A two-pronged thrust to take forward the Scottish food scene has emerged.
First, during Scotland Food & Drink Fortnight, it was announced that the Government's target, set in 2009, of increasing annual exports of food and drink to £5 billion by 2017 had already been exceeded – and replaced by one of £7.1bn. This, said James Withers, of Scottish Food & Drink (SF&D) means food and drink could soon rival oil and gas as our biggest export.
Withers, ceo of SF&D, said: "The 50% growth in whisky exports and 63% increase in food exports since 2007 make us ambitious for even greater success. Our culinary footprint is growing. If we ensure we have the right environment here for businesses to grow and increase production, alongside a truly united approach from government and industry, I believe we can hit the new target of £7.1bn over the next six years. Doing so would mean we will have almost doubled our export trade in food and drink in a decade."
Last year whisky exports were worth a record £4.23bn (23% up on 2010), while food exports reached a record £1.16bn.
The top three export markets are France, Ireland and Spain. Markets in the Middle East and Asia are growing strongly, with 44% increases in Singapore and China.
But there's a local food movement operating in tandem with this outward focus, with a mission to get Scottish people to reconnect with local food by growing it and eating it.
The Blasda local food festival (launched by Mike Small, author of the Fife Diet Food Manifesto with the idea of finding out what each part of Scotland "tastes like") is in its second year, and is seeing events throughout September in places such as Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, and Possil, in Glasgow.
It was estimated that 6600 people took part in 2011. This year's Blasda saw a "culture kitchen" recipe tour, and was linked with the Fife Diet's food seed truck, which tours the country with workshops.
Glasgow took part for the first time, via the Glasgow Local Food Network which held activities at the Briggait before a three-course Local Food Feast provided by the Glasgow Locavore group. The Maryhill Community Central Hall's 35th anniversary party next week will include a Blasda.
"Blasda is a celebration of food sovereignty," said Small. "It's about the right of peoples to healthy, culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sustainable methods, and the right to define their own food and agricultural systems."
The Scottish Government supported the creation of www.growyourownscotland.info to help Scots get in touch with their food roots, while the Fife Diet is supported by the Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund. In parliament last week, environment minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "There are strong links between food production and the impact of climate change and we want local communities to be part of the solution. That's why our Climate Challenge Fund provides commu-nities with more than £10m each year."
But Scotland could sell the unique prov-enance of its food more strongly, says Roy Brett, chef-patron of Edinburgh restaurant Ondine and culinary director of Loch Fyne Oysters. He said: "We could do as Ireland does with its West Cork Food Festival and invite chefs from all over the world to come to Scotland and cook and eat in different locations. They might really learn why our scallops are the best in the world, and why we cook our Cullen Skink the way we do."
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