Scottish Food & Drink September returns

Scotland Food & Drink, the leadership organisation for the nation’s food and drink industry, has launched Scottish Food & Drink September – a month-long celebration of the nation's produce. 

Now in its 16th year, the initiative runs from 1 to 30 September, continuing to shine a spotlight on the people, products and producers that make the sector a cornerstone of Scotland’s economy, culture and identity.

Home-grown in Scotland

This year’s theme of innovation showcases the cutting-edge approaches embraced by Scotland’s food and drink businesses throughout the supply chain, from new product development to sustainability initiatives.

Activities will drive awareness across retail, foodservice and hospitality while enabling producers and manufacturers to connect with new customers and markets.

One producer that embodies this year’s theme is Growers Garden. Formed in 2019 by 16 farming families in Fife, the collective has now expanded across Scotland as more growers recognised the value of working together to tackle food waste. The mission is simple: to transform ‘wonky’ or surplus vegetables into high-quality snacks that champion sustainability and healthy eating.

This spirit of innovation is echoed across Scotland’s food and drink sector. Worth around £15bn, the industry is one of the nation’s largest employers, supporting more than 129,000 jobs across agriculture, fishing, aquaculture and manufacturing in both rural and urban communities. It contributes almost £5.4bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) and accounts for almost 29% of Scotland’s total manufacturing turnover

Iain Baxter, chief executive of Scotland Food & Drink, comments: “Every day I find myself inspired by the creativity and ambition of our industry. This year’s theme of innovation reflects the energy running through the sector. From family farms and artisan producers to global brands with Scottish roots, our food and drink businesses are not only creating world-class products but also driving solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges, including sustainability, food waste and health and wellbeing. Scottish Food & Drink September is our opportunity to put that innovation centre stage and invite people to celebrate it with us.”

Image: Andrew Cawley

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