Wild Game Company - In the Top Five....

 The Wild Game Co., owned by Ardgay's Andy Waugh and launched with help from Business Gateway, has been announced by the Evening Standard as one of the top 5 Game Restaurants in London.

Andy's business uses the finest of Sutherland's game products supplied by the family business, the Ardgay Game Company.


Read the full article here: Link
Wild Game Co. website: Link

Business Gateway - Specialist Teams

In Business Gateway Highland & Moray we've just formed a few specialist teams from within our ranks looking at key sectors to the Highland econonomy.  I'm on the "Creative Industries" and (unsurprisingly, some might say) the "Food & Drink" teams.

The aim is not to substitute for any of our hard-working partner organisations but just to find a way of finding out what's going on in each of these sectors, identify the key players and then passing this information on to our colleagues and clients. Similarly, each team can pass on details of Business Gateway activities to the relevant suppoprt agencies; hopefully avoiding duplication and gaps.

The Creative Industries group had brief meeting yesterday and we were pleased to welcome Gordon Brown of "Brown's Gallery" who gave us some pointers about existing support provision, his own concerns and his work with North Highland Connections.

If anyone out there connected with the Creative Industries (or Food & Drink sector) wants to make any comments about how Business Gateway can help or just wants to keep us posted on any events and activities, please don't hesitate to contact me.

HIE Food & Drink Strategy Forum - 21 June 2012

HIE has organised a Food & Drink Strategy Forum to be held at Cowan House, Inverness on 21 June 2012.

"Organised as part of the Smart Exporter programme, this free to attend forum is designed to highlight the importance of developing an international strategy and raise awareness of the support available to companies, giving them the best chance of achieving their international ambitions. 

Benefits to companies attending this forum: 

• Understanding the importance of preparation and planning before embarking on international growth 
• Sharing experiences, concerns, challenges and opportunities with like-minded business leaders from the food and drink sector 
• Learning about the support available through Smart Exporter...."

For more information: Link

Scotland Food & Drink Awards 2012

Here's a message from Scotland Food & Drink

Applications for the 2012 Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards are now open.

The awards, run jointly by Scotland Food & Drink and the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, have been recognising and rewarding the very best in Scottish food and drink for many years and continue to be considered a true badge of excellence.

This year, for the first time, we are delighted to welcome ASDA as main sponsors. We also offer our thanks to all other sponsors, listed above, for their support of the 2012 awards.

Within the awards, there are a total of 17 categories aimed at rewarding companies and their products in areas such as skills development and new product innovation and everything in between.

We encourage all those who believe they are working hard to excel in any sphere of the food and drink industry to consider entering.

Entries close on Friday 2 March 2012.

If you have any queries about the entry process, please contact David Cochrane on 0131 335 6207 or davidac@rhass.org.uk

For further information, visit the Scotland Food & Drink website: (Link)

Food & Drink Event - Wick, 2 February 2012

Caithness Chamber of Commerce are hosting a Food & Drink event at MacKay’s Hotel in Wick on the 2nd February from 10:30 to 4.00pm.

From the Chamber:

The event will be attended by food and drinks producers from Caithness and Sutherland alongside local hoteliers and restaurants. The aim of the event is to come together to discuss the food and drink sector in the area and how it may be possible for Caithness Chamber of Commerce and local agencies to assist with the sector requirements. The three facilitated workshops in the afternoon will look at local examples and an example of a co-operative organisation from outwith Caithness and Sutherland.

Outline Programme

10.30 Registration, tea & coffee

11.00 Welcome – Caithness Chamber of Commerce

11.05 Jim Royan – Moray Perspective

11.30 Business Gateway – a few words about what they are doing

11.35 HIE – a few words about what they are doing

11.40 Scotland Food and Drink – a few words about what they are doing

11.45 Jim Royan – Facilitated workshop with all delegates

12.30 Lunch

13.15 Facilitated workshop

14.00 Facilitated workshop

14.45 Break, chance to speak to Caithness Chamber and agencies

15.15 Facilitated workshop

16.00 Next Steps / Close

For further information contact info@caithnesschamber.com

UHI Advisory Support for the Food & Drink Industry

Here's some information from UHI:

People in the food and drinks sector are being invited to a free information session to find out about opportunities to receive advice from industry experts.

The University of the Highlands and Islands Management School is holding a lunchtime meeting on Thursday 26 January to introduce two new programmes.

The first of these is a joint venture between Scotland’s Food and Drink Skills Academy and Investors in People Scotland which helps companies to ensure their staff have the right skills to meet business goals.

Organisations which take part in the “people route map for your business” programme will meet with an industry specialist to identify key business objectives and create a people and training action plan to achieve these - all free of charge.

The Management School's information session will also give an overview of the University’s new business leadership programme which will support managers, particularly in the food and drinks sector, to grow and develop their businesses.

Taught by experienced business leaders, the postgraduate certificate covers marketing, strategy, decision making and performance excellence and can be undertaken anywhere in the Highlands or beyond.

Speaking about the route map and postgraduate programmes, Management School Head, Euan Black, said: “There are many fantastic businesses in the Scottish food and drinks sector so we are delighted to be able to offer support and advice to help them grow and develop. By providing businesses with opportunities to meet industry experts, we hope to help individual businesses achieve their potential and continue to strengthen our thriving food and drinks sector as a whole.”

