Food and drink businesses in Dumfries & Galloway urged to take part in new survey

Savour the Flavours is asking Dumfries & Galloway based food and drink businesses to take part in a new survey to identify business support needs and help shape economic recovery. The survey organisers want to provide an opportunity for businesses to confidentially share their needs, opportunities and their concerns now that the impact of Covid-19 on trading patterns is better understood. 

The survey is open to businesses that trade in the food and drink industry at any stage in the supply chain - from primary production, processing and wholesale to retail, food tourism and hospitality.  The fully anonymised findings will be shared with organisations providing business support, to help ensure that economic recovery plans meet identified business needs. 

Liz Ramsay of Savour the Flavours said:

“Covid and lockdown has caused huge disruption for all businesses, but that disruption has been especially complex in the food and drink sector. We have seen a mix of demand spikes, particularly of essentials during lockdown, and demand collapse in the food service sector. These changes to the market will have revealed both challenges to overcome and new opportunities for local businesses. 

“Now that lockdown has eased and businesses have experienced the new trading conditions first hand, it’s the ideal time to rethink business support and make sure that economic recovery programmes reflect the actual needs of our local businesses. So, we are asking all businesses in the food and drink sector, from producers to retailers and restaurants, to take 15 minutes to share their experience.”

The survey launched earlier this week and will be open unti;l 10th September. The link to the survey can be found at www.savourtheflavours.co.uk.

Savour the Flavours is hosting regular online meetings for local food, drink and hospitality businesses to discuss emerging issues and share knowledge within the industry.  The next meeting takes place on Tuesday 8^th September at 7pm and registration for it is now open.

Savour the Flavours has been relaunched on a voluntary basis by the team who delivered the previous Savour the Flavours project, which ran from 2009-13 across Dumfries & Galloway.  Industry feedback is being shared with other organisations and agencies on a regular basis to help inform economic recovery.

For more information, or to register to take part in one of the industry meetings, visit www.savourtheflavours.co.uk.