Scotland Food & Drink

Sonja Mitchell is the founder of one of our member organisations, Jump Ship Brewing Ltd. 🍻 Find out more about their fantastic business journey below 👇

There is only one day left to secure your early-bird tickets for The Excellence Summit! 🎟 📅 Date: 9 October 📌 Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, Glasgow The Excellence Summit combines our annual conference with our coveted Excellence Awards, offering a full day and evening of networking opportunities you won’t want to miss. During the day at our conference, we'll be discussing 'Success Strategies for Sustainable Growth' - a day packed with invaluable insights, engaging discussions, insightful speakers, and unparalleled networking opportunities. In the evening, stay with us to celebrate Scotland's finest in the food and drink industry, recognising the remarkable businesses, individuals and products that set the standard for excellence. For over two decades, our Excellence Awards have brought together the finest Scottish producers with key decision makers and influencers across the industry, and this year is no exception. Find out more and secure your early-bird tickets by tomorrow (28 August). 🎟 You have the option to buy tickets for the whole day, conference only or awards only. https://lnkd.in/e7pgtBHG

Maximise Your Retail Strategy – Tesco Speaker Announcement! We are delighted to announce that James Lamont, Lead Buying Manager for Tesco's Local Sourcing function, will be a speaker at our event next month. 📅 Date: 17 September 📌 Location: The Pavilion, Royal Highland Centre With over two decades of retail experience, James has built his career at some of the UK’s leading brands, starting at Curry’s and Three before joining Tesco, the nation's largest retailer, in 2010. Throughout his tenure at Tesco, James has held key roles in store management, customer engagement, and both local and national category buying. Currently, he leads Tesco’s Local Sourcing function across Scotland, England, and Wales, collaborating with businesses of all sizes to drive growth and adapt to the evolving demands of local consumers. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights from a retail expert. Secure your tickets today - registration closes on 10 September! 🎟 https://lnkd.in/eZ4YbJmU

Good employers attract good people. The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership has a free Toolkit to help businesses of all sizes with: ✔Attracting skill ✔Recruitment ✔Induction ✔Retention ✔Development Find out more ➡ https://bit.ly/TK-launch #SFDSkills #FeedingWorkforceSkills #AFutureInFood

Searching for your next role? 👀 We're looking for a Senior Brand & Communications Manager to join our dynamic team. In this role, you'll take the lead in crafting and executing impactful communication and marketing strategies. The position is key to driving membership engagement, supporting our events programme, and reinforcing our industry leadership - all with the goal of securing, sustaining, and growing Scotland’s vibrant food and drink sector. Don't miss out - learn more and apply by 13 September! 👇 https://lnkd.in/eMvwdW_X

Sponsor The Excellence Awards 2024 💫 Central to everything we do at Scotland Food & Drink is partnership and collaboration. The Excellence Awards are no exception. We are extremely grateful for the support of our sponsors and partners who help make the awards a success. For over 10 years, Asda has sponsored our Excellence Awards. This year, we're delighted that they're the headline sponsor for both the conference and awards elements of The Excellence Summit. We're also pleased to share the following companies will be joining us as sponsors this year - Frame, NielsenIQ, Dentons, The Boxshop Ltd, The Food and Drink Federation, The Grocer, NFU Mutual, Quality Meat Scotland, Seafood Scotland, The Rowett Institute, Palletforce Ltd, Levercliff - Certified B Corp™️, Scottish Bakers and Isle of Barra Distillers Ltd. Thank you to all sponsors for their support, it's fantastic to have you all on board! Are you interested in sponsoring a category? Find out more and get in touch with the team today 👇 https://lnkd.in/eRh5k39t #EA2024

