Scottish food & drink conference

Next week, the Scotsman Conferences, in association with Taste Communications, will bring together some of the most senior government and industry figures to discuss how Scotland can find new and even better ways to grow the sector.

It is a must-attend event for anyone with a taste for Scotland’s fabulous food and drink.

Book your place now by calling 0131 620 8656, by emailing: [email protected] or by visiting us online at www.scotsmanconferences.com

Last year was a remarkable one for the sector. Scottish food exports broke the all records in 2011, with exports reaching £5.4 billion.

It was a vintage year for the whisky industry with 23 percent growth and exports totalling £4.23 billion.

And our world famous fish and shellfish industry grew by four percent, with exports reaching £648.8 million.

Perhaps surprisingly, given our uncertain weather, fruit and vegetable exports grow by 60 percent.

This success is even more impressive against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty – proof that a vibrant food and drink industry is vital to our economic future.

One in five of Scotland’s manufacturing jobs are in food and drink and our reputation as the land of malt whisky and fresh seafood helps drive our tourism industry.

The challenge now is to ensure that this growth continues and that Scotland builds on its reputation as one of the world’s leading food and drink nations.

Scotland’s food and drink companies need to understand the changing patterns in international trade in order to exploit every opportunity.

Major retailers, particularly major supermarkets must remain committed to working with their suppliers, so that everyone benefits from the best of Scottish produce, both price and quality.

There must be further investment in innovation, from the banks, from government and from manufacturers so that Scottish food and drink continues to compete successfully on the world stage.

Even major sporting events such as the Olympics can help boost the sector.

Recent research by Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland estimates that food and drink companies can expect to get around £33 million revenue in 2014 when Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup and Homecoming Scotland.

As Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead said earlier this month when he launched Scotland’s Food and Drink Action Plan for 2014, major events such as the Commonwealth Games provide an “unprecedented opportunity to promote our prime, quality produce to a huge audience”.  