Calling All Scottish Producers: Scotmid’s Scottish Favourites Competition Is Back!
Opportunity for Scottish food and drink suppliers to pitch their products to the Taste Panel and secure a listing in Scotmid stores.
Leading Scottish convenience retailer, Scotmid, has teamed up with Scotland Food & Drink to give Scottish producers a chance to have their products stocked in its stores, with the welcome return of its Scotmid’s Scottish Favourites competition.
The competition is open to all Scottish food and drink suppliers across various product categories, demonstrating Scotmid’s continued commitment to Scottish sourcing and local suppliers.
The announcement coincides with Scotland Food & Drink September, an annual celebration now in its 15th year. The 2024 campaign aims to highlight and promote the ‘Naturally Scottish’ brand by celebrating the individuals and products that make Scotland’s food and drink industry famous worldwide.
Applications are now open, with the chance for 16 different producers to be selected to pitch to the Taste Tribunal - a panel of food and drink experts - between 5 and 12 November, in a Dragon’s Den style format.
Steven Addison, Category Manager - Local Sourcing at Scotmid, stated: “Local sourcing is incredibly significant to us, and we are privileged to collaborate with an exceptional variety of suppliers, nationwide. Scotland genuinely boasts some of the finest food and drink globally and the quality of local products continues to improve each year.
“We’re always seeking opportunities to expand our Scottish offerings, whether through national listings or hyperlocal items. We’re thrilled to partner once more with Scotland Food & Drink for the launch of the Scotmid Scottish Favourites competition, which enables us to enhance our portfolio with new and innovative products and support local producers.”
At least three winning products will secure an ongoing listing in Scotmid stores from early next year.
Helen Wallace, UK Market Development Manager at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “We are thrilled to be working alongside Scotmid to deliver this project and further develop Scotland’s reputation as a land of food and drink.
"It's crucial for producers to access retail opportunities to expand their businesses and the industry. Scotmid is highly regarded for supporting relationship development and providing entry points for smaller producers."
Examples of Scotmid’s commitment to local suppliers include Brodies of Edinburgh, which is due to hit shelves in Scotmid stores this month. With a history spanning more than 150 years, Brodies has become synonymous with the finest teas and coffees, meticulously sourced and crafted to deliver exceptional flavour.
Another exciting new supplier is School Yard Kitchen. With products like pretzels and yummy flavours of chocolate, every purchase of its products directly contributes to sustainable development initiatives in Ghana and Scotland. Whether it's supporting educational programmes for Ghanaian children or promoting social inclusion in Scottish communities, supporting them makes a real difference to communities.
Applications for the competition close at 11pm Tuesday 15th October.
Find out more and apply here: https://foodanddrink.scot/events-and-membership/events/scotmids-scottish-favourites/
[L-R: Steven Addison, Category Manager - Local Sourcing at Scotmid and Brian Boyle, COO Retail]
