A Taste for Events A Guide to Scottish Food and Drinks at Events
Contents
A Taste for Events – Introduction
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Food, Drinks and Events – A Marriage Made in Scotland
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Scotland – Land of Food and Drink
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Sourcing Scottish Produce
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Working With Producers and Caterers
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Planning Ahead – What You Need To Do
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Don’t Forget to Tell People!
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Tasteful Events
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Flavours of Scottish Food and Drink
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Our Top Ten National Dishes
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Meet the Producers
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Need More Help?
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A Taste for Events
Introduction Scotland is a very eventful place. This year in particular, hundreds of events are being held across every part of our country as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations. This packed calendar of events will attract thousands of visitors from all over the world, adding to the colour and vitality of Scotland and making it a more attractive and enjoyable place to visit. This guide is a Scotland Food & Drink initiative supporting Homecoming Scotland 2009 and is supported by the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and the Tourism Innovation Group as part of the National Food and Drink Policy. It is for anyone who is planning or organising any type of event in Scotland and aims to bring people together to help and encourage them to offer top quality Scottish food and drink at Scottish events. Why do we want to do that? Well, the people who come to events in Scotland are all different, but they generally have three things in common – they eat, they drink, and they want to enjoy eating and drinking at the events they visit. Scotland is renowned for producing some of the world’s finest food and drink. Locals and visitors alike want to sample it and enjoy it, but sometimes it’s not easy for them to do that at events across our country. Food and drink can be distinctive strengths and unique selling points for your event, whether you are a seasoned event organiser or someone planning an event for the very first time. This guide will help you to offer Scottish food and drink more easily, which is good for your event, and adds to your visitors’ enjoyment. Good food and drink makes people happy. Happy people will come back to your event and recommend it to others – that makes for a successful event and a successful Homecoming!
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Food, Drink and Events
… over 20p out of every £1 that tourists spend in Scotland is spent on food and drink. A Marriage Made in Scotland What’s more, by offering Scottish food and drink, you are supporting other Scottish businesses and ensuring that your event contributes to the Scottish economy. As well as making you feel good, that’s very attractive to economic development and tourism agencies when you ask them for help and support.
Each year, over 15 million tourists come to Scotland and spend over £4 billion. Visitor numbers are expected to increase during Homecoming Scotland 2009. Around 80% of our visitors are from the UK and two-thirds of them say food is something they think about when they decide where to go on holidays or short breaks. VisitScotland research shows that “Quality of Food” is one of the Top Ten reasons why UK tourists choose to come to Scotland.
There are hundreds of events across Scotland and countless ways to organise an event. But there’s one sure fire way to enhance your event and make it more successful. Offer Scottish food and drink. It’s what Scottish businesses want and it’s what your visitors want.
Overseas tourists also cite food and drink as an important influence on their decision to come to Scotland. Overall, the quality of food and drink is their fourth most important factor when choosing Scotland as a holiday destination. Over 20p out of every £1 that tourists spend in Scotland is spent on food and drink, meaning that tourists spend over £800 million on food and drink in Scotland every year. That’s a lot of money for a lot of Scottish businesses and most visitors say that they would be happy to pay a little extra for locally produced food as they expect it to be fresher, tastier and benefiting the community they are visiting. Why is food and drink important to your event? The right choice of food and drink can change a good event into a great one. It helps make it more distinctive. It adds to its atmosphere, its authenticity and its profitability. Good food and drink will make money for your event. Raising the quality of what you offer will result in more satisfied customers who will stay longer and spend more at your event. In addition, they will come back again and tell their friends and relatives – the cheapest and the most effective form of advertising.
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Scotland – Land of Food and Drink
The Scottish food and drink industry employs around 350,000 people and is worth £7.5 billion a year to the Scottish economy.
Scotland is known for many things – tartan; bagpipes; mountains; lochs; Robert Burns; Billy Connolly; The Proclaimers; and lots more besides. But, more than anything else, our food and drink carries the reputation of Scotland around the world.
Our natural environment adds value to our food and drink by linking it to positive perceptions of Scotland’s countryside. People want to visit our hills, lochs and glens, fields and coastline. When they realise that these places also produce our food and drink, they want to taste it because they know it will be good quality.
How many other countries have a national drink like whisky that is known and appreciated in all corners of the globe? What meats are as well known and as well respected as Scotch Beef and Lamb? Which fish enjoys the international reputation of Scottish Salmon?
There are significant health benefits from eating fresh, local produce and Scottish food and drink is well placed to tap into the growing awareness of the importance of healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.
The Scottish food and drink industry is massive. It employs around 350,000 people and is worth £7.5 billion a year to the Scottish economy. That’s more than just about any other industry you may care to mention – including tourism!
Scotland produces some of the world’s finest produce. It’s one of the main reasons people come here. Thankfully, it’s never been easier to buy and source Scottish food and drink in the land where it originates. Don’t miss the opportunity to add value to your event and don’t forget to share the wonderful food and drink our country offers.
But what is it that makes Scotland’s food and drink so special? More than anything it is our natural environment. The pure air, clean water and rich soil that inspires farmers, fishermen and growers to make their living from our glorious landscape.
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Sourcing Scottish Produce
It’s never been easier to buy and source Scottish food and drink for your event.
Here’s an illustration of just some of the options. There are more details on each option on the following pages, or just click on the one that interests you to go straight to that page. Local Hotels, Restaurants and Shops
Scotland Food & Drink
Work with the experts on your doorstep.
