Scots farmers are teaming up with discount retailer Aldi to urge shoppers to buy more Scottish and British produce.
NFU Scotland has organised a series of events at Aldi stores across the country where farmers will meet with the public to promote Scotland’s larder.
The first event takes place in the north-east on Saturday, January 30, at the Links Road store in Aberdeen, while a Highlands event will take place on Saturday, February 20, at the Friars Bridge store in Inverness.
Other events are planned for Dumfries, Prestwick and Oban.
Farmers will be on hand to give shoppers samples of Scottish beef, lamb, chicken, cheese, yoghurt and chutney.
According to the union’s president, Allan Bowie, the tasting events have been organised to not only encourage shoppers to buy Scottish but to show retailers the value of stocking home-produced food and drink.
He praised Aldi for stocking 100% Scotch beef and lamb, but said other retailers needed to do more to support the Scottish farming sector.
“It is positive that some retailers are making good progress in the way they source and promote Scottish produce but there is still a lot of room for most of our big supermarket chains to step up,” said Mr Bowie.
“NFU Scotland has worked tirelessly with other unions to encourage support for Scottish and British produce across retail and food service sectors. As we go into 2016, we need these companies to increase their commitment to work with the farming industry to underline the quality of our produce and improve our resilience.”
The union’s livestock committee chairman, Charlie Adam, who farms at Braeside, Cushnie, Alford, said the events provided farmers with a fantastic opportunity to speak to the public about the importance of backing Scottish farming.
He said: “We have a great story to tell with some of the best food in the world. We need to get out there and sell it to the customers on our doorstep.
“The events are across all commodities and we will be showing the public the width and depth of produce coming from Scotland. From cheese to chops, Scottish farmers are working all year round to produce the best.”