Six food and drink wholesale businesses in the north and Shetland hit by covid restrictions were allocated funding worth over £760,000 by the Scottish Government.
The businesses were among 40 eligible firms across Scotland that were awarded a total of £5.37m from the Scottish wholesale food and drink resilience fund.
The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) had flagged that businesses supporting the hospitality supply chain hadn’t received the same benefits as many businesses such as rates relief or other grants.
In response to this the Scottish Government allocated more funding for wholesale food and drink suppliers in December as part of the £8m supply chain funding from its £100m Omicron business support package.
The application process opened up in January and successful companies were determined by a panel made up of individuals from the Scottish Government’s food & drink policy division, the SWA and an independent representative from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society.
Rural minister Mairi Gougeon said: “This government remains firm in its commitment to support food and drink wholesalers who have been hit disproportionately by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The wholesale food and drink resilience fund has had a very positive response and I am pleased that 40 Scottish businesses will now benefit from it.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in making this fund a success and we will continue to work closely with the sector and provide support where appropriate.”
The recipient of the biggest package of support in the north was the Williamson Group which got £332,000. Established in 1957, the family-owned business is based in Inverness with depots in Stornoway and Glasgow. It specialises in providing fresh and chilled food and drink throughout the North of Scotland and western Isles via a fleet of temperature-controlled vehicles.
Sutherland Brothers, which was established in Wick in 1892 as a grocer shop, got £172,088.
Letterfinlay Foods based in Corpach near Fort William supplies hotels and restaurants across the Highlands and Islands with Scottish beef, lamb, venison and game as well as shellfish and traditionally smoked Scottish salmon. It received £40,350.
Three of the businesses awarded support were in Shetland.
JWG, which delivers both Shetland and Orkney with a range of beers, wines and spirits, fresh and frozen meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, general grocery items, catering goods, received £99,618.
The Shetland Freezer and Food Centre in Lerwick was granted £41,239.
Knowles Food Services (Shetland), also in Lerwick, which specialises in suppling fruit and veg to the catering and retail trade across the Shetland Islands, got £75,560.