The most comprehensive database of local producers and suppliers.
Local Food Groups
Farmers’ Markets
Producers working together to offer a range of food and drink.
Sourcing Scottish Food & Drink
Collaborative Supply Chains
Professional Caterers
Certification Schemes
One-stop shops to a host of different food and drink.
Let the professionals help you.
Your guarantee of quality.
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The success story of the past 10 years.
Sourcing Scottish Produce
Scottish food and drink adds to the fun, the colour and the spectacle of your event.
Local Hotels, Restaurants and Shops baker could provide filled local cakes, your butcher a hog roast and your fishmonger a seafood barbeque? They could probably also help you on licensing and food hygiene issues.
Sometimes shoe leather, a smile and some local contacts are all you need to enhance your event’s food and drink offering. Your local hotels, restaurants and shops source, sell and prepare Scottish food and drink every day. Why not invite them to work with you?
Look at what’s on the shelves of your local farm shop or delicatessen. Find out who produces the cheeses, the jams, the meats and the oatcakes. Invite them along to your event. Many food shops and delis are keen to take stands at local events and will work with you to provide colourful displays of Scottish cheeses, smoked meats and savouries that will create a special atmosphere.
Perhaps your local hotels and restaurants could provide cooked, ready-to-eat meals and snacks at your event, either through a catering concession or by taking trade stands close to the main action. If they can’t come to your event, encourage your visitors to go to them. They could put on special local menus that are themed around your event. People enjoy the fun and quirky charm of historical menus, music or sports themed meals, dishes named after famous people, and traditional Scottish treats.
Ask your nearest distillery, brewery or drinks manufacturer if they could give tastings at your event. It’s an opportunity for them to promote their product and perhaps sell a few more bottles. Scottish food and drink helps to make your event distinctive and adds to its fun, colour and spectacle. Use your local contacts to source it.
Pop into your local baker, butcher or fishmonger and ask if they would be interested in working with you to provide Scottish fayre at your event. Perhaps your
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Sourcing Scottish Produce
Scotland Food & Drink is the industry-led organisation which aims to grow the value of Scotland’s food and drink sector by encouraging the industry to work together and make the most of the natural resources, skills and energy of our food and drink businesses. Its overall aim is to make the industry more profitable and deliver greater global success, and it has a vision to build Scotland’s international reputation as “A Land of Food and Drink”.
Each business has an entry with a description of what they do, contact details and, in most cases, a link to their own website. The Scotland Food & Drink website enables you to download printable directories of all companies operating in each food and drink sector. For example, if you want to know about over 170 producers and suppliers of fruit and vegetables across Scotland, you can find them all in one easy to download guide. In addition, there are details of specialists such as organic suppliers and suppliers of halal and kosher produce.
A comprehensive listing of over 1,300 Scottish suppliers
The website also incorporates a lot of helpful information on topics like healthy eating, health and safety legislation, marketing and packaging, as well as details of the local Food & Drink Forums that have been set up to forge local business networks across the country. These organise regular meetings that stimulate discussion and networking.
Its website includes a Buyers Guide, which provides a comprehensive listing of over 1,300 Scottish suppliers. You can search the Buyers Guide by sector – i.e. Fish & Seafood, Dairy, Confectionery etc. – and by area, with Scotland broken down into 21 local sourcing areas. So, it’s easy to find a butcher in Blairgowrie, a baker in Ballater, confectionery from Crieff, mustard from Moffat or salmon from Stornoway.
The Scotland Food & Drink website is the ideal place to find out who offers what in the food and drink sector in your area. Access it at www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org
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Sourcing Scottish Produce Local Food Groups Scotland’s food and drink producers often work in partnership with others in their local area. This makes sense for joint marketing, economies of scale and so on. Such partnerships, or local food groups, also make it easier for event organisers to source a range of local food and drink through one contact. Argyll Food Producers is one particularly successful example of food and drink producers working together at events and festivals. The group originally came together to help local producers promote themselves to the 80,000 people attending the 2007 Connect Music Festival at Inveraray. Argyll Food Producers ran a food marquee where a dozen businesses offered all kinds of local specialities including roast beef, seafood, cheeses and vegetarian dishes.
expand its involvement in events and festivals across Scotland. Fergus Younger, who supports the group as a Development Manager, said, “Our customer feedback indicates very strongly that people value quality local food and knowing who has produced it. Our customers are not just foodie types. Lots of young folk have given us very positive feedback and event organisers have commented that we add to the atmosphere and ambiance of their event.”
The response was so positive that Argyll Food Producers were welcomed back to the 2008 Connect Festival and have since operated food marquees at other major music events like T in the Park and Rockness. The group is now actively looking to
Find out more about Argyll Food Producers and other local food groups at the following links: Argyll Food Producers
www.argyllagriculturalforum.com
Ayrshire Food Network
www.ayrshirefoodnetwork.co.uk
Forth Valley Food Links
www.fvfl.org.uk
Highlands & Islands Food Network
www.hilocalfood.net
Lochaber Larder
www.lochaberlarder.co.uk
Orkney Quality Food & Drink
www.oqfd.co.uk
Outer Hebrides Speciality Food Producers Association
www.outerhebridesfoodtrail.com
Savour the Flavours of Dumfries & Galloway
www.savourtheflavours.co.uk
Scottish Borders Food Network
www.bordersfoodnetwork.co.uk
The Shetland Food Directory
www.foodshetland.com
A Taste of Skye & Lochalsh
www.skyefood.co.uk
Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of local food groups. Details of others will be available from Local Authorities, some of whom also produce Directories of Local Producers.
