SCOTTISH food and drink suppliers have the chance to net a lucrative sales boost by presenting their wares to influential global trade buyers at Gleneagles this week.
Around 150 food and drink buyers from around the world are expected to attend Showcasing Scotland at the five-star Perthshire resort, which runs from today until Friday.
Organisers Scottish Development International, Scotland Food & Drink and Scottish Enterprise hope the event will build on last year’s inaugural showcase.
That is said to have resulted in “additional forecast sales” of up to £20 million for Scottish food and drink producers which took part in the three-day event.
Around 100 of Scotland’s leading suppliers are expected to attend this year’s show, where they will look to impress buyers jetting in from the likes of Hong Kong, China, the Middle East, South East Asia and the US, as well as countries around Europe and other parts of the UK.
Some 1,200 meetings between suppliers and buyers had been pencilled in on the eve of the event, organisers said.
James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food & Drink, said he expects the show to give the industry a “multi-million pound sales boost”.
He said: “Showcasing Scotland is the most important trade event in this year’s food and drink calendar. The scale of the event reflects our ambition to take our £14 billion industry to further success.
"It presents an outstanding business opportunity for some our most innovative, established and emerging food and drink manufacturers.”
Susan Beattie, head of food and drink at Scottish Development International, said: “After a very successful showcase in 2014, we’ve worked hard with our partners to deliver an even bigger and better event for 2015, and the response from UK and international buyers has been terrific.
“The scale of this event illustrates not only the ambition of Scottish companies seeking to target new markets, but also an increasing appetite for Scottish produce which extends far beyond these shores.”
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