A major cash boost worth almost £100,000 has been served-up to Scotland’s local food and drink sector.
A total of 21 projects will each receive a slice of £95,550 from the Connect Local Regional Food Fund, a grant designed to support growth in Scotland’s regional food and drink industries.
Among the initiatives which will benefit are Lerwick fish market, the Taste of Orkney food festival, the Speyside Producer’s Market and the Outer Hebrides Food Tourism Strategy.
Also receiving cash will be a campaign to establish a food and drink network in the Highlands.
As part of the scheme, which is delivered by the Scottish food and drink marketing service Connect Local and supported by the Scottish Government, applicants can apply for grants of up to £5,000.
Since 2018, the fund has awarded £355,327 to 78 different projects all around Scotland.
Edgar Balfour, the project manager of Orkney Food and Drink, said he was delighted to secure £5,000 of the funding for the upcoming Taste of Orkney festival this September, which he is organising.
The event, which will take place from September 25 to 27 throughout Orkney, will seek to highlight the wealth of local produce made on the islands.
Mr Balfour said: “Without funding like this, we would simply not be able to have the festival at the scale we are planning, so this money really will make a huge difference.
“We’re hoping to have a fairly high-profile celebrity chef, demonstrations of oyster shucking, local stalls showing off local food and drink and much more.
“There really hasn’t been a festival like this in Orkney for decades.”
Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon, who is also the MSP for Angus North and Mearns, announced the funding during a visit to the IJ Mellis cheesemonger in Edinburgh.
On her visit, she met representatives from the Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland group, a network of manufacturers and other professionals dedicated to growing the Scottish cheese industry.
Ms Gougeon said: “I have been hugely impressed by the standard and range of food and drink initiatives across Scotland.
“Innovative projects like these not only help local economies grow, they also promote the importance of locally produced food and drink, and the environmental benefits of sourcing produce close to home.
“This fund helps collaborative groups such as Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland create new opportunities for small businesses and producers and promotes Scotland’s world-leading food and drink centre.”
