Regional Food Groups | Scotland Food & Drink

Scotland’s Regional Food Groups

Scotland’s regional food groups are the local heroes of our food and drink sector. The 13 groups cover all corners of our country, bringing together producers, hospitality and tourism businesses, independent retailers and markets, and other organisations interested in regional food to drive growth for our local businesses.

Regional Food Group Case Studies

Explore case studies to see how we’ve partnered with regional food groups to strengthen local supply chains, elevate member brands, and drive sustainable growth.

Founded in 2016 by four friends from the food and drink industry, Company Bakery started with a single baker, a single delivery driver, and a shared mission to ensure quality wouldn't be cut short. What began as a search for the best sourdough has grown into something much bigger, with the team now comprising over 80 people, and the range growing to include breads, pastries and much more.

Based in Dumfries and Galloway, Oor Bees was founded by Phil Collett with a simple purpose; to keep bees well and let the landscape of Scotland do the rest.

Across seven apiary sites, Phil tends to a remarkable operation. Each hive is home to around 50,000 bees, with over 400,000 working bees across any single site at any given time. From the hives comes a range of products including honey, cut comb, and hand-poured beeswax candles, each one unique to the batch of honey it was taken from.

Hidden on Castle Rock beneath Stirling Castle, Stirling Distillery has brought a historic landmark back to life. Housed within the Old Smiddy, a building dating back to 1888, the distillery opened its doors in 2019 as Stirling’s first legal distillery, creating a new chapter in the city’s food and drink story.

Created by founders June and Cameron McCann, what began as a passion project producing gin in 2014 has grown into a thriving spirits business. From the original Stirling Gin to more recent launches, including rum and liqueur, the distillery continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to the stories and heritage of Stirling itself.

When friends Catriona and Cara met at a local baby and toddler group in Lochaber, little did they know that their shared love for the Highlands would lead them on an entrepreneurial journey.

Drawn by a desire to create something unique that celebrated their stunning surroundings and fit around family life, the two founded Bealach Gin, a London Dry gin infused with the wild, rugged flavours of the Scottish Highlands.

Named after "Bealach," Scots Gaelic for “mountain pass,” the brand is rooted in the Highland landscape, capturing the spirit of Cam Bhealach near their base on the shores of Loch Lochy.

Nestled in the heart of the Balcaskie Estate in the East Neuk of Fife, Bowhouse Market stands as a testament to the region's deep agricultural roots and commitment to fostering community connections.

Established in 2017, this vibrant marketplace was born out of a simple but powerful idea: to bridge the gap between local food producers and consumers, bringing the freshest Scottish produce directly from field to table.

In the rolling hills of East Lothian, where heritage and innovation converge, Brose Oat Milk is making waves.

Founded by a team with expertise in food technology, quality assurance and management, sales and marketing, business management and finance, as well as farming, this homegrown brand has taken on the giants of the oat milk industry.

Brose challenges established names with a product that not only tastes exceptional but also embodies the values of sustainability, community, and Scottish pride.

In 2000, Jan Jacob and his family moved from the Netherlands to the Scottish Highlands, where he took on a job managing the wild deer population on a Scottish estate. This experience sparked a deep appreciation for venison, inspiring the creation of Great Glen Charcuterie.

Motivated to add value to this underappreciated meat, the family began experimenting with smoking and drying venison, starting with a homemade wooden smoker in their garden. By 2003, they had transformed an old butcher’s shop into a state-of-the-art processing unit, and thus Great Glen Charcuterie was born!

In June 2020, a simple delivery sparked a delicious journey when postwoman, Penny Cameron, bemused by the 100 kilos of flour arriving at Susan Wallace’s door, asked if she was starting a bakery. What began as a happy accident has grown into LOAF, a much-loved micro-bakery in Strath Halladale, Sutherland.

Nearly four years later, Susan still bakes from her garden shed, delighting the far north coast with naturally leavened sourdough breads, sweet and savoury treats, and an irresistible commitment to quality.

