Fife's food and drink businesses to showcase at Scotland's speciality food show

Twelve Fife-based businesses are taking part in Scotland’s Speciality Food Show in Glasgow in January 2022, as part of a ‘Tastes of Fife’ showcase, including Fife Chamber members Pittenweem Preserves, Growers Garden and Ecobean.

The businesses are taking part on a dedicated exhibition stand, led by Fife Council Economic Development’s Trade Development Programme, aimed at supporting local food and drink businesses to promote their food and drink offerings to visitors.

Scotland’s Speciality Food Show has proved fruitful for the region in previous years, and there’s excitement amongst the businesses to be promoting their products face-to-face and building new contacts, once again.

Tayport Distillery’s Director, Kecia McDougall is looking forward to attending. She commented:

“The Trade Development Programme has supported us throughout our journey as a small business. It has provided access to market opportunities and events that would have not otherwise been possible. With such a difficult year behind us, we are looking forward to being part of the ‘Tastes of Fife’ showcase and promoting our products directly to visitors."

Also joining the ‘Tastes of Fife’ exhibition showcase is The Little Herb Farm including The Whisky Sauce Co, Rumburra, Bplasticfree, The Roasting Project, Pittenweem Preserves, The Wee Tea Company, Grain and Sustain, Ecobean Coffee Roasters, East Neuk Salt Company, Almaz Foods and Growers Garden.

Gary Braid of The Roasting Project is looking forward to offering samples of new products to visitors at the event. He said:

“Scotland’s Speciality Food Show will be a platform to take our products to potential trade customers, offering them a chance to sample various origins and blends through a variety of brew methods. Fife Council Economic Development’s Trade Development Programme has given us financial and marketing support to allow this to happen.”

Trade shows and exhibitions have always been an important and targeted way of engaging with people, especially for food and drink businesses. Recognising this, Fife Council’s Economic Development Programme is ‘ramping up’ its support to businesses as events and exhibitions start-up post COVID-19.

Ann Camus, Enterprise and Business Development Manager at Fife Council, commented:

“Brand awareness, product presentation and taste tests are an important way of selling for the food and drink sector, making Scotland’s Speciality Food Show a valuable event for Fife businesses. Having spoken to some of our participating businesses, they are looking forward to this event as it will give them the opportunity to collaborate, promote and create new business leads.”

Ann added:

“Our Trade Development Programme is proving an important resource for local businesses from all sectors, in terms of supporting attendance at large events and exhibitions. We’re gearing up for Scotland’s Speciality Food Show in January, as well as Offshore Europe in February, and we’ve just returned from a learning journey to Subcon. Businesses are engaging, as there’s a real need to get back out there, to promote their business, products and services face-to-face.”

To find out more about Fife Council’s Trade Development Programme, which sits under the InvestFife brand, visit: www.investfife.gov.uk or email: [email protected].