Reflections on Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight

We are fast getting through this year's celebration of Scotland's fabulous food and drink.  This year the focus is on farmers and fishermen, those who grow and catch the amazing produce that drives our industry and our reputation.

At the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, we have had a busy couple of weeks helping with the celebrations.  I wanted to pick out two key highlights that show our food and drink industry positively moving forward.

I helped to launch the Scotland Food and Drink partnership's call for action on productivity - https://www.foodanddrink.scot/news/article-info/7098/scotland-food-and-drink-partnership-launch-productivity-call-to-action.aspx which challenges Scottish businesses from farmer to ice cream maker to take advantage of the great support that is available from our agencies - Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Development International and many others.  If you are a food or drink company and want to access that help, do have a look.

My second highlight was our Scottish Food and Drink Federation Scottish Parliamentary reception https://www.flickr.com/photos/fdfphotos/albums/72157673811645306 .  Attended by well over 100 food companies, MSPs, journalists and stakeholders this was a great success.  Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, and our board member James Macsween of Macsween's haggis addressed the throng.  Our members Brodie Melrose Drysdale, Pesico/Quaker, Coca Cola European partners, Ivan Wood & Sons, Agrico UK, McCains and Tunnocks had stands and talked about the role of innovation in their companies.  A real highlight was our pledge poster - where we had to use crowd control techniques on MSPs and friends who wanted to sign up to support Scotland's vital food and drink industry.

Our  industry is supported - by politicians, by the public and by our public sector partners.  We must capitalise on that support, use it to thrive and grow, getting more productive and helping each other throughout the supply chain - famers, fishermen, processers and retailers - in order that we can continue to do what we do best - feeding Scotland's economy.