From just two loaves a week, LOAF has risen to the ranks of a sell-out local favourite.

Inspired by his time in California, where his passion for healthy living and sustainable agriculture blossomed, Daniel Oliveira returned to Scotland with a mission: to introduce the health and sustainability benefits of microgreens to local communities.

Along the picturesque Moray coastline, Daniel founded Rising Roots, a business rooted in the Highlands but with ambitions to create positive, lasting change.

A key partner in Scotland Food & Drink’s Regional Food Groups programme, Rising Roots has become an integral player in the northern Scottish food scene. Through the Highland Good Food Partnership, Daniel collaborates with fellow producers to strengthen Scotland’s local food network, supporting initiatives that celebrate and protect the region’s unique food culture.

This connection allows Rising Roots to not only promote healthy, nutrient-dense produce but also bolster the resilience of Moray’s food community.

Established in 2012 by Andrew Whitley and the late Veronica Burke, Scotland The Bread is at the forefront of transforming Scotland’s food landscape.

This Community Benefit Society is dedicated to growing, milling, and baking more nutritious grains, with a focus on sustainability and food justice.

Collaboration with scientists and farmers, bakers and citizens defines their mission to create a local grain and bread supply chain that prioritises nourishment and the environment. Working with gene banks around the world, the team has revived historic Scottish winter wheat varieties such as Rouge d’Ecosse, Golden Drop, and Hunter’s and introduced evolutionary Nordic wheat and rye landraces.

These ancient grains, known for their resilience in Scottish soils and their superior nutritional content, are being reintroduced to offer a sustainable and healthy food source, with each strain of grain being carefully tested for its nutrient density to offer consumers a healthier alternative to mass-produced flours.

Tayport Distillery was founded out of a passion for Scotland's unique produce, particularly the soft fruits from the Tay region. Drawing inspiration from the European tradition of transforming surplus harvest fruits into spirits, the founders dedicated themselves to crafting authentic fruit spirits that capture the essence of Scottish berries without any added flavourings or essences.

Cosaig Growers was founded in 2016 by partners Kate Wieteska and Jake Butcher after years of working and learning about agriculture on Corrary Farm in Glenelg. Driven by a desire to bring more fresh produce to the local community and a longing to stay rooted in the area, Kate and Jake set out to find a piece of land they could cultivate long-term.

This proved challenging however, with limited affordable land options in Glenelg. Finally, through perseverance and a bit of luck, they discovered a disused piece of land in Cosaig, a north-facing hillside considered ‘worthless’ for farming due to its acidic soil and challenging terrain. But for Kate and Jake, ever the optimists, it was the perfect challenge and an opportunity to create something special.

When Stuart and Adelle Brown emigrated from Australia to the windswept Orkney Islands, founding a distillery was the last thing on their minds. Stuart, a Chartered Engineer, and Adelle, a pharmacist, were simply seeking a quieter life, drawn to Orkney's natural beauty and close-knit community.

After years spent in high-pressure careers that took them around the world, Stuart was ready for a new kind of adventure – one rooted in creativity, craftsmanship, and a strong connection to the land.

Inspired by the rich heritage of Scottish distilling, in 2016 the couple decided to establish Deerness Distillery, a business dedicated to producing exceptional spirits that reflect the rugged spirit of Orkney itself.

In the heart of Fife, a family legacy has been rising like perfectly proofed dough for over a century. Fisher & Donaldson, a name synonymous with Scottish baking excellence, traces its roots back to 1919 when brothers-in-law Willie Fisher and Davie Donaldson returned from World War I with a dream and their demob money.

Starting with a small premises in Cupar, the bakery has grown into a beloved institution with seven shops and cafes across Fife and Tayside. Now in its fifth generation, the Milne family continues to utilise traditional techniques honed over decades.

In January 2017, Heike, the founder of The Hebridean Mustard Company, awoke with a vivid dream: "Mustheb." Though an unfamiliar word, she quickly associated it with the Hebrides, where she lived, and felt compelled to explore its meaning.

