The future of Scottish food and drink

With such a rich bounty of artisan food and drink, the future looks bright for Scotland. As Will Docker, co-founder of Balgove Larder, explains, “The Scottish food and drink sector has come such a long way in recent years with amazing historic foundations.

“We see this growth curve continuing, with increased interest in the country as a whole from the UK and international markets, both of which are fuelling the charge for quality produce. It will only have positive effects on the industry and continue to polish and refine what we do.”

Fiona Richmond, head of regional food at Scotland Food and Drink, agrees, “Scottish produce continues to enjoy a strong reputation for quality and sales of Scottish brands within the UK have risen by 40% in the last ten years alone. It would be naïve not to acknowledge that times are difficult, this is true across all sectors. However, in hard times there are still opportunities for growth.

“We have record numbers of visitors coming to Scotland and I see there being a huge opportunity to grow our industry through tourism. In 2018, we launched Scotland’s very first Food Tourism Action Plan in partnership with Scottish Tourism Alliance which encourages greater collaboration to show why we deserve to be a top destination on the culinary map.

“Whether it is new businesses forming to take a product to market, or more established brands embracing new revenue streams, there is a renewed sense of positivity about what the future holds, and collaboration has played such an important role in making that happen.”

But it won’t all be smooth sailing. According to Sarah Parsons, farm manager at the Balcaskie Estate in Fife, “The shape of our whole food and drink industry will change in the coming years, driven by economic, climate and social changes which are inevitable.

“If we are serious about protecting nature and providing a future for the next generations, we have to accept that ‘outsourcing’ responsibility for food production and distribution to large multinational corporations is not in our own best interests.

“Greater accountability for our choices requires understanding about those choices we make having a positive impact on our environment or the communities around us. It is well documented that money spent locally delivers directly back into our communities and food will become increasingly significant in local economic sustainability.”