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Festive Scottish sales soar
31/01/2010
Scots consumers were true to their word over the festive period, delivering a huge surge in sales of Scottish produce.
Coming hard on the heels of the launch of the Scottish Government's 'Eat Fresh, Eat Seasonal' campaign, new figures suggest the popularity of produce such as smoked salmon and Scotch Beef has never been higher.
It also reinforces the message from a recent survey commissioned by the Scottish Government which showed two-thirds of Scots would be eating Scottish over Christmas.
Initial sales figures for the festive season show:
- Inverawe organic smoked salmon increased by a dramatic 500 per cent on normal weekly sales at Waitrose over the festive period
- Gigha Halibut - which account for all sales of Scottish halibut - reported a 42 per cent increase in turnover during December
- Roast Beef accounted for nearly £5 million of sales in the four weeks running up to Christmas, up eight per cent
- Sales of roast pork were up 56 per cent
- Salmon products had increased by £2 million over the festive period compared with the same period the previous year to £44.4 million
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
"These record breaking figures show that Scots are really getting behind local producers and choosing Scottish brands during the festive period.
"Food is now so much more than a question of taste, our food and drink supply chain supports over 350,000 jobs across Scotland, and eating fresh, seasonal produce delivers major benefits to the environment and our health.
"This latest set of impressive figures is further evidence of Scotland's growing food revolution and suggests that our national food and drink policy is helping to deliver significant results during challenging times.
"The challenge now is to whet Scotland's appetite for even more of the fantastic produce available on their doorsteps. We will continue to support our producers, suppliers and retailers every step of the way as we strive to enhance Scotland's reputation as a land of food and drink."
Commenting on the increase in sales and value of salmon over the festive period, Scott Landsburgh, Chief Executive of Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation, said:
"It has been a sparkling festive period for Scottish salmon as sales have leapt in response to bumper demand. Both the volume and value have significantly increased as people continued to seek healthy, affordable and convenient foods at Christmas time.
"Retailers with salmon sourced exclusively from Scotland reported particularly strong growth, recording, on average, a nine per cent increase in value and a six per cent increase in volume as demand for quality Scottish salmon continues to outstrip supply."
Background
A Recipe for Success was published in June 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Food-Industry/national-strategy
The Scottish Government also published a Scottish Retailers' Charter with supermarkets who have committed to playing their part in taking forward the national food and drink policy in five key areas. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Food-Industry/retailing/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on
On January 27 the Scottish Government launched "Eat Fresh, Eat Seasonal" to encourage the public to think about the environmental, economic and health benefits of what goes into their shopping baskets. The campaign is being supported by a series of events across Scotland and a number of partner agencies. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/01/27110505