After some reflection, a simple but potent idea emerged – mustard, a condiment close to her heart from her childhood in Germany. That day marked the birth of Mustheb, a brand dedicated to producing artisanal mustard on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides.

Tucked away near the picturesque market town of Alyth in Perthshire, Highland Boundary stands as a testament to the fusion of passion, science, and nature.

What began as a requirement to address biodiversity loss by rewilding a piece of Scotland’s rugged landscape has evolved into a thriving distillery that blends tradition, science, and regenerative business to create unique spirits and bitters inspired by the Scottish wilderness.

Behind this innovative brand are Marian and Simon, whose deep connection to the land and their academic backgrounds in ecology have shaped every bottle that leaves their distillery.

Kim Marshall’s baking journey began unexpectedly after moving to the remote Ardnamurchan Peninsula in 2011. Initially unable to cook or bake, Kim taught herself out of necessity for her family, eventually discovering a talent for making chocolate brownies. What started as a hobby soon became a full-time passion, fuelled by the enthusiastic feedback from her early bakes.

Initially selling her brownies to raise money for a dementia charity, Kim’s creations quickly became a local favourite at Kilchoan’s producers' markets. Over the years, what began as a side project has flourished into a thriving business.

Founded by brothers Chris and Andrew Rowley eight years ago, Ballintaggart has blossomed from a small B&B and farm into a celebrated culinary destination in Perthshire.

This multi-faceted venture nestled in a Perthshire valley now includes The Grandtully Hotel, which houses their restaurant and bar, luxury self-catering accommodation at Ballintaggart Farm, along with a cook school, three shops and a wedding and event space at Ballintaggart Farm.

Standing as a true community cornerstone, the team at Ballintaggart are dedicated, to showcasing the bounty of local producers and inspiring visitors from near and far to embrace the taste and spirit of Perthshire.

Founded in 2016 by four friends from the food and drink industry, Company Bakery started with a single baker, a single delivery driver, and a shared mission to ensure quality wouldn't be cut short. What began as a search for the best sourdough has grown into something much bigger, with the team now comprising over 80 people, and the range growing to include breads, pastries and much more.

Based in Dumfries and Galloway, Oor Bees was founded by Phil Collett with a simple purpose; to keep bees well and let the landscape of Scotland do the rest.

Across seven apiary sites, Phil tends to a remarkable operation. Each hive is home to around 50,000 bees, with over 400,000 working bees across any single site at any given time. From the hives comes a range of products including honey, cut comb, and hand-poured beeswax candles, each one unique to the batch of honey it was taken from.

Hidden on Castle Rock beneath Stirling Castle, Stirling Distillery has brought a historic landmark back to life. Housed within the Old Smiddy, a building dating back to 1888, the distillery opened its doors in 2019 as Stirling’s first legal distillery, creating a new chapter in the city’s food and drink story.

Created by founders June and Cameron McCann, what began as a passion project producing gin in 2014 has grown into a thriving spirits business. From the original Stirling Gin to more recent launches, including rum and liqueur, the distillery continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to the stories and heritage of Stirling itself.

When friends Catriona and Cara met at a local baby and toddler group in Lochaber, little did they know that their shared love for the Highlands would lead them on an entrepreneurial journey.

Drawn by a desire to create something unique that celebrated their stunning surroundings and fit around family life, the two founded Bealach Gin, a London Dry gin infused with the wild, rugged flavours of the Scottish Highlands.

Named after "Bealach," Scots Gaelic for “mountain pass,” the brand is rooted in the Highland landscape, capturing the spirit of Cam Bhealach near their base on the shores of Loch Lochy.

Nestled in the heart of the Balcaskie Estate in the East Neuk of Fife, Bowhouse Market stands as a testament to the region's deep agricultural roots and commitment to fostering community connections.

Established in 2017, this vibrant marketplace was born out of a simple but powerful idea: to bridge the gap between local food producers and consumers, bringing the freshest Scottish produce directly from field to table.

In the rolling hills of East Lothian, where heritage and innovation converge, Brose Oat Milk is making waves.

