2
Music festivals don’t tend to be associated in most people’s minds with good food, let alone with healthy eating. But a group of local food producers from Argyll and the Islands are hoping to change all that.
At events across the country, Food from Argyll are bringing a taste of the west coast of Scotland to new audiences with great-tasting, freshly prepared dishes. They recently attended RockNess, T in the Park and Belladrum music festivals, where they were selling a range of fresh, local products – from roast beef and salmon rolls to kippers, cheeses and vegetarian dishes. This is the kind of initiative that chimes well with the aims of Scotland's Year of Food and Drink. The year seeks to ensure more people – both residents and visitors – are aware of and can enjoy Scotland's top quality produce. Certainly, the food and drink industry is a key sector of Scotland's economy. It generates over £9.5 billion per year for Scotland and employs more than 360,000 people, from farmers and fishermen to shop assistants and waiters. These jobs are often in fragile rural and coastal areas. But more than that, the importance we attach to our food and drink reflects its significance to our health and wellbeing, its contribution to our environment and the strong role it has played in shaping Scotland’s cultural identity and heritage. And the distinct food and drink that’s nurtured in Scotland has a global reputation. In a recent worldwide study, the International Culinary Tourism Association acknowledged Scotland as one of the most 'unique, memorable and interesting places' for food and drink on the planet. The Year of Food and Drink is looking to build on this recognition by showcasing the best of authentic Scottish
www.snh.gov.uk
cuisine and encouraging more use of local, fresh and seasonal produce across the tourism industry. People are undoubtedly more concerned about what they’re eating, where it comes from and how it’s produced. And the way that food is grown and produced has an obvious reliance on the quality of the environment and landscape. To that end, SNH are working with Argyll Food Producers to create information and advice for producers on successful ways of marketing the biodiversity that connects premium food and drink products with environmental quality. The Argyll Food Producers is a cooperative of seven food producers including Barbreck Farms, a cattle and sheep farm producing its own beef and lamb products; Winston Churchill Wild Venison, game dealers and producers; Bumble, makers of hand-made puddings; and Loch Fyne Oysters, the seafood business. Fergus Younger, of the Argyll and Bute Agricultural
Forum, helped create the cooperative and is keen to encourage people in Scotland to experience the great produce on their doorstep. He thinks events like music festivals are a perfect vehicle for spreading the message to an audience that might otherwise be off the radar. “Our main message is about promoting Argyll and the isles as a good food producer and good food destination,” he says. “There are lots of foodie events that are just preaching to the converted. But events like RockNess and T in the Park are reaching a really big audience that may not come into contact with this sort of message otherwise.”
9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68