THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD & DRINK TO THE TOURISM SECTOR

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD & DRINK TO THE TOURISM SECTOR David Whiteford, Chairman North Highland Initiative

2. Agenda An Introduction to The North Highland Initiative - North Highland Products (NHP) - North Highland Tourism (NHT) - North Highland Connections/ Built Environment (NHC) The importance of Food & Drink to tourism What is North Highland Products doing in the market What value does North Highland Products add to tourism What is the potential for future development

3. The North Highland Initiative In 2005 HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay launched the North Highland Initiative. Initiative aims to promote the economic development of the North Highlands of Scotland. Covers Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire. 3 elements to the initiative – food & drink, tourism and the built environment/ North Highland Connections. North Highland Products Ltd -food and drink. North Highland Tourism - hotels, restaurants & tourism attractions. North Highland Connections/ Built Environment - education & personal development and historic buildings.

4. Mey Selections North Highland Products trades under the brand name Mey Selections. The aim is to foster closer connections between farmers, fine food producers and consumers. The company was formed by Caithness Farmers in August 2005. ALL ingredients for Mey Selections products are sourced, wherever possible, from within a 100 mile radius of the Castle of Mey. The Mey Selections logo features a watercolour painting of the Castle of Mey donated by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay.

5. Mey Selections – The Products Mey Selections represents over 500 farmers, a dozen fine food producers and a couple of fishing boats. Provides Quality producers with a brand identity. Primary Producers QMS assured. Processors, SALSA/BRC. Fishing Boats MSC/RFS Offers producers an opportunity to access markets outside of the North Highlands – local and national markets. Pays farmers a price premium – Fair Price Guaranteed. Current product range includes: - Beef & Lamb - Shellfish & Seafood - Honeys - Whisky - Shortbread, Biscuits and Oatcakes - Conserves & Chutneys - Cheeses

6. North Highland Tourism Destination Marketing Organisation. Represents hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions in the Highlands. Subscription membership organisation. Over 150 fully committed members. Growing the value of tourism in the region. . Implement targeted marketing and destination development. Lead the tourism industry in the Highlands towards sustainable success. Compliment existing tourism groups and work with associated agencies. Raise awareness of the North Highlands as a year round destination. Establish the North Highlands as a ‘must visit’ destination. Drive growth in visitor numbers and tourism revenue.

7. Built Environment/ Connections North Highland Connections was launched in 2008. Promoting an integrated and diverse cultural programme. Enhance the quality of life and tourism in the Highlands. Strives to provide a broad range of educational and personal development opportunities. Formal partnerships with the leading music, arts and educational organisations. (Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama; Edinburgh College of Art; Oran Mor Theatre Company, Glasgow; The Prince’s Drawing School and North Highland College) Delivers a rolling programme of quality cultural events.

8. Built Environment/ Connections Since launch, 44 cultural educational and visual arts events have taken place in 25 different venues across the North Highlands. Regenerate a number of key buildings as cultural hubs. Create new and sustainable employment opportunities. Enrich people’s lives through active participation.

9. The Importance of Food & Drink All visitors need to eat and drink. Scotland has a reputation for providing some of the best food & drink in the world. Good quality, regional, food & drink can be used as a positive ‘marketing tool’ for an area. People travel, and pay, for a positive dining experience. Establishments offering quality, local food, can become destinations in their own right – Albert Roux at Rocpool R Good quality food, cooked right, can demand a higher price. Visitors want to eat food that has been sourced locally – part of the ‘experience’.

10. The Importance of Food & Drink Danny Miller, Chairman of NHP Offering quality food can raise the standard of an establishment. Good quality food differentiates one outlet from another. Good quality food & drink = repeat visitors/ customers. Visitors will tell their friends, relatives and colleagues about a good dining experience – increased visitors/ revenue. Establishments offering quality, local food, are more popular than those that don’t. People ‘care’ about where there food is from.

11. What is NHP doing? North Highlands – Consumer & Foodservice Dedicated Mey Selections Butcher in Wick. Butchers Shop and service to local hotels and restaurants. Free delivery across the Highlands. Supplying c. 35 hotels with beef & lamb. Hotels & restaurants are promoting Mey Selections on menus. Actively ‘selling’ Mey Selections in local publications/ media. Encouraging hotels and restaurants to source locally. Mey Selections customers are awarded with a Licence Certificate – quality endorsement. Hotels/ restaurants are promoted online – ‘reference tool’ for establishments serving quality food and drink

12. Inverness Airport – Example Menu Promotional Panel Retail Display Unit INVERNESS AIRPORT – GATEWAY TO THE HIGHLANDS Inverness Airport is a Mey Selections customer. Committed to sourcing the very best ingredients from the Highlands. Core menu items are supplied by Mey Selections.

13. What is NHP doing? National Basis – Foodservice Working with dedicated Catering Butchers. Supplying prestigious hotels and restaurants – The Royal Automobile Club, The Goring, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Admirable Crichton and Crowne Plaza Hotels. Locality marketing through food products Hosted a visit to Caithness for 10 top end London Chefs. Won Contract to supply Ember Inn with Mey Selections Gourmet Burgers c. 200 outlets across the UK. Establishing a brand with nationwide recognition. Promoting Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire to a wider audience. Increasing awareness of the North Highlands. People are associating the North Highlands with quality food and drink.

14. What is NHP doing? National Retailer – Sainsbury’s Exclusive Partnership with Sainsbury’s to supply beef and lamb. Beef and lamb available on c. 70 in-store Butchery Counters. Signature ingredient in TTD Ready Meals and ITC Meals. Meals available in c. 600 stores across the UK. Approx. 17 million customers purchase a Ready Meal, per year. NHP worked with NHT and Visit Scotland to run an ‘on pack’ promotion. Competition to win a series of breaks in the Highlands – 4 hotels. Eight sided ‘fix a form’ featuring map of the Highlands, Hotels and Castle of Mey. Full page advert in Sainsbury’s Magazine.

15. What Value Does NHP Add? Offers hotels/ restaurants the chance to source the very best local ingredients – support local farmers and producers. Sustainable development of the region – support local economy. Returned c. £600,000 in premiums to farmers. Delivers consistent quality ingredients with full traceability. Brand with integrity and national awareness. Actively markets the region to the local, national and international market – increased awareness. Generates increased footfall to the area. Offers a ‘story’ with provenance, traceability and quality – premium can be charged generating additional revenue. Authenticated through Certificate

16. What Value Does NHP Add? Quality benchmark for chefs/ visitors. Positive dining experience. Encourages higher food standards in restaurants. Generates additional business for the Highlands – visitors and tourists. ‘Free’ marketing and PR for hotels & restaurants – website, local and national media. The opportunity to reach wider audiences through work with national operators – Sainsbury’s, Ember Inns and hotel chains.

17. Potential For Future Development Aspirations Highlands to become a destination for quality food and drink. Hotels and restaurants across the region sourcing locally. Food & drink producers becoming ‘visitor attractions’ in their own right. Establishments promoting Mey Selections on the menu to show their commitment to local, quality ingredients. Hotels and restaurants highlighting where food is from. A dedicated Mey Selections outlet – see product being made and make a purchase. Introduce and educate the next generation – North Highland College. Initiatives working together to maximise benefits – all NHT members sourcing ingredients from NHP.

18. Potential For Future Development Opportunities Include food and drink provision in any new developments – café, bistro, restaurant. Develop tourism packages around food and drink – Food of Love Weekend, Ackergill Tower. (Well Known Chef cooking gourmet meals using local ingredients – annual event) Utilise the local environment to entice