Experiencing Scotland

Plate of food with people in backgroundFood and drink are a key part of the visitor experience with more and more visitors to Scotland seeking to try quality local produce.

Recent research by Scottish Enterprise showed that visitors prefer to buy food and drink of local provenance, that is produce 'with a story behind it'.

The research also revealed that businesses and events providing locally sourced produce led to a better visitor experience and higher levels of sales (on average 20 percent more per year).

By choosing authentic local produce, tourism businesses and event organisers can raise their profile, make more profit and ensure a better visitor experience.

Call 0845 607 8787 or email enquiries@scotent.co.uk for more information.

Support

Through Experiencing Scotland, eligible tourism businesses and event organisers can receive one-to-one business advice from the Merritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy at the cost of £500 and including:

  • An induction to business tools plus support networks available through Scotland Food & Drink, Tourism Intelligence Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and others
  • Up to two days' direct consultancy support, delivering a bespoke diagnostic analysis which reviews the menu offer, service delivery, purchasing, marketing, staff skills and overall financial performance
  • A bespoke action plan with benchmarks, targets and timescales for achievement
  • Referrals to suppliers, events and support organisations as appropriate
  • A review of progress and telephone support as required

Businesses eligible for support include:

  • Visitor attractions with over 250,000 visitors annually
  • Hotel groups operating across Scotland
  • Conference venues
  • Sporting venues involved in international events
  • National carriers
  • Events attracting UK and international visitors

Case studies

See how Experiencing Scotland is working with tourism businesses and producers to satisfy the expectations of increasingly ‘food savvy’ visitors.

PDF document Almond Valley Heritage Centre (PDF, 140kB)

PDF document Caledonian MacBrayne (PDF, 122kB)

PDF document Fringe by the Sea (PDF, 142kB)

PDF document Gadies Restaurant and Touched by Scotland (PDF, 140kB)

PDF document Glasgow on Ice (PDF, 137kB)

PDF document Historic Scotland (PDF, 142kB)

PDF document Lennoxlove Book Festival (PDF, 126kB)

PDF document Moness Resort (PDF, 120kB)

PDF document National Trust for Scotland (PDF, 123kB)

PDF document New Lanark World Heritage Site (PDF, 128kB)

PDF document Perthshire Farmers and Producers (PDF, 117kB)

PDF document Scotch Whisky Experience (PDF, 119kB)

PDF document Scottish Seabird Centre (PDF, 140kB)

PDF document SYHA Hostelling Scotland (PDF, 142kB)

PDF document The Royal Yacht Britannia (PDF, 141kB)

PDF document World Pipe Band Championships (PDF, 141kB)

Contact

For information about one-to-one consultancy or to register for updates call 0845 607 8787 or email enquiries@scotent.co.uk

Additional resources

Register on Tourism Intelligence Scotland to access resources such as:

  • The Food & Drink Experience in Scotland Guide - ‘Opportunities for Growth’ guides are packed full of easy-to-use intelligence and examples that will help you maximise the business opportunities from the food and drink sector
  • At Your Service - packed with practical information for front line staff in tourism businesses, providing facts about different food types, seasonality, background information on Scottish dishes and drinks, and hints and tips on how to ‘upsell’ to customers.

Word document Producers' Fact Sheet (Word, 316kB) - further market information and support for food and drink tourism.