Founded by a team with expertise in food technology, quality assurance and management, sales and marketing, business management and finance, as well as farming, this homegrown brand has taken on the giants of the oat milk industry.

Brose challenges established names with a product that not only tastes exceptional but also embodies the values of sustainability, community, and Scottish pride.

In 2000, Jan Jacob and his family moved from the Netherlands to the Scottish Highlands, where he took on a job managing the wild deer population on a Scottish estate. This experience sparked a deep appreciation for venison, inspiring the creation of Great Glen Charcuterie.

Motivated to add value to this underappreciated meat, the family began experimenting with smoking and drying venison, starting with a homemade wooden smoker in their garden. By 2003, they had transformed an old butcher’s shop into a state-of-the-art processing unit, and thus Great Glen Charcuterie was born!

In June 2020, a simple delivery sparked a delicious journey when postwoman, Penny Cameron, bemused by the 100 kilos of flour arriving at Susan Wallace’s door, asked if she was starting a bakery. What began as a happy accident has grown into LOAF, a much-loved micro-bakery in Strath Halladale, Sutherland.

Nearly four years later, Susan still bakes from her garden shed, delighting the far north coast with naturally leavened sourdough breads, sweet and savoury treats, and an irresistible commitment to quality.

From just two loaves a week, LOAF has risen to the ranks of a sell-out local favourite.

Inspired by his time in California, where his passion for healthy living and sustainable agriculture blossomed, Daniel Oliveira returned to Scotland with a mission: to introduce the health and sustainability benefits of microgreens to local communities.

Along the picturesque Moray coastline, Daniel founded Rising Roots, a business rooted in the Highlands but with ambitions to create positive, lasting change.

A key partner in Scotland Food & Drink’s Regional Food Groups programme, Rising Roots has become an integral player in the northern Scottish food scene. Through the Highland Good Food Partnership, Daniel collaborates with fellow producers to strengthen Scotland’s local food network, supporting initiatives that celebrate and protect the region’s unique food culture.

This connection allows Rising Roots to not only promote healthy, nutrient-dense produce but also bolster the resilience of Moray’s food community.

Established in 2012 by Andrew Whitley and the late Veronica Burke, Scotland The Bread is at the forefront of transforming Scotland’s food landscape.

This Community Benefit Society is dedicated to growing, milling, and baking more nutritious grains, with a focus on sustainability and food justice.

Collaboration with scientists and farmers, bakers and citizens defines their mission to create a local grain and bread supply chain that prioritises nourishment and the environment. Working with gene banks around the world, the team has revived historic Scottish winter wheat varieties such as Rouge d’Ecosse, Golden Drop, and Hunter’s and introduced evolutionary Nordic wheat and rye landraces.

These ancient grains, known for their resilience in Scottish soils and their superior nutritional content, are being reintroduced to offer a sustainable and healthy food source, with each strain of grain being carefully tested for its nutrient density to offer consumers a healthier alternative to mass-produced flours.

Tayport Distillery was founded out of a passion for Scotland's unique produce, particularly the soft fruits from the Tay region. Drawing inspiration from the European tradition of transforming surplus harvest fruits into spirits, the founders dedicated themselves to crafting authentic fruit spirits that capture the essence of Scottish berries without any added flavourings or essences.

Cosaig Growers was founded in 2016 by partners Kate Wieteska and Jake Butcher after years of working and learning about agriculture on Corrary Farm in Glenelg. Driven by a desire to bring more fresh produce to the local community and a longing to stay rooted in the area, Kate and Jake set out to find a piece of land they could cultivate long-term.

This proved challenging however, with limited affordable land options in Glenelg. Finally, through perseverance and a bit of luck, they discovered a disused piece of land in Cosaig, a north-facing hillside considered ‘worthless’ for farming due to its acidic soil and challenging terrain. But for Kate and Jake, ever the optimists, it was the perfect challenge and an opportunity to create something special.

