The Gala Dinner of the 11th International Summit

Authors: Priyanka Kotak, Ramya Rajaram

Reviewers: Sarah Anderson, Prof Sumantra (Shumone) Ray

The Gala Tartan Dinner, held on 11th December at Dundee & Angus College, marked a memorable cultural highlight of the 11th International Summit on Food, Nutrition and Health. Bringing together food, music, and craft, the evening unfolded as an East meets West celebration, where Scottish tradition met global influences in a shared and immersive experience.

The atmosphere was one of both reflection and celebration, offering a space where culture, community, and conversation came together naturally. 

Significantly, this Gala Dinner came almost two years after the Scottish MTK initiative began its journey. Following the programme’s launch, participants underwent training to become MTK Champions. The first workshop in this series had been held at Dundee & Angus College - the very venue of the Gala Dinner - making the evening a full circle moment

moment for the initiative. It was these very Champions who prepared the delectable food at the heart of the Gala Dinner, with each plate reflecting their dedication, collaboration, and nearly two years of training.  

The dishes drew from the Scottish, Indian, and Mexican MTK menus, reflecting the breadth of the initiative’s global adaptations. Each recipe was nutritionally mapped, reinforcing NNEdPro’s ongoing commitment to integrating health with culturally relevant and accessible food practices. 

Guests served themselves from family-style dishes on each table, creating a participatory dining experience that encouraged connection. This shared approach to dining echoed the core ethos of the MTK model, bringing people together through food, while fostering dialogue, inclusivity, and a deeper engagement with nutrition in practice.  

Weaving Culture Through Music and Craft 

The evening began with the meditative sounds of Paul Wright, sitarist and teacher of Indian classical music, setting a calm and reflective tone. This was followed by Nikitah Rajput Ray, classical singer and contributor to the ideation of the MTK initiative, who performed selections from Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore songs), a tradition rooted in rich literary and musical heritage, known for its reflective and evocative compositions. 

As guests were served their meals, Scottish bagpiper James Salmond moved through the room, his music creating a distinct yet seamless shift in atmosphere. The interplay of sound and setting added to the experience, allowing the music to become part of the shared space rather than a separate performance. 

The evening also featured a choral performance by students from St Leonards School in St Andrews: Jennifer Niven, Lana McGuire, Arabella Hayes, and Nikitah Rajput Ray, whose carols brought a warm and festive quality to the gathering, reinforcing the sense of community that carried through the evening. 

The evening’s entertainment concluded with Purano Shei Diner Kotha, which is a Bengali adaptation of the Scottish song "Auld Lang Syne", flowing naturally into the familiar melody.

This performance beautifully echoed the Indian classical music that opened the night while celebrating the blending of Scottish and Indian cultural heritage. 

The Scottish MTK Tartan 

A highlight of the evening was the creation of a bespoke tartan for the Scottish MTK initiative, designed by master tartan weaver Ashleigh Slater.  

Ashleigh spoke of tartan as an expression of identity, heritage, and community, where each thread carries meaning, and the act of weaving becomes a way to preserve and honour tradition while bringing people together. The tartan was woven throughout the evening and presented at the close of the gala. It was later officially registered in January 2026. Together with the Scottish MTK initiative, it now holds a place within Scotland’s cultural heritage, representing collaboration, shared purpose, and the initiative’s evolving roots in Scotland. 

Closing Reflections 

The evening, in many ways, felt like a reminder of what sits at the centre of this work, not only the science or the structure of programmes, but the people, contexts, and cultures through which these ideas take shape. There was something in the way conversations unfolded, and in how different traditions came together without needing to be explained, that stayed with you. 

This was reflected throughout the evening, in the food prepared and shared by the MTK Champions, in the conversations that gathered naturally around the table, and in the way music and craft were woven into the experience. The tartan, created over the course of the evening, and the performances that accompanied it, did not feel separate from the work, but closely connected to it.  

The evening’s success reflected the individual achievement and the collective success of MTK in Scotland, showing how sustained training and community engagement can transform effort into lasting impact. 

As the MTK initiative continues to take shape across different regions, these moments offer something important. They show how ideas move beyond concept and into practice, shaped by the communities they engage with. It is within this balance, between local context and shared learning, that the work continues to grow, adapting to each setting while remaining connected to a wider, collective purpose. 

View NNEdPro's work in Scotland

Learn more about the Scottish MTK