Maximise Your Retail Strategy – Kantar Speaker Announcement! We are excited to announce that Lesley Ann Gray, Kantar's Strategic Insight Director for the Scottish food and drink industry will be joining us at our upcoming event. Lesley Ann brings a wealth of experience to the table, having joined Kantar Worldpanel in 2018 as the Strategic Lead for Scotland. With over 30 years of expertise in the Scottish food and drink sector, she has partnered with businesses of all sizes - alongside retailers, the public sector, and academic institutions - to decode shopper behaviour and drive growth. Don't miss this unique opportunity to gain cutting-edge insights that will help you future-proof your commercial strategy. Stay ahead of the competition by learning from the best in the business! Buy your tickets now and secure your place at this must-attend event. 🎟 https://lnkd.in/eZ4YbJmU

Regional Food Fund Success Stories: Forth Valley Food Tales 📽 To mark the 900th anniversary of the Royal Burgh of Stirling, Forth Valley Food and Drink has launched a series of four captivating short documentaries that delve into the lesser-known stories of Stirling’s rich food and drink heritage. Funded our Regional Food Fund, the films uncover a range of unexpected tales, including: ➡ Kippen’s Grape Legacy: Discover Kippen’s claim to fame as the home of the world’s largest grapevine. ➡ Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Cure: Learn how a medicinal posset restored Bonnie Prince Charlie’s health at Bannockburn House. ➡ Stirling’s Secret Pies: Explore the mysterious symbols found on Stirling’s historic pies. ➡ The Stirling Jug: Learn about the Stirling or Scots pint, the burgh’s oldest surviving object. ➡ Scotland’s Smallest Whisky Distillery: Uncover the royal connections of Scotland’s smallest whisky distillery. ➡ Stirling Castle’s Epic Feasts: Relive the elaborate three-day feasts at Stirling Castle, featuring Scotland’s first fireworks display. Find out more about this exciting project and watch three of the documentaries today - the forth is coming very soon! 👀 https://lnkd.in/eGWtEiBw Applications for our latest round of the fund close on 30 August - don't miss out! Pictured: Stirling Makar, Laura Fyfe.

Maximise Your Retail Strategy – Speaker Announcement! We are thrilled to announce that industry experts from the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) will be joining us for this event: Graham McLean, Commercial Manager; Rhian Thomas, Head of UK Insight; and Patrick Mitchell-Fox, Senior Business Analyst. Graham McLean joined IGD after a twenty-year career in commercial and team leadership roles, representing brands as varied as Lucozade, Jeyes Fluid and Nurofen. Graham’s focus is on connecting IGD insight and commercial skills with the food and consumer goods industry. He speaks on industry platforms and facilitates industry panels Rhian Thomas leads IGD’s UK insight team exploring shopper, retail developments and eating out. An expert in both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Rhian regularly presents at external events showcasing the latest industry and market developments. Patrick Mitchell-Fox is responsible for developing and delivering UK research outputs across a range of topics. His particular focus is on convenience and wholesaling but brings with him a wealth of experience after over 20 years of working for IGD. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to accelerate your retail strategy and gain valuable insights into the key trends shaping grocery trading! Find out more and secure your tickets today 🎟 https://lnkd.in/eZ4YbJmU

We’re excited to announce that Helen Wallace, our UK Market Development Manager at Scotland Food & Drink, and Iain Clunie, Programme Director at Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Net Zero Commitment, will be joining us for the 'Sustainability Matters' session at The Excellence Summit. Helen brings over 25 years of experience in the food and drink industry, including 12 years with Waitrose. She leverages her extensive expertise to collaborate with key buying organisations, focusing on building sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships that drive the growth of Scottish food and drink across the UK. In 2024, Helen has teamed up with Iain Clunie from the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Net Zero Commitment. Together, they’re engaging with Net Zero and Environmental Sustainability leads at major retailers and key food service operators to better understand their expectations from suppliers. With more than 35 years of experience, Iain previously managed the Food Systems and Bioeconomy team at Zero Waste Scotland, where he led efforts to reduce food waste across the supply chain. In his current role, he serves as a crucial link between policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders, advocating for a sustainable food and drink industry in Scotland and beyond. Join us in welcoming Helen and Iain to The Excellence Summit! Don’t miss out - there’s only one week left to secure your tickets at our early bird price. Get yours today 👇 https://lnkd.in/eSFfxRpm