With the world’s eyes on Scotland this summer there has never been a better time for local retailers to think local when it comes to the wonderful array of food and drink available from our own natural larder.
By Richard Lochhead
Scotland’s food and drink sector has had a phenomenal few years. It’s grown in strength and stature and is a sensational success story. Industry growth targets have been smashed six years early, and the industry has set ambitious new goals for 2017 – to reach £16.5bn turnover and £7.1bn exports. And the reasons behind that success are clear: our high quality, premium products with impeccable provenance.
We have a plethora of items which countries around the world are envious of. A tremendous amount of work goes on in local communities to provide the raw materials that make these fantastic products. They are vital to the process which takes our food from farm to fork, from net to plate, from grain to glass. I want to see more Scots eating fresh, eating seasonal and eating local produce because, in my view, there is nothing better than enjoying food that has a story behind it – where, when, how and by whom it was produced. Local produce is key to that. Visitors continue to flock to Scotland and the retail sector is grateful not only for their business, but also to show off our wonderful landscape and delicious local produce. The VisitScotland ‘Taste our Best’ scheme, which I launched last year, recognises those businesses using and promoting locally sourced food and drink. It’s estimated that businesses could bring in an extra 20% just by serving up food that’s produced locally, highlighting the benefits of using our natural larder.
Last year, I helped to launch the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Food Charter, which will allow athletes and spectators alike to enjoy the very best of Scotland’s superb food and drink. This presents over two million meal opportunities and every single one of them will be healthy, authentic, and of a high quality, putting our top class products on the plates of many. I hope that the principles and standards applied here will serve as the basis for wider food and drink events in Scotland, helping to carry forward the learning from this monumental year. I also recently launched the four-year Market Driven Supply Chain project, funded by the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise with a budget of £1.6m. This funding will support food and drink supply chains to fully exploit opportunities in UK and international markets.
These links are key to making sure local Scottish brands are represented and sourced by retailers, and deliver quality products to meet consumer demand. There’s an appetite for local food, a real desire to see it on our tables – consumers want to support local retailers and producers. For example, a recent survey of 1,000 Scots showed that for 94% of people see it is important to have access to local red meat. Almost 55% of people say they would pay more for Scottish branded produce. Over 14% say they would pay more than 10% extra. What a huge endorsement! The fact that consumers actively want Scottish products is encouraging, and it’s encouraging to see recent announcements and initiatives supporting local producers. It would be great to walk into stores across the country and see rows and rows of Scottish products, and feed families with the best that Scotland has to offer. We’re on a journey to make Scotland globally recognised as a Land of Food and Drink, and the beginning of this journey starts at home.