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Sourcing Scottish Produce Farmers’ Markets
People love the opportunity to talk to the person who has grown or reared the food they are selling.
bread and buns to sausages and sirloins. Local chefs come along and give cookery demonstrations using produce from the market, and there’s always free samples and tastings to demonstrate how wonderful fresh local produce really is”.
The growth of Farmers’ Markets has been one of the great success stories of Scottish food and drink in the last decade. 10 years ago there were no regular Farmers’ Markets in Scotland. Today there are over 40 covering all parts of the country from Langholm to Lerwick.
Some Farmers’ Markets have worked closely with events in their area to offer local food and drink, and most producers at the markets welcome new opportunities to promote their produce to new customers. What’s more, the producers enjoy dealing with the public and are often entertaining and colourful characters with all sorts of local knowledge and information.
Most Farmers’ Markets are held once a month, but some have expanded to fortnightly or even weekly operation. All of them offer a range of the freshest food and drink from local producers in their area. One of the things that people love about Farmers’ Markets is the opportunity to talk to the person who has grown or reared the food they are selling. That adds to their enjoyment of the produce.
If you’re organising an event, why not get along to your local Farmers’ Market and get to know your local producers?
Perth Farmers’ Market was the very first in Scotland and celebrates its 10th Birthday in 2009. It is held on the 1st Saturday of each month and is managed by Adeline Watson, who says, “Our Farmers’ Market normally has over 30 stalls with everything from
You can find information on Farmers’ Markets in your area on the Scottish Association of Farmers’ Markets website at www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk
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Sourcing Scottish Produce Collaborative Supply Chains Collaborative Supply Chains build on the idea of Local Food Groups by providing central storage, sales, distribution and branding for a range of local producers. This simplifies the whole buying process by providing one contact point where you can easily access a wide choice of quality produce.
mutton, bacon, sausages, haggis, seafood and shellfish, biscuits, oatcakes, shortbread, honeys, conserves, chutneys, whisky and cheeses – all available from one contact.
All our products are produced by people who are passionate about what they do.
Tracy Waters, Business Development Manager of Mey Selections, says, “All our products are produced by people who are passionate about what they do and are made using local ingredients to exclusive bespoke recipes. Mey Selections has won a hat full of awards for its collaborative approach and, like others, we are keen to help event organisers take advantage of the finest produce available on their doorstep.”
One award winning collaboration is Mey Selections, the brand name of a company formed by Caithness farmers to foster closer connections between farmers, fine food producers and consumers. The company forms part of HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay’s North Highland Initiative and its logo incorporates a painting of the Castle of Mey, which endorses the quality and provenance of the brand.
Full information about Mey Selections can be found at www.mey-selections.com You will find collaborative supply chain organisations in other parts of Scotland including Fife, Grampian, Inverness-shire and Tayside, and plans are well developed to spread them to most other parts of the country.
Mey Selections sources all its major ingredients from within 100 miles of the Castle of Mey and represents over 500 farmers, food producers and fishers. Its product range includes award winning beef, lamb,
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Sourcing Scottish Produce Professional Caterers Professional caterers work with food and drink every day of their lives. They are experts in their field and can be an excellent source of information and help to any event organiser looking to offer quality Scottish produce.
Think about what will be in season at the time of your event. Martin Irons ran his own restaurant in Edinburgh for over 20 years and still continues with his catering business. He has worked with events like the Edinburgh Book Festival and the European Duathlon Championships, and is active in numerous food and drink industry bodies and charitable organisations.
best. You need a clear idea of what you want to do and a strong partnership between producers, caterers and event organisers�. Martin believes that events should be a shop window for Scottish produce and is keen to ensure that our food and drink and our caterers and chefs are showcased at the many international sporting and cultural events coming to Scotland. He also organises Chefs Markets, where chefs and producers meet each other and develop working relationships.
Martin is passionate about using fresh Scottish produce, but advises, “If you want to maximise the impact of using Scottish food and drink at your event, you need to plan in advance. Think about what will be in season at the time of your event and build your food choices around that. That will reduce your costs and ensure the food you offer is at its very
Martin stresses that caterers are keen to tender to work with Scottish event organisers and suggests that local directories and business associations, such as Chambers of Commerce, are often the best places to find out which caterers are operating in your area.
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Sourcing Scottish Produce Certification Schemes How can you guarantee the quality of the Scottish food and drink that you offer and be sure that it will meet the exacting standards of your customers?
and drink in Scotland and might help you to source local caterers, hotels and restaurants who can assist your event.
Working with members of these schemes brings an independent guarantee of quality.
In addition to EatScotland, there are also a number of quality assurance schemes managed by Scottish Quality Food Certification (SFQC). These include schemes like Quality Meat Scotland, Scottish Quality Cereals, the Scottish Wild Venison Assurance Scheme and the Scottish Organic Producers Association.
There are numerous certification schemes that set quality standards that any businesses involved in the food and drink sector are encouraged to meet. Working with members of these schemes brings an independent guarantee of quality.
In total, SFQC assesses and certifies over 18,000 farms, food related companies and caterers to provide independent quality assurances to businesses, organisations and the general public.
Perhaps the certification scheme that is best known by visitors is EatScotland, an initiative by VisitScotland that aims to recognise and promote food and drink businesses offering excellence and quality. EatScotland helps residents and visitors find great places to eat and seeks to raise the profile of Scottish food as an important element of tourism.
