Food and drink

A new campaign has been launched to help hospitality businesses reopen, digitise and grow.

When the Covid-19 crisis hit last March, our weekly food shop hit a roadblock. With supermarkets struggling to keep up with customer demand, we took a local detour.

Taking the scenic route forced us to slow down, appreciate what’s on our doorstep and take time to discover the farm shops, markets, makers and producers right under our noses.

An initiative to help drive projects that celebrate locally sourced and produced food and drink has reopened for applications.

Bird keepers in Scotland are reminded to maximise biosecurity and keep their flocks housed after avian influenza (H5N1) was confirmed in a flock of approximately 14,000 mixed gamebirds on a gamebird rearing premises in Leven, Glenrothes.

Laboratory results of samples taken from the flock have identified the strain as highly pathogenic in poultry. In order to limit the further spread of disease, appropriate restrictions have been imposed on the premises.

Additional advisers will be appointed to help provide seafood businesses with support on new paperwork and processes following the end of the EU Exit Transition Period.

A new 12-point action plan will support Scotland’s ambition to be a world class fishing nation and ensure responsible and sustainable fisheries management.  

In a quest to uncover Scotland’s hidden food heritage, people across Scotland are being asked to rummage in family recipe books, to dig out photos of food events, and to share recommendations of local produce for a new research project called Food Heritage Scotland.

Wholesale food and drink businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are to be supported through a new £5 million fund.