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Showcasing Scottish food and drink
12/10/2009
Scottish produce will be showcased to an international audience today at the retail world's largest food and drink fair in Germany.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead will today visit the Anuga Food Fair in Cologne to support Scottish exhibitors. Mr Lochhead will also unveil new branding to help boost the profile of Scottish food and drink.
Mr Lochhead said:
"It's fitting that at the end of Scotland's Year of Homecoming we are now going forward to the international market to showcase Scotland's reputation as a land of food and drink.
"Our food and drink sector is already a good news story, achieving great things year on year; however, growing international revenue is critical if we are to reach our target of growing the value of Scotland's food and drink sector to £10 billion by 2017.
"Scotch Beef and lamb, Scottish Farmed Salmon and Arbroath Smokies all enjoy the benefit of protected food name status (PFNs) giving customers the guaranteed genuine article. There are over 800 protected PFNs registered across the EU, with Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Germany accounting for around 90 per cent of all PFNs. I would encourage more producers to apply to the scheme, giving Scottish products protection from inferior imitations.
"The sector supports Scottish farmers, fishermen, retailers, producers and suppliers, and I want to see even more being able to take advantage of both domestic and global markets.
"This event comes hard on the heels of the tremendous news that Scottish monkfish, langoustines and crab and Scotch Lamb have been selected for the world-famous Bocuse d'Or Competition in France in 2011.
"A new marketing programme will help increase awareness of Scottish seafood in France and the 23 other competing countries next year. Of course at the last Bocuse d'Or judges selected Scotch Beef for the first time ever, and the prospect of the world's leading chefs serving up mouth-watering dishes with Scottish ingredients at such a prestigious event bodes well for enhancing Scotland's reputation for quality food production."
Several key Scottish food and drink producers will form part of the new Scotland pavilion at Anuga.
The pavilion, led by Scotland Food & Drink and Scottish Development International, under the banner of Scotland: Land of Food and Drink, will enjoy its first outing at Anuga, before going on to four other major international trade fairs.
Companies exhibiting on the pavilion include AG Barr, Highland Smoked Salmon and Kingdom Dairies, while many other Scottish companies will be using the pavilion's reception and lounge areas as a base between meetings at Anuga.
The Scottish Red Meat Pavilion, hosted by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), is providing a business platform at the event for nine major meat processors from throughout Scotland.
Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing for Quality Meat Scotland said:
"The quality reputation of Scotch red meat is well established and we remain committed to competing at the top end of the world stage. There is certainly potential for Scotland to further develop its export trade for red meat products - exports are a healthy complement to the important domestic market for the Scottish red meat business."
David Smith, operations director at SDI, said:
"Anuga is one of the top food and drink shows in the world and a fantastic opportunity for Scottish companies to explore new markets.
"And, given that Scotland is home to some of the most highly-acclaimed food and drink brands in the world, the new Scottish food and drink pavilion at Anuga is a great platform to really fly the flag for Scottish produce.
"During tough economic times, attending exhibitions like Anuga and having the opportunity to present new products to international buyers becomes even more important, so we are delighted to be supporting the industry like this."
- A package to support the Scottish products in the international market was unveiled in February by Mr Lochhead. The package includes:
- An enhanced programme of trade delegations for over 100 Scottish companies which will deliver an estimated £60 million in overseas sales
- £1.8 million - an increase of £250,000 - a year for new trade advisors to help Scottish companies break into international markets
- At international exhibitions from April, the Saltire will be featured alongside Scotland Food & Drink branding to help raise the sector's profile.
- A Retailers' Forum on March 25 to look at ways of forging better links between food producers and retailers
- A new Supplier Development Programme, in partnership with Sainsbury's, offering Scottish firms advice on how to tap into major supply chains