SFQC have also worked with The List magazine to produce The Larder, a new guide to Scottish produce that features product guides, discussion of issues in Scottish food and a directory of the best places to buy local food. It is linked to an on-line directory that lists some 1,500 producers, suppliers and retailers.
The EatScotland website at www.eatscotland.visitscotland.com is a good source of information about all aspects of food
Full information about Scottish Food Quality Certification can be found at www.sfqc.co.uk
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Working with Producers and Caterers
As with all other aspects of your event, you need to plan ahead when working with producers and caterers and you need to be very specific about how you will work in partnership with them. If you are inviting producers and suppliers to take trade stands at your event, you need to be clear about things like: • Stand Format and Equipment What kind of stands are you offering? Empty spaces in a field? Modular exhibition systems in an indoor venue? Will you supply tables, chairs, or anything else? Are there height or other restrictions on how producers can use their stand?
• Payment Terms You can either charge a flat rate for stand space or take a commission on sales, which is sometimes a good idea if you are a new, unproven event. Either way, ask for an advance deposit to help your cash flow (and your promotional budget!)
• Positioning of Stands Decide in advance who will go where. This avoids a free for all on the day. Maybe think about grouping all the producer stands together in a Food Village or Food Fayre. That’s often popular with both visitors and producers.
• Setting Up and Breaking Down Be clear about details like where producers can park their van and when they can get on site to set up their stand. It’s worth insisting that no one breaks down their stand before the end of your event. This annoys visitors and creates unwelcome distractions.
• The Cost of Stands Be realistic about what you charge and relate it to projected audience numbers. Some events charge as little as £20 - £30 for a space in a field. Don’t try to charge £500 if you expect 200 people. No one will pay it. Check what other events charge by going on to their websites. That will give useful comparisons.
• Stand Operation Specify what people can sell from their stand. You don’t want someone you thought was coming with local jams or cheeses turning up with car boot junk. You can specify the products or product types that each standholder can sell. Be aware that some types of food are not compatible. For example, cooking sausages can taint cakes and savouries. Don’t put them too close together.
• Stand Facilities Standholders may need facilities like power and water. You need to know who needs what and you may need to charge for them.
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Working with Producers and Caterers Similarly, if you are working with caterers to provide cooked meals/snacks or drinks at your event, you need to be clear about how you will work with them. In addition to trade stands, you may want to operate food tents selling hot meals and snacks and maybe a beer tent. The easiest way to do this is to enter into a concession agreement with professional caterers or local restaurants, hotels or bars. You will need to draw up a catering brief outlining what you expect to be provided and specifying the terms and conditions of any concession well in advance. Some of the things you need to be clear about are: • Numbers How many people can concessions expect to cater for? How many different concessions will you allow? Make sure you have enough concessions to cater for all your visitors, but don’t have too many. Concessionaries have to make money and a host of empty food tents doesn’t look good.
• Prices Agree broad price ranges that concessionaries can charge. A local bar operating a beer tent may need to charge a bit more than usual to cover one-off overhead costs, but visitors shouldn’t pay twice the normal price for a pint at your event. • Payment Terms Keep life simple. If you’re operating a concession agreement you’ll want to charge for that concession. Agree costs in advance, agree a clear schedule of payments, put all details in writing and ensure payments are made.
• Equipment Many venues will have their own kitchens etc., but if your event is outdoors or somewhere unusual the concessionaries may need to bring their own mobile kitchen and other equipment. Specific who will be responsible for details like providing tables, plates, cutlery etc. and for aspects like table set up and waste management.
• What Happens On The Day? Be explicit about operating hours when concessionaries are required to serve food and drink. Insist they are adequately staffed to cope with expected demand – nobody likes to wait for hours for a hot snack. Remember simple details like giving kitchen and serving staff passes to get into your event. There’s no point in having them locked outside when there are hungry people inside.
• References If you are in discussions with a caterer whom you don’t know, ask them for references from events they’ve previously assisted or, ideally, go and see them in operation elsewhere. Make sure that they have all the relevant licences and certificates that food and drink businesses are legally required to hold. Your local council’s Environmental Health Department will be able to help in this area.
These are all simple, straightforward things to remember when you’re working with producers and caterers. You will need to draw up formal, detailed contracts but, at the end of the day, the most important element is two-way communication. Talk, listen, negotiate and agree.
• Menus Agree menus and food and drink options in advance and don’t be shy about specifying the use of local produce or individual local producers. Remember to offer menu options to provide choice and cater for different diets. Don’t have 6 catering outlets all selling the same things. 15
Planning Ahead – What You Need To Do
If you want to run a successful event incorporating Scottish food and drink, you need to plan in advance and you need to fulfil certain legal requirements. These are not overly onerous and are designed to protect you and your customers. Here are some of the things you will need to do:
Contact your local authority to check which licences you will need. Don’t leave it to the last minute. It can take up to 8 – 10 weeks for licence applications to be processed and approved.
• Have a Clear Event Plan Set out your aims and objectives at the outset. • Why are you doing this?
• Be Aware Of All Other Legal Requirements Again, these will vary according to the type of event you are organising. Your Local Authority Environmental Services will be able to provide advice and guidance but, for example, you may need to consider:
• What are you hoping to achieve? • Who needs to be involved? Consider the role food and drink can play in your event and make it a key element of your overall planning.
• Food Hygiene Legislation. This is particularly crucial where normal kitchen standards of hygiene and preparation are not possible.
