The downturn in the oil and gas sector has sparked various efforts to promote the other sectors of the north-east to people outwith the region.
And next week’s Royal Highland Show will provide the platform for a special initiative to do just that.
Each year the show’s organisers – the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) – selects a region within Scotland to lead its presidential team. And each year the presidential team is tasked with overseeing an initiative at the society’s four-day Royal Highland Show, which takes place on June 22-25.
The Aberdeen region is at the helm for the 2017 show and Lord Aberdeen of Haddo Estate has been appointed society president.
Together with a team of four vice-presidents, and support from the RHASS directors in the region, Lord Aberdeen devised a plan to promote Aberdeenshire at the show.
His team of four vice-presidents are: Jim Brown, of Holmfield, Fettercairn; Neil Godsman, of Auchlee Farms, Longside, Peterhead; Sir Moir Lockhead, of Glassel Farms, Torphins; and Alastair Macphie, Glenbervie Estate and Farm.
The team has employed Sarah Mackie to oversee the initiative and she has successfully recruited more than 100 companies to take part in a special exhibit at next week’s show.
The exhibit, which is being named The Aberdeenshire Village, gives companies the chance to display their products and services at the event.
The original aim, as set out by Lord Aberdeen, was to allow food, drink and tourism companies the chance to collectively promote their businesses in one place at an affordable cost.
The Aberdeenshire Village, which will be located on the seventh avenue at the show behind Ingliston House and near the President’s Marquee, consists of nine different elements.
Two L-shaped stands flag an entranceway into a seating area complete with a cookery theatre and food outlet.
The cookery demonstration area is being run by catering firm Entier. It will feature a range of demonstrations from chefs in the region including Craig Wilson, also known as The Kilted Chef, from the Eat on The Green restaurant at Udny Green.
A special north-east catering stall – The Farmer’s Grill – will be located beside the cookery theatre.
The Farmer’s Grill is run by Aberdeenshire farmer Andrew Booth, who runs the successful The Store farm shop and cafe at Newburgh, near Ellon.
“He is pulling together all the Aberdeenshire food that can be sold as food to go from bacon and burgers to eggs from Farmlay Eggs at Strichen,” said Ms Mackie.
The Store is also one of 31 companies exhibiting in a farm shop at the exhibit – located in the L-shaped stand to the right of the entrance to the cookery area.
Other companies exhibiting in this section include: the Michie family’s Barra Bronzes turkey business near Oldmeldrum; the Mitchell family’s soft fruit and farm shop business at Castleton, near Laurencekirk; Gregor Mackintosh’s cold-pressed oilseed rape business Mackintosh of Glendaveny, near Peterhead; and well-known ice-cream firm Mackies.
Some relatively new businesses will also make an appearance on the stand. These include meat retailing business Louise’s Farm Kitchen, which is run out of Louise and Ahren Urquhart’s farmhouse kitchen near Banchory, and Bruce and Jane Mackie’s new yoghurt venture, Rora Dairy, at Middleton of Rora near Peterhead.
The farm shop will feature a shop counter displaying produce from all 31 companies, which visitors will have the option to buy, and various tasting stations to allow shoppers the chance to try before they buy.
Three other sections will be located in the L-shaped stand with the farm shop. These are for arts and crafts, breweries and distilleries, and golf.
The other L-shaped stand will house three elements – a Visit Aberdeenshire exhibit, representing various businesses, mainly tourism, from the region; a National Trust of Scotland exhibit to showcase the region’s castles and stately homes; and a display of antiques with roots in the north-east from George Pirie’s Tower Antiques business.
Ms Mackie said: “The over-arching aim is to drive trade back to Aberdeenshire after the show. While we want the four days of the show to be a real success we also want these businesses to succeed as a consequence of the show.
“We want to raise awareness of Aberdeenshire to folk that don’t live in the area to get them to come and see what a great place it is to visit, and also for people from the area to remember what’s on their doorstep.”
She said the initiative would be evident throughout the show with special Explore Aberdeenshire flags, posters and banners.
These banners, which have been created with supports from ice-cream giant Mackies, will be given to exhibitors from the region to display on their stand.
A special leaflet will also be made available outlining the details of every company taking part in the Aberdeenshire Village exhibit.
