Dining Club
11th February 2008

Food Tourism is Way Forward, says Nairn at Dining Club

North-east Scotland’s food and drink industry could reap huge benefits from food tourism, was the message at the Grampian Food Forum Dining Club on 11th February, where guest speaker Nick Nairn explained the reasons behind his decision to locate his second cook school in Aberdeenshire.

“No other region in Scotland produces the breadth of excellent raw materials, with fresh natural produce that is world renowned – rich arable land, fabulous beef, lamb and fish - so it makes sense to open in a location where the finest products are on the doorstep,” he said. “There is no excuse for restaurants in the area not to be using local suppliers. This is a real hub for the food and drink industry, with every aspect of the supply chain represented, from fishing, farming and food processing to nutrition and food sciences and we need to celebrate it as such, working together to promote it as the premier food tourism destination in Scotland.”

The event at the Holiday Inn Aberdeen West, Westhill attracted 110 representatives from the region’s food, drink and food service industries – a record for the event.  It also saw the launch of the year’s Taste of Grampian event, which will be held on June 7.

Elizabeth Mathie, co-ordinator of the Grampian Food Forum said: “This was the greatest turn-out since the Dining Clubs were introduced over five years ago. Nick’s passionate words and thoughts on how food sector companies can work together to make the most of the food tourism opportunity were really taken on board. Using local produce is a real selling point, and I am sure this evening will encourage more restaurants and food producers to foster working relationships.”

The Dining Club concept was introduced in 2002 for chefs, restaurateurs and food producers to help promote the greater use of local produce in the region’s hotels and restaurant menus. The event provides a showcase for food and drink suppliers and helps to build relationships between the region’s food and drink producers and local chefs. The initiative has been so successful that now other regions throughout Scotland have adopted the model.

Local producers who supplied produce for the event include Best Identity (fudge), Caledonia Cuisine (fish and seafood), G McWilliam (Aberdeen) Ltd (guinea fowl), Ice Cream Cabin, Paul Smith Butcher (haggis) and Robert Wiseman Dairy