Food and drink

On 1 September, Scotland's native oyster season opened with the landing of the first Loch Ryan oysters.

The race is now on to gather a tonne of native oysters, most of which will be enjoyed by visitors to the Stranraer Oyster Festival, which is taking place from 13-15 September. 

From growing lemons on Lewis to a Michelin-starred chef cooking Skye mutton, Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) groups are pioneering a range of new routes to take local produce to market on the islands. RISS provides professional support to farmers interested in trying new things. It connects them with the right people and helps them develop a viable project.

Scottish Food & Drink fortnight are celebrating their 10th year of showcasing and supporting the companies, brands and peoples who are championing Scotland's larder.

The Fortnight is an annual celebration of Scotland’s outstanding produce, managed by industry leadership body Scotland Food & Drink and supported by the Scottish Government.

On 14^th September Scotland’s first ever Wild Food Festival will take place at the stunning Cardross Estate near Port of Monteith. The festival will feature a range of interactive foraging workshops, wild walks exploring the estate and long table dinners.

The programme for the first-ever Foraging Fortnight has launched, with events ranging from woodland walks to wild food feasts to foraged cocktails!

This LEADER-funded project takes place from 31 August to 15 September and will feature a wide range of events across five diverse regions of Scotland: Lanarkshire, Fife, Moray, Forth Valley and Loch Lomond, and Orkney.

Organisers of the Forth Valley Food Festival want to hear from anyone who is interested in taking part in the event.

The festival launched last year and is back for 2019, showcasing the region's diverse larder. The event will take place from 11 to 20 October and is already shaping up, with a range of activities on offer from wild cocktail making to farm tours.

Sea fisheries and processing businesses are among those to share more than £5.6 million of funding from the eighth round of the European and Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The funding awards include £1.3 million for Seafood Scotland to help it maximise key export markets and £1.35 million for J K Thomson in Musselburgh to support the construction of a new processing factory.

Announcing the latest award, Rural Minister Mairi Gougeon said:

If you're interested in the bioeconomy you can find a wealth of information on the European Network for Rural Development's (ENRD) Rural Bioeconomy Portal. ​

Do you know a small or medium-sized business in Scotland that deserves special recognition?

​The Scottish Rural Awards 2020 are now open for entries and nominations in a number of categories including a new category: Best Countryside Digital Innovator. The winner of this category will be crowned for successfully championing digital projects and products across the agricultural, rural and tourism sectors in Scotland. 

​The award categories are: