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Lanarkshire Larder puts Lanarkshire Food and Drink on the Map Support grows for food group with almost 60 members Scotland is lucky to be home to many regional food groups that are set up when businesses come together in their local areas to promote their local food and drink sector. As well as promoting regional specialities and encouraging people to purchase local produce, these groups are also powerful ambassadors for their region, often providing business support and delivering food tourism projects. Lanarkshire was one of the few regions in the country without a regional food group, despite being home to some of Scotland’s best-loved food and drink brands and a thriving network of small producers. In early 2021, Lanarkshire Larder was established to support the local food and drink industry and to raise awareness of the variety of quality produce from Lanarkshire. The driving force behind the group is Selina Cairns, Director of Errington Cheese, who runs a 250-acre farm near Carnwath producing award-winning farmhouse cheese. Selina, who is the current Chair of Lanarkshire Larder, was frustrated that Lanarkshire — Scotland’s biggest food and drink producer and one of the most populated regions — lacked the support that organised 72
food groups offered other regions. As a long-time ambassador for locally-sourced, sustainable food and drink, she drafted a business plan that was presented to Scotland Food & Drink and South and North Lanarkshire Councils who were offering match funding to employ a coordinator to run the group. The funding was approved in April this year. Selina commented at the time “This is a huge area of opportunity for economic growth
and development for the region and we are delighted to have the support to push the region to the forefront of the great food and drink being produced across Scotland.” The vision of Lanarkshire Larder is for Lanarkshire to be recognised as one of the leading regions in Scotland for quality, sustainable food and drink, raising awareness of local offerings as well the diverse range of largescale manufacturing operations.
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As a membership organisation, Lanarkshire Larder is run by a steering committee of members who offer voluntary support to the group. The current committee comprises representatives from MacDuff 1890, Mclean’s Gin, The Wee Farm Distillery, Jackton Distillery, Carmichael Estate, What’s Fresh and Errington Cheese. Andrew Carmichael, whose family runs Carmichael Estate near Biggar — ‘Scotland’s oldest