The University of the Highlands and Islands Management School information session will take place at Cowan House in Inverness from 11am to 2:30pm on Thursday 26 January.

Lunch is included and the event will also include an opportunity to network with representatives from Scotland’s Food and Drink Skills Academy, Investors in People Scotland and the University of the Highlands and Islands as well as other attendees from the food and drinks industry.

To book a place or find out more about the event and opportunities, contact Fiona Ryan on 01463 279347 or at fiona.ryan@uhi.ac.uk

The "Wild Game Company" on TV

 Andy Waugh, from Ardgay, and his Wild Game Company will be featured on "Nigel Slater's Simple Christmas"  (Link); filmed at Balloan Castle, Easter Ross.

The programme is broadcast in Scotland at 7.00pm (7.30pm elsewhere) on BBC1 on Wednesday 21st December 2011.

Golspie Mill on The Radio

Photo: Golspie Mill 

Golspie Mill (Link), producers of high-quality stoneground products from their restored watermill, are featured in this week's Radio 4 Food Programme; celebrating their success as finalists in the Food & Farming Awards

You can listen to the programme here:
I-Player Food Programme

Or download a Podcast:

Food Programme Podcast

Lucy is Young Ambassador of the Year

Lucy Midgely-Smith (left) Collects Her Award

Lucy Midgely-Smith has been named as "Young Ambassador of the Year" at the 2011 Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards.  Lucy (a student who, incidentally, probably makes the finest cocktails in the North) has been trained well by her parents - who own the Crannag Bistro in Bonar Bridge.

For the full list of winners, follow this link

More Sutherland Food Businesses in the News - Part Three

The Crannag Bistro in Bonar Bridge is shortlisted in the Final of the Highlands & Islands Food Awards Restaurant of the Year  - and if that wasn't enough, Lucy Midgely-Smith, daughter of Crannag's owners, has been shortlisted in the Young Ambassador category. 

Good Luck to them  - and also to Saladworx who are shortlisted in three categories.

More Sutherland Food Businesses in the News - Part Two

Golspie Mill, which produces a range of stoneground flours and meals using a traditional watermill. is a finalist in the prestigious BBC Radio 4's Food & Farming Awards

The Mill was restored to working-order in 1992, is powered by the Big Burn in Dunrobin Glen and is the base for a thriving retail, whoilesale and online business.

Congratulations and Good Luck to the Golspie Mill team.

More Sutherland Food Businesses in the News - Part One

Andy Waugh and his Wild Game Company are the subject of a major feature in the October 2011 issue of Jamie Oliver's magazine.

Andy was assisted by Business Gateway to launch his business, which sells the best of Sutherland wild produce to the foodies of London.  He also runs a "pop-up" restaurant which is receiving rave reviews in the UK Capital.

The article features Ardgay Game and stunning photography taken at Alladale Wilderness Reserve.

Possible Farmers' Markets

If anyone's interested in attending a Farmers' Market in, say, Lairg or Ardgay to sell any locally-produced foodstuffs, please contact Lynsey Burns , Community Development Officer for the Kyle of Sutherland.

Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2011 - Saladworx do it again...

David & Michelle of Saladworx pick up another addition to their trophy cabinet.

At the risk of seeming repetitive, Saladworx have won yet another award.
 
Hosted by BBC Radio 2 food expert Nigel Barden and sponsored by Clydesdale Bank, the 15th Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards recognise the best of Scotland’s food and drink industry.

The entries were judged by a panel comprising industry experts and journalists and the hotly contested product awards were presented to some of the country’s most innovative and exciting companies.

Dornoch-based Saladworx won Product of the Year and Product Innovation of the Year.

Cabinet Secretary (Rural Affairs & Environment) Richard Lochhead congratulated the booming food and drink sector in Scotland and underlined its ongoing importance to Scotland’s economic recovery. The Cabinet Secretary also announced a £2.64 million Scottish Funding Council package to establish a Scotland-wide food and drink innovation network with 17 Scottish universities. Part of the Scotland Food & Drink industry strategy, the delivery of the innovation network is the culmination of three years of work and collaboration.

Mr Lochhead said: “Once again, the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards have showcased an impressive variety of the very best Scotland has to offer. It’s great to see returning names maintaining high standards, as well as some new entries who have successfully shaped innovation into excellence."

Sutherland Food Businesses Just Keep Winning

Crannag Bistro

Two Sutherland businesses won their categories in the 2010 Williamson Foodservice Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards .  We all know how good our local food businesses are but it's great to see this acknowledged in this prestigious event.

Saladworxs  who produce a range of over 80 salad leaves from their base at Mill Farm near  Dornoch, won the Innovation Prize.

Bonar Bridge's  The Crannag Bistro  (where this office will be celebrating Christmas) scooped the Highlands & Islands Restaurant of the Year Award.


Congratulation to both businesses. You can find the full details of the Awards here.

Food & Drink Seminar, Dingwall, 24 August 2010

UHI HI Links is holding a lunchtime seminar at Tulloch Castle, Dingwall on Tuesday 24th August.  It is aimed at the Food & Drink sector and those businesses looking for help on developing new products and marketing.  Keynote speakers will be from Food Innovation (University of Abertay) and Food Marketing (Scottish Agricultural College).

Registration is from 1130am. A light lunch will be served at 1.15pm.

For more information please contact Charlotte Ball, tel: 01463 279368