Video: Brexit high on the agenda at Scotsman Food and Drink Conference

The biggest names in the Scottish food and drink sector shared the challenges and solutions of Brexit.

The annual Scotsman food and drink conference explores the biggest challenges to the industry and champions its successes.

This year, the EICC hosted a room full of delegates listening attentively as speakers spoke about future-proofing the sector in anticipation of Brexit.

Opening the conference, Scotsman editor Frank O’Donnell said: “I personally have never been filled with so much hope about the Scottish food and drink sector but also, possibly, with as much trepidation.”

SWA Chief Exec Karen Betts addresses delegates. Pic: Alistair Linford

Speakers included The Scotch Whisky Association’s Chief Exec Karen Betts laying out her hopes for Brexit negotiations and Murgitroyd’s Eleanor Coates providing a checklist for delegates to get their trade marks in order.

Also speaking at the conference was Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing.

He whittled down the list of Brexit concerns to put forward the notion that Scotland needs more people to continue supporting “arguably the fastest growing sector in Scotland”.

“We do need to remember,” he encouraged delegates, “that at the heart of businesses are the people who work for them. Without them, you do not have a business.”

We’ve included some more highlights in the video above, featuring comment from Frank O’Donnell, Fergus Ewing and many more speakers.