When Stuart and Adelle Brown emigrated from Australia to the windswept Orkney Islands, founding a distillery was the last thing on their minds. Stuart, a Chartered Engineer, and Adelle, a pharmacist, were simply seeking a quieter life, drawn to Orkney's natural beauty and close-knit community.

After years spent in high-pressure careers that took them around the world, Stuart was ready for a new kind of adventure – one rooted in creativity, craftsmanship, and a strong connection to the land.

Inspired by the rich heritage of Scottish distilling, in 2016 the couple decided to establish Deerness Distillery, a business dedicated to producing exceptional spirits that reflect the rugged spirit of Orkney itself.

In the heart of Fife, a family legacy has been rising like perfectly proofed dough for over a century. Fisher & Donaldson, a name synonymous with Scottish baking excellence, traces its roots back to 1919 when brothers-in-law Willie Fisher and Davie Donaldson returned from World War I with a dream and their demob money.

Starting with a small premises in Cupar, the bakery has grown into a beloved institution with seven shops and cafes across Fife and Tayside. Now in its fifth generation, the Milne family continues to utilise traditional techniques honed over decades.

In January 2017, Heike, the founder of The Hebridean Mustard Company, awoke with a vivid dream: "Mustheb." Though an unfamiliar word, she quickly associated it with the Hebrides, where she lived, and felt compelled to explore its meaning.

After some reflection, a simple but potent idea emerged – mustard, a condiment close to her heart from her childhood in Germany. That day marked the birth of Mustheb, a brand dedicated to producing artisanal mustard on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides.

Tucked away near the picturesque market town of Alyth in Perthshire, Highland Boundary stands as a testament to the fusion of passion, science, and nature.

What began as a requirement to address biodiversity loss by rewilding a piece of Scotland’s rugged landscape has evolved into a thriving distillery that blends tradition, science, and regenerative business to create unique spirits and bitters inspired by the Scottish wilderness.

Behind this innovative brand are Marian and Simon, whose deep connection to the land and their academic backgrounds in ecology have shaped every bottle that leaves their distillery.

Kim Marshall’s baking journey began unexpectedly after moving to the remote Ardnamurchan Peninsula in 2011. Initially unable to cook or bake, Kim taught herself out of necessity for her family, eventually discovering a talent for making chocolate brownies. What started as a hobby soon became a full-time passion, fuelled by the enthusiastic feedback from her early bakes.

Initially selling her brownies to raise money for a dementia charity, Kim’s creations quickly became a local favourite at Kilchoan’s producers' markets. Over the years, what began as a side project has flourished into a thriving business.

Founded by brothers Chris and Andrew Rowley eight years ago, Ballintaggart has blossomed from a small B&B and farm into a celebrated culinary destination in Perthshire.

This multi-faceted venture nestled in a Perthshire valley now includes The Grandtully Hotel, which houses their restaurant and bar, luxury self-catering accommodation at Ballintaggart Farm, along with a cook school, three shops and a wedding and event space at Ballintaggart Farm.

Standing as a true community cornerstone, the team at Ballintaggart are dedicated, to showcasing the bounty of local producers and inspiring visitors from near and far to embrace the taste and spirit of Perthshire.

Regional food groups have a pivotal role to play in the growth of our country’s food, drink and food tourism sectors, and I encourage all food and drink businesses to work with their local group.

— Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink

Appetite for Angus

Arran's Food Journey

Ayrshire Food an’ a That

East Lothian Food & Drink

Eat Drink Hebrides

Eat SW Scotland

Food from Argyll

Forth Valley Food & Drink

Great Perthshire

Highland Good Food Partnership

North East Scotland Food & Drink Network

Orkney Food & Drink

Taste of Shetland

Industry news and views

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Cù Bòcan Breaks New Ground with Creation #9, a Whisky Inspired by Sweet and Salty Popcorn

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Edinburgh Venue Marks 10th Anniversary with New Michelin-Acclaimed Head Chef

The Voyage of Buck on William Street has appointed local talent, Nathan Graham, to lead its kitchen team and the next chapter in the development of its restaurant.

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