Convenience ‘key to Scottish food and drink industry success’
HOLYROOD minister Mairi Gougeon has highlighted the importance of convenience retail in boosting Scotland’s food and drink industry.
The ScotGov Rural Affairs Secretary spoke to Scottish Grocer as she opened ScotHot25, which attracted more than 8,000 visitors and 250-plus exhibitors to the SEC Glasgow on 26 and 27 February.
Gougeon said: “Everybody wants to see more Scottish produce on convenience store shelves.
“And the Scottish Government is showing its commitment to that by its funding for the Go Local project and its support for Scotland Food & Drink.
“It’s a win-win for everyone because Go Local enables retailers to provide dedicated space for locally sourced, healthy Scottish produce, meeting growing consumer demand for these products and so boosting profits for stores and, in turn, manufacturers.
“And promotion of Scottish food and drink is easy because of the real care and attention shown by the incredible producers, the fascinating stories of provenance and the vibrancy of the sector.”
The biennial trade event for food, drink, hospitality and tourism gave c-store retailers the chance to explore the latest trends, innovations and equipment to ensure they have a strong food and drink to go offering.
Store bosses also had the chance to sample premium Scottish produce, with many stands featuring regional producers and Great Taste award winners.
There were also a number of panel discussions providing insights, live culinary competitions and the ScotHot Innovation Awards.
Among the winners was Edinburgh spirits firm Buck & Birch, which won gold in the food and drink category for its Birch Premium Botanical Vodka.
Founders Tom Chisholm and Rupert Waites created the vodka using birch sap, which is harvested every spring from Scottish birch trees grown in the brand’s partner community forests.
Chisholm said: “We have spent years refining our wilderness spirits and forging a pioneering new category in the Scottish drinks sector.
“It’s so rewarding for our team to be recognised by the nation’s food and drink experts with the overall gold award for innovation at ScotHot.
Visitors to the SEC also had the chance to visit the Taste of Lomond trade show in a nearby exhibition centre hall.
Running over the same two days, thousands of attendees were able to explore more than 100 stands, take advantage of exclusive show deals and find out about the rebrand of Lomond Wholesale’s in-house Cake offering.
With more suppliers and products than ever before, food trucks and tastings, including speciality foods and a local produce section, it gave retailers the chance to ramp up their food and drink to go propositions.
