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Growing Our Own Energy

Long before the oil and gas sector made the North-east famous for its energy industry, the area gained a reputation for producing energy of a different kind - the kind which fuels all of us. Today, the food and drink industry is still one of our strongest economic pillars.

The richness and diversity of the North-east's food and drink sector truly does make it Scotland's larder and the door to its contents will be thrown open next month at the 10th annual Taste of Grampian festival.

The area's reputation for fine food and drink is global whether it be the whisky distilled from the cool clear waters of its rivers, the fish which are harvested in the North Sea, or the livestock which is raised on the finest farming land in the UK.

The day-long festival at the Thainstone Centre on June 6 is the opportunity for the North-east's food and drink producers to give the public the chance to taste and buy their produce and the chairman of the steering group, Brian Pack, says all the ingredients are there for a great day.

"This will be a true celebration of the North-east's rich and diverse food larder," he said. "Taste of Grampian has grown well beyond our wildest dreams over the last 10 years. It is now a must attend event for thousands of food enthusiasts and this year we'll be doing our very best to ensure we mark our 10th birthday in style.

"We will again be taking two well-known celebrity chefs to Taste of Grampian. Phil Vickery, who made a huge impression on his previous visit, is returning to the North-east.

"We're also looking forward to welcoming for the first time the nation's favourite French chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli. "

Mr Pack said the involvement of the celebrity chefs had been key to the event's success with those who had attended over the last decade telling their colleagues how impressed they have been.

The North-east is the main producer of food and drink in Scotland and its importance to the local economy was stressed by Sara Budge, Director Company Growth, Innovation and Commercial, Scottish Enterprise, who said:

"Food and drink is an important industry across the whole of Scotland. The 1,200 companies in the processing sector alone generate around £7.6bn in turnover, contributing £3bn (gross value added) to the Scottish economy.

"The North-east in particular makes a key contribution to the national picture with strong red meat and fish processing sectors. Aberdeenshire is also home to key companies which manage to blend tradition and careful management of their surrounding natural environment with successful innovation and growth. These include companies such as Mackies, Deans of Huntly and Macphie of Glenbervie.

"The region is also home to world class researchers in food, health and nutrition at the Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health at Aberdeen University, who aim to help companies across Scotland to develop a stronger understanding about the links between food and health and create new, healthier products.

"A recent example is the collaboration between the Rowett Institute, Macphie and the bakers JG Ross, to create bread with a higher oat content which could help with the management of diabetes.

"The North-east shows an excellent balance between the production of high quality, natural raw materials such as fish, oats and red meat and an innovative processing sector - supported by the research base - which is continually improving the quality and health benefits of the food and drink we consume."

Elizabeth Mathie, Grampian Food Forum, coordinator, explained how part of the success of North-east food companies is down to their willingness to work together.

She said what is now the Forum was launched 16 years ago when companies like Dean's of Huntly, Baxters, Walkers and Mackies gathered together with the councils and the enterprise companies in the area to capitalise on opportunities to export and to make inroads to the major stores.

These companies all now enjoy major success but are still involved in the Forum as a new generation emerges to follow the same path to prosperity.

"I liaise with the industry and put programmes and projects in place which they say are going to help the companies grow and prosper," she said. "That boils down to networking and collaboration.

"I can approach the buyer for Sainsbury's to arrange a meeting with a range of firms where one individual company might have difficulty making contact on its own."

She said one of their most successful events is a regular dining club at which local producers sit down with local hoteliers and chefs.

"They come along for a nice dinner and we leave it up to them who they want to speak to. We know it has a significant impact with producers able to arrange meetings later which could lead to more local goods on the menus.

"In the nearly 20 years since it started some of the small companies have grown to be medium to large well established businesses and we are finding now there are a lot of smaller businesses with potential which need to go through the same process and maybe they will start looking at export markets and perhaps they will want to supply Tesco nationwide rather than just local stores."