Scotmid’s Scottish Favourites competition is back and this year, it’s all about innovation

The country’s most innovative food and drink products are set to take centre stage, as a nationwide competition aimed at shining a spotlight on the country’s thriving sector prepares to launch.

Leading Scottish convenience retailer, Scotmid, has once again teamed up with Scotland Food & Drink to give Scottish producers a chance to see their creations stocked on shelves across Scotland, with the welcome return of its Scottish Favourites competition.

Open to Scottish food and drink suppliers across a wide range of categories, including confectionery, chilled fresh foods and beverages, the competition reflects Scotmid’s continued commitment to local sourcing and supporting homegrown talent.

The announcement coincides with Scottish Food & Drink September, now in its 16th year. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘innovation’, shining a spotlight on products that bring something  new, imaginative and exciting to the country’s unrivalled food and drink landscape.

Applications are now open, with the chance for 16 different producers to be selected to pitch to a panel of food and drink experts via a Dragon’s Den style format.

Steven Addison, Local Sourcing Manager at Scotmid, said: “Innovation is at the heart of this year’s competition. We’re looking for products that don’t just taste fantastic, but that also offer something fresh, distinctive and unique to our customers. Local sourcing is hugely important to us, and we are privileged to already work with such a wide variety of independent Scottish suppliers. By celebrating innovative, stand out products, we can continue to excite and engage our customers, while strengthening Scotland’s reputation for world-class produce.

“Partnering with Scotland Food & Drink allows us to discover the next wave of truly interesting products and help local producers take their business to the next level.”

Last year’s competition saw six suppliers win a listing in stores, with winners including such brands as Burnside Brewery, Equi’s and Three Robins.

The 2025 winners will see their products go into store from Spring 2026.

Angus Bell, UK Market Manager at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “We are thrilled to be working alongside Scotmid again to deliver this competition, and to support the people, produce and products which make our sector so special. It’s a great chance for Scottish food and drink businesses to showcase the forward-thinking approaches they have embraced across all aspects of their work, and a real opportunity to access new retail listings. Scotmid is highly regarded for opening doors for smaller suppliers, and this year’s focus on innovation gives producers the perfect platform to showcase what makes their products unique.”

Karen Robinson, founder of Three Robins, whose range of family-friendly dairy alternatives is now stocked in Scotmid stores after securing a listing last year, said: “I was delighted that Three Robins was selected as one of Scotmid’s Scottish Favourites for 2025, expanding distribution of our oat milk range and allowing us to reach more households across Scotland. The entire Scotmid team are a pleasure to work with, and I would highly recommend applying to any future Scottish Favourite initiatives as a great first step into convenience retail for other food and drink brands.”

Similarly, Glasgow favourite Equi’s Ice Cream hit the shelves earlier this year. Alex Equi, Brand Manager, said: “Winning the Scotmid Scottish Favourites competition was a proud milestone for our brand. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to partner with Scotmid and showcase what makes Equi’s Ice Cream so special. Working with a retailer that truly values Scottish producers, and local provenance has been a real pleasure. We’re proud to be part of such a strong celebration of Scottish food and drink.”

Applications for the competition close at 11.30am on Monday, 20 October 2025.
https://foodanddrink.scot/events-and-membership/events/scotmids-scottish-favourites-2025/