Success of Think Local food and drink events
Local crofters, caterers, hoteliers and shop owners have attended meetings throughout the West Highlands to discuss buying and selling local food and drink. These meetings are the first in a series taking place throughout the Highlands over the winter; and are part of a Think Local Highland Food and Drink project being co-ordinated by Sarah Allen and Davie MacLeod on behalf The Highland Council. The project aims to facilitate constructive discussion about what can be done to enable better collaboration in the local food and drink sector.
The Project began in October with the launch of two online surveys – one for producers and the other for buyers of local produce. The surveys aim to find out about business needs and identify barriers to growth for both local producers and those involved in procuring food and drink in the Highlands. The results to date were presented at the meetings in Portree, Fort William and Poolewe but they are by no means complete and those who are involved in producing and buying local food are encouraged to complete a survey
• Survey For Producers
www.surveymonkey.com/s/Highland_Producers_Survey
• For Buyers of local food (B&Bs, hotels, restaurants, cafes, wholesalers, caterers, etc)
www.surveymonkey.com/s/Non_producer_survey
Commenting on the survey results Sarah Allen said: “We have had good response from hoteliers, B&Bs, local shops, restaurants and caterers throughout Highland but we need more people to complete the surveys so that the results are truly representative. So far, it would seem that there is a huge demand for local produce throughout the Highlands with 75% of respondents looking to buy local fruit and vegetables and 60% looking for dairy, eggs, fish, meat and bakery products locally. The survey also reveals that one third of respondents from the retail side said that they did not know what local produce is available.”
From the producers viewpoint Davie MacLeod said: “Seasonality is the greatest issue for most producers in the West Highlands along with identifying markets and business support. The majority of producer businesses are small scale with 1 or 2 employees the norm, and a turnover of less than £15K, so increased collaboration and co-operation are very important going forward. It’s encouraging to see that so far nearly 90% of respondents are keen on some form of local network that involves a wide cross section of the food and drink sector.”
Following an animated discussion at the Poolewe meeting about the commercial difficulties facing small producers in West Highlands, it was agreed that local food can be commercially worthwhile for both producers and retailers; especially as local hotels and restaurants are able to add a premium to locally sourced menus with a good back-story. It was suggested that small producers may be able to address supply and delivery issues by working in small groups to supply local hotels.
Participants at all the meetings acknowledged that in recent years there has been a huge interest in local food, and there is a need for better communications between producers, distributors, wholesalers, and hospitality providers.
North, West and Central Sutherland Councillor, George Farlow who is Vice-Chair of the Council’s Planning, Environment and Development Committee thanked everyone who had come along to take part in the events. He said: “The Highlands are renowned for its top-quality produce and our food and drink is up among the best in the world. We need to ensure that local people and visitors get the chance to enjoy the wide range of high quality food products which are grown and processed in our area. This involves looking at any barriers that exist to open up additional market opportunities, especially in rural areas. Bringing people together is a great chance to find out what the issues are and look at creative ways to work together.”
Further Think Local Highland Food and Drink meetings are to be held in the New Year in Thurso, Dornoch, Lochinver, Dingwall and Grantown and a final report of all the findings to be presented to Highland Council in the Spring.