Food Tourism Update – February

Why source Scottish?

By Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink.

Scotland’s larder has exploded into life over the last few years and is bursting with quality and provenance. Our long-established producers are flourishing and a whole new generation of talented entrepreneurs have emerged. We are becoming a nation famous for its food and drink and it has never been more important to build a strong local and regional offering.

It is an exciting time for the industry and there’s huge opportunities out there to be grasped. When we launched the Food Tourism Scotland action plan in late 2018, we identified a £1 billion growth opportunity for food tourism. This means an addition £1 billion visitor spend on food and drink by 2030.

Food and drink play a hugely important part in Scotland’s tourism offering. Visitors from all over are seeking local produce, hunting out memorable food and drink experiences and they are willing to travel for them. No matter where they are from or their budget, they want to meet interesting producers and hear their stories, they want to learn about a destination through its food and drink and, of course, they want to eat.

In order to meet our aspirations of selling more on our own doorstep and becoming a globally renowned food tourism destination, it is important to get more of our food and drink in front of customers. From restaurants and bars, cafes and hotels, visitor attractions and more. It is crucial that we work together to make that happen.

We need every business in Scotland to focus on local sourcing and to put it at the top of their agenda. It is essential we exceed the expectations of our visitors and put local produce at the heart of our tourism businesses.

The pride we have in our food and drink creates an unprecedented opportunity to source and sell more Scottish produce. Almost two thirds of Scots say that they are more likely to buy products marked as Scottish, higher than food products from anywhere else. 7 in 10 Scottish consumers believe it is important to have local sourcing of red meat, vegetables, fish and poultry within retail and foodservice.

We need to take that pride in local sourcing and shout about it from the rooftops. A simple way to do this is to name suppliers and honour them in some way, whether it be on menus, social media or on boards on the premises. 69% of those living in Scotland and 32% of those living in the UK say they would be more likely to buy a product with Scottish labelling versus a product with an unspecified origin. This shows the regard that is placed on Scottish products.

The more we can do together to forge new, mutually beneficial relationships between and suppliers, the stronger and more successful we will be. So if you’re a chef, a restaurant or café owner, a bar or deli, accommodation provider or tourist destination, we invite you to join us at Showcasing Scotland West. We will introduce you to some of a region’s best local food and drink suppliers in one day, under one roof, to make your job at sourcing Scottish easier.

Food and Drink Supplier Exhibition – Showcasing Scotland West

5 March, SEC Glasgow

 Freshly inspired from the STA Signature Food Tourism Session on Day 2, delegates are invited to head to Hall 1 at the SEC to browse and meet over 70 superb food and drink suppliers at Showcasing Scotland West. We want businesses to commit to sourcing more from local suppliers and telling the story behind them. This is crucial if we are to meet our aspirations of selling more on our own doorstep and becoming a globally renowned food tourism destination.

You’ll get access to some of the most ambitious, passionate and premium producers from the local area and all over Scotland, making your job of sourcing Scottish easier. Representing all categories of the food and drink industry, they all have fabulous stories to tell and are eager to help you meet your Scottish sourcing needs. Consumers are captivated by provenance, innovation and the origin of their food and drink. It’s what they are demanding. So, what are you waiting for?

Register now for Showcasing Scotland West – https://foodanddrink.scot/showcasing-scotland-regional/