Union of Genius appear with soup for the queuers, which was much appreciated. It was an autumn harvest soup, with delightful chunky vegetables and delicious kale.

The queue was managed down swiftly, and we were soon contemplating our choices, from a long serving counter packed with goodness. My redoubtable mother, Anne, who was with me, today, was hooked in by talk of pearl barley risotto, with broccoli and roasted veg, from the Edinburgh Larder, while I sampled a broccoli, apple and herb salad from Grierson Organic, prepared by Neil Forbes and Sascha Grierson.

Everything was fresh and seasonal, and each dish hit the spot, very nicely. There was a buzzing atmosphere, with everyone bowled over by both the quality and the welcoming friendliness that radiated, throughout.

Alfresco dining on the hoof, whether at festival events like this, or from the growing army of street food vans and stalls around Edinburgh, has really taken hold, in recent times. This was another great example, particularly using less loved ingredients to create a wonderful feast for so many people.

Read full details about Edible Edinburgh and their burgeoning work at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/edibleedinburgh, then get involved.