• Ensure You Have All Relevant Licences There are a number of licences that you may need depending on the nature of your event. These could include:
• Health and Safety at Work Legislation, if people are paid to work at the event. • Fire Safety Regulations, if you are erecting any temporary structures.
• Liquor Licence, if you sell alcohol at the event (your local hotel, bar or caterer will probably already hold such a licence).
Remember also that Disability Discrimination legislation means that you have to take reasonable steps to provide facilities for people with disabilities.
• Street Traders Licence, if goods are sold in a public place. • Market Operators Licence, if you have stalls located in a public place. 16
Planning Ahead – What You Need To Do
• Remember Waste Management and Sanitation Events can have a big impact on the environment. Food waste can be particularly messy. You need to minimise this.
Their website at www.hse.gov.uk includes a leaflet on “Five Steps to Risk Assessment”. Click on “Risk Management” on the “Health & Safety Topics” drop down menu on their homepage.
Your local Council’s Environment Services will be able to advise and assist you in areas such as waste management and recycling and may be able to supply facilities like litter bins and recycling points as well as commercial waste uplift. They can also help with clean water supplies, drainage, toilet provision and so on.
• Monitor and Evaluate Your Event You want people to enjoy the food and drink at your event. You won’t really know if they do unless you ask them. You might want to conduct a simple questionnaire asking a sample of your visitors questions like: • What did they eat or drink at your event?
There may be costs to waste management and sanitation facilities and you should always liase with Environment Services well in advance of your event.
• How much did they spend on food and drink? • Did the food and drink add to their enjoyment of your event? • Would they recommend the food and drink to others?
• Carry Out A Risk Assessment The importance of this cannot over-stated, but risk assessments are not complex. Any contractors or caterers you work with should also carry out their own risk assessments and you should ask for copies of these.
This kind of evaluation will give you information that you can use to grow and develop your event, attract new producers and caterers to it, and generate support from local communities and funding agencies.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can provide advice and guidance on risk assessments.
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Don’t Forget to Tell People! Make sure staff and volunteers know about the food and drink on offer.
You’ve done all the right things to offer your visitors top quality Scottish food and drink. • You’ve planned in advance.
• Mention it on menus and menu boards – “Perthshire lamb from Abersnekie Farm”, “Scones with Jam from Dalbonny”, “Local Inverbevie Beers” etc. You can even have fun trying to translate dishes like stovies or cranachan into other languages!
• You’ve invited local producers to take trade stands at your event. • You’ve arranged for caterers or the local hotel and pub to serve tasty hot food and refreshing cold drinks.
• Encourage producers and caterers to bring along promotional materials and information about their produce that people can take away.
• You’ve liased with your local authority to obtain advice, assistance and all the appropriate licences.
• Make sure staff and volunteers know about the food and drink on offer and can answer questions like, “Where does this fish come from?”, “What exactly is in haggis? “What’s the difference between an 8 year old and 10 year old whisky?” It can be fun for staff and volunteers to find out and gives them a buzz when they can help visitors.
You’re 99% of the way there, but there’s one final thing you need to do – make sure you tell your visitors about your food and drink! Don’t keep it a secret! • Highlight it in your promotional materials. Let people know to expect quality food and drink. That might tempt a few more along to your event.
Shout it from the hilltops; celebrate your use of Scottish food and drink. It’s something to be proud of – share that pride. 18
Tasteful Events Many events and event venues in Scotland already enjoy great success through working with producers and suppliers who offer quality Scottish food and drink. We couldn’t possibly mention all of them in a short guide like this, but here are just a few examples that demonstrate how much Scottish food and drink can add to an event.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Belladrum Tartan Heart, or Bella to its friends, is a multi-faceted, family-friendly event that has taken place on Belladrum Estate near Beauly for the past 5 years. It includes music, theatre, comedy, alternative therapies, performance art and lots more.
strawberries and the local village hall association sells tea and cakes. Tartan Heart make it easy for producers and suppliers to apply to provide food and drink at the festival. You simply have to fill in an on-line application form on their website. They do welcome producers and caterers from all over Scotland, but local businesses get priority and discounts on stand space, and no one business is allowed a presence that dominates all the others.
From the outset, the festival has been very environmentally conscious – a philosophy that extends to having a stringent policy of using local caterers wherever possible in order to reduce food miles and support local businesses. Consequently, the 8,000 or so people who attend Tartan Heart each year will find Scottish specialities like porridge, haggis and stovies on the catering menu. The local baker provides campers with fresh bread, filled rolls and shortbread. The local hotel runs an area on the festival site specifically offering children’s’ menus. A local farmer sells his
The result is that visitors to the festival enjoy the freshest possible local food and meet local people, while local businesses and organisations (and the Scottish environment) benefit. The full story of Belladrum Tartan Heart can be found at www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk
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Tasteful Events
The Big Tent The Big Tent is Scotland’s biggest eco-festival, which takes place in the Fife village of Falkland in July. It’s been voted one of the Top Ten Folk Festivals in the UK and has environmental stewardship at its heart. It attracts around 10,000 visitors from both its local area and further afield, including overseas.
Black Isle Brewery to produce its own Big Tent Brew made from barley grown in Falkland. The Big Tent makes the most of the link between the unspoilt nature of Scotland’s environment and the quality of the food and drink we produce. You can find more information at www.bigtentfestival.co.uk
The festival site encompasses six different areas – the Music Stage, Wood Zone, Body & Soul Zone, Talk Tent, Children’s Zone, and a Food Village. The Food Village houses 20 exhibitors, who have to meet stringent criteria. They must offer high quality produce; they must be based in or around Fife; they must follow sound environmental practices; and they must use recyclable materials for packing and serving their food and drink at the festival. The result is that visitors to The Big Tent can enjoy local delicacies like organic beef from Falkland Estate, venison from Fletchers of Auchtermuchty, Lucky Ales from Cupar, and ice cream from Nether Pratis Farm. The Food Village also incorporates food demos, tastings and Slow Food workshops and, new for 2009, the festival has joined forces with the organic
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Tasteful Events
Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) is one of Europe’s most prestigious conference venues, hosting events that attract Royalty, Politicians, Senior Businesspeople and Academics from all over the world.
from Lanarkshire and Oatcakes from Fife – a particular favourite of The Princess Royal apparently. Innovations have ranged from introducing stalls of Scottish fruit at conference breakout sessions to creating wholly sustainably sourced Gala Dinner menus
This is a very demanding clientele who expect the best international standards in all areas, including food and drink.
One of the results is that Leith’s have been judged “Best Food and Beverage Supplier to the Meeting and Incentive Travel Industry” in both 2007 and 2008.
Catering is managed by Leith’s at the EICC, who have risen to the challenge by implementing a policy of proactive local sourcing of seasonal Scottish produce.
You can find out more at www.eicc.co.uk
Chef Iain McLean says, “Sourcing locally makes sense to us with all of the great ingredients that we have on our doorstep. We take enormous pride in showing off the wonderful foodstuffs that Scotland produces and many clients have told us that our policies have influenced their decision to come to the EICC. What’s more, these policies help to make us environmentally friendly by reducing food miles as well as supporting smaller local suppliers.” At the EICC, you could enjoy Lamb from Perthshire, Beef from Galloway, Fish from Grampian, Cheese
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Tasteful Events
Kirkintilloch Canal Festival The Forth & Clyde Canal runs through the heart of Kirkintilloch, which calls itself the official Canal Capital of Scotland.
the Council decided to work together to bring the market to the event. David Gear of East Dunbartonshire Council says, “Working with the farmers’ market enables us to expand the economic benefits of the Canal Festival by encouraging and supporting local trade. We hope that people who come to the Festival will subsequently come back to Kirkintilloch for the monthly farmers’ market, giving us greater yearround benefits from the event.”
The Kirkintilloch Canal Festival started in 2000 as a small open day and has grown into the largest canal based event in Scotland. The Festival is a celebration of Kirkintilloch’s history, heritage and traditions and attracted 27,000 visitors in 2008. The Festival is organised by East Dunbartonshire Council in association with a large number of partners including British Waterways and the Forth & Clyde Canal Society. It includes re-enactments, live music, processions, art exhibitions, try out sessions on canoes and yachts, and canal boat trips, including themed Wine Tasting and Ghosts and Ghouls trips.
The full story of Kirkintilloch Canal Festival can be found at www.kirkintillochcanalfestival.org
Kirkintilloch boasts of establishing Scotland’s first mid-week farmers’ market, which is held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month and attracts producers from across Central Scotland. These producers liked the idea of exposure to the thousands of visitors to the Canal Festival, whilst the Canal Festival liked the idea of being able to offer visitors good quality local produce to eat and drink. So the farmers’ market co-operative and
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Tasteful Events
Scottish Traditional Boat Festival Over the past 16 years, the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival has grown from a small, local one-day event to a major international celebration that draws up to 20,000 visitors. It takes place in early July in the picturesque village of Portsoy on the Moray Firth. In 2009, it plans to mark the year of Homecoming by extending to a four-day event for the first time.
The success of the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival has enabled the organisers to restore the Portsoy Salmon Bothy and operate it as a museum and genealogy centre that helps to support year-round tourism in the area. A real case of an event creating long-term community benefits. For more information about the Festival, log on to www.scottishtraditionalboatfestival.co.uk
People come to explore their roots and heritage and to enjoy crafts, music, song, dance and art. 20,000 people is a lot of hungry people looking to be fed and the Festival organisers realised at an early stage that it represented a major opportunity to showcase the food and drink of North East Scotland. The Festival incorporates a Food Fayre, which started over 10 years ago with 5 stalls and has now expanded to around 30 exhibitors, who feature the best of the area’s fish, meat, confectionary, cheese and drink. The Food Fayre has led to a close working relationship with local seafood company, Downies of Whitehills, who are now one of the Festival’s sponsors. There are also 10 catering outlets spread around the Festival and all caterers are specifically asked to use Scottish ingredients. So, as well as beautiful and historic traditional boats, visitors to the Festival can also taste and buy a great range of delicious food and drink.
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Tasteful Events Some Tastes from Abroad
Scotland isn’t the only country in the world that’s proud of its food and drink and aims to showcase it through events and festivals. they have composed. But food plays its part too – the fiesta gets underway with the “Erizada” – a traditional tasting of sea urchins. Across the pond, the Merritt Mountain Music Festival is a major annual country music event held in British Columbia. It attracts the top stars of country music, but hosts a Breakfast Buffet for three hours every morning to feed campers good local food and showcase, lesser-known local talent. A great way to start the day. On the other side of the world, the Hobart Summer Festival started life as a celebration of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. In 1988, it established The Taste of Tasmania as an element within the festival. It’s now widely considered to be the heart of the festival with more than 70 stalls that attract over 200,000 visitors and showcase Tasmania’s restaurants, wineries and kitchens.
In Germany, you’ll find over 500 annual wine festivals along the Rhine, and a further 300 along the Mosel. These usually include processions, traditional singing and dancing and some serious eating of classic German fare, as well as local specialities like cheese noodles and savoury dumplings. There’s even one that focuses on fresh asparagus when it‘s in season – delicious with the local white wines.
No matter where you go in the world, you’ll find proof of peoples’ growing appetite for local food and drink.
In Italy, the Viareggio Carnival attracts over 1 million spectators to see a succession of masked parades featuring giant papier-mâché floats, some of which weigh up to 40 tons! Local bars and restaurants join in the fun by holding masked carnival parties to celebrate. Spain’s Cadiz Carnaval is primarily about street musicians who move through the city’s historic quarter singing ballads, tangos and satirical songs
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Flavours of Scottish Food and Drink
Scottish food and drink comes in many forms, some weel kent, some less well known. Here are just a few examples of our finest national produce. Beers
Meats
As well as our older, established brewers, there are now over 40 craft breweries stretching from the Northern Isles and the Hebrides to the Borders.
Scotch beef and lamb are world famous and we’re inventive with tasty local specialities like Ayrshire Bacon, Stornoway Black Pudding and, of course, Haggis!
Cereals Seafood
We enjoy our cereals in a bewildering number of ways from porridge to Scotch Broth to oatcakes, with 50% of our spring barley crop going into the whisky industry.
We catch more langoustines than any country in the world, our salmon is renowned, and our fish and seafood command top prices across Europe.
Cheeses
Vegetables
Cheese making in Scotland dates back to the 8th century. Today, there are over two dozen artisan cheesemakers across the country.
Scotland produces tons of vegetables every year – more than a million tonnes of the humble tattie, which comes into its own in dishes like stovies and clapshot.
Fruits Whisky
We produce over 7,000 tonnes of raspberries and strawberries each year and have apple and pear growing traditions that stretch back to the middle ages.
Our national drink. Famed around the world and perhaps the best-known Scottish export. And export it we do – 90% of our whisky production goes overseas.
Liqueurs and Wines Dozens of companies produce innovative and imaginative liqueurs and fruit wines that complement a tasty Scottish dinner or are great on their own. 25
Our Top Ten National Dishes
We all have our own favourite Scottish dish. But what are the favourites across the whole nation?
Arthur Bell, the Chairman of Food Trust Scotland, commented, “Of all the votes, raspberries in cream with heather honey, oatmeal and a dram, otherwise known as Cranachan, surpassed everything. It is clearly Scotland’s favourite food, polling an incredible 41% of the votes, with three times as many nominations as haggis”.
The Food Trust Scotland decided to find out by issuing questionnaires at events, food shops, garden centres and restaurants across the country. Over 6,000 people nominated their favourites to be included in a Top Ten of our national dishes (and thankfully, deep fried Mars Bars didn’t receive a single vote!)
While some well loved favourites missed out on the Top Ten, the Food Trust Scotland were amazed to receive nominations for premium dishes such as monkfish, oyster and rhubarb curry and grasshopper ice cream. Scottish cuisine is obviously continuing to evolve!
Our top ten favourites include starters, main courses and desserts, demonstrating the range and versatility of Scottish produce. So, without further ado, here are Scotland’s Top Ten National Dishes, as voted by the people of Scotland.
While we may be familiar with many of the dishes in our National Top Ten, some will seem very unusual and exotic to many of our visitors. Imagine how much more they will enjoy tasting new flavours made from fresh local produce when they know they are sampling one of Scotland’s Top Ten National Dishes.
1 Cranachan with Raspberries 2 Aberdeen Angus Beef 3 Smoked Salmon
You can find recipes for all of Scotland’s Top Ten National Dishes, as well as information about the work of the Food Trust Scotland, at their website at www.thefoodtrustscotland.org.uk
4 Scotch Broth 5 Venison Casserole 6 Haggis, Neeps and Tatties 7 Farmhouses Cheeses and Oatcakes 8 Roast Lamb 9 Clootie Dumpling 10 Baked Salmon 26
Meet the Producers The people who produce Scotland’s food and drink are as varied as the produce they grow or manufacture. all the different types of Scottish producers in a guide like this. However, here are profiles of just a few examples to give you a flavour of the types of people and businesses who could help your event.
There’s about 350,000 of them in total, working in different environments from open fields and hillsides to city factories and processing plants. It’s impossible to give comprehensive details of
Bouvrage Bouvrage is a range of award-winning, natural berry drinks made by Ella Drinks Ltd of Alloa, which was set up by Anne Thomson and John Gallagher in 1998. They use raspberries and blaeberries to create delicious sparkling and still drinks that are sold through outlets across Scotland including farmers’ markets and events like Taste of Edinburgh and Dundee Food and Flower Festival. Anne says, “People are increasingly aware of the healthy eating agenda and there’s few things healthier than berries. Our drinks offer Scotland’s most famous fruit in liquid form and give visitors a natural taste of our country. They have proven particularly popular at events and functions as an alternative to the same old non-alcoholic drinks like coke or orange juice”. Find out more at www.bouvrage.com
Deeside Brewery Deeside Brewery was set up in the village of Lumphanan in 2006 by Rob James, who started brewing 200 bottles of beer a week in his croft. He has since expanded to producing 6,000 pints a week in a purpose built brewery. His beers draw on local history. The most popular are Macbeth Ale, named after the Scottish king who was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan, and Brude Ale, named after a Pictish king and brewed with local Alford oatmeal. The brewery is also involved in event organising. Rob is working with other local Deeside businesses to set up the first Macbeth Fest as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations. This will be a 4 day event in May with activities, dancing, music, re-enactments and, of course, beer. You can find out more about Deeside Brewery at www.deesidebrewery.co.uk 27
Meet the Producers Haggis ‘n’ Neeps
Haggis ‘n’ Neeps is a company that brings our national dish to events across the length and breadth of Scotland. The man behind it is Mark Shaw, who explained, “I used to work abroad and I was sitting in a pub in France one day when a couple said – why don’t you give us a wee Scottish party? I made haggis and neeps and 50 people turned up!"
Inspired by this, Mark returned home and set up the company, which goes to all sorts of events from T in the Park to Highland Games. Mark notes that all types of people enjoy haggis ‘n’ neeps, but young people are most likely to have never tried them. He offers free samples to persuade them of the folly of their ways. He also has a rather addictive on-line Haggis Hurling game on his website. Try it at www.haggis-n-neeps.co.uk
Speyside Organics
Jim says, “Scottish beef and lamb has an international reputation for quality and there is growing interest in organic produce. We find that visitors from outside Scotland like the idea of being able to taste good quality Scottish meat in the very place it comes from. When they see our beautiful countryside, it inspires them to enjoy what it produces.”
Jim and Celia Fraser have farmed cattle and sheep in the hills of Moray for over 20 years. 10 years ago they converted to organic farming to provide high quality, farm fresh organic meats at realistic prices. They also offer ready-to-eat, cooked meat, such as hot roast beef on a roll, at events across Scotland.
Find out more at www.speysideorganics.com 28
Need More Help? This guide has outlined a number of potential sources of help, advice and assistance if you are planning or organising an event. There are many others.
As well as national bodies, you are likely to find a lot of assistance available locally.
EventScotland is the national events agency, which works to strengthen and build Scotland’s reputation as a leading destination for major sporting and cultural events. It has produced, “Events Management – A Practical Guide”, whose 243 pages cover all aspects of event planning, organisation, management and marketing. It also includes a helpful list of other contacts and resources that may be of assistance.
Many Local Authorities have dedicated Events Officers who can provide support and guidance and, in some cases, funding. A number of Councils have produced detailed Event Planning Guides that outline all the different things you should think about and give key local contacts. If you want to check if your Local Authority has such a guide, the easiest way is to phone them up and ask, or log on to their website. Most Council websites have a search facility on their home page. Type in “Event Planning” and see what comes up. If your own Council doesn’t have an Event Planning Guide, try your neighbouring areas. What applies in one area is largely relevant to another part of the country.
You can download this free guide from www.eventscotland.org or request it from EventScotland at 5th Floor, Ocean Point One, 94 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JH; 0131 472 2313; or info@eventscotland.org.
One of the most detailed Local Authority guides is “Eventful”, produced by Scottish Borders Council. It includes really helpful checklists and templates for carrying out risk assessments, reporting incidents and conducting daily inspections. You can download it whole or in parts at www.scotborders.gov.uk 29
Need More Help? The Internet is a wonderful thing and there are plenty of websites that will inform, enthuse and encourage you about Scottish food and drink. Here are a few suggestions: • www.foodtourismscotland.com The Food Tourism Scotland project aims to highlight the opportunities in the fast growing culinary tourism sector and provides information and guidance for tourism operators. It’s website contains recipes, food facts, tips, news and success stories. • www.eatscotland.com This is VisitScotland’s official visitors’ website for food & drink. It hosts information on great places to eat and drink as well as information on our produce, producers, food & drink visitor attractions as well as food & drink events, trips and trails. For eating & drinking establishments the focus is towards businesses who have gained an EatScotland Quality Assurance accreditation, earned by businesses who meet set high standards when inspected by an external assessor. So visitors can be assured of an excellent quality meal when dining in these establishments. • www.whatsonyourplate.co.uk The National Farmers Union Scotland campaign to raise awareness of Scottish food and farming. The website includes recipes and a Directory of Local Producers broken down by region. • www.whyorganic.org This Soil Association site provides information about organic food and the benefits of eating it. • www.eatwell.gov.uk A Food Standards Agency website with a lot of information on topics such as healthy diets, food labelling and keeping food safe. • www.extramilescotland.co.uk This idiosyncratic site posts visitors’ comments and recommendations on places they visit in Scotland. You’ll be amazed at how many involve food and drink! • www.tripadvisor.com Probably the most visited tourism website in the world comprising peoples’ recommendations (and complaints) about the places they visit. Search under “Scottish Food & Drink” and see what people from all around the world say about us.
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This guide has been produced by the organisations outlined below. Thanks are due to all the companies and individuals who provided information and assistance. Photographs are courtesy of VisitScotland/ScottishViewpoint, Scotland Food & Drink, Perth and Kinross Council and the businesses and organisations featured in this guide. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of all information in this guide, which is based on details supplied in good faith. The editors cannot accept responsibility for any changes, errors or omissions. This guide will be updated on a regular basis. If you have any comments or suggestions for new content, or want to tell us about your experience so this can be built into future editions, please contact The Tourism Innovation Group at www.tourisminnovation.com
EUROPE & SCOTLAND
Homecoming Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative European Regional Development Fund Investing in your Future managed by EventScotland in partnership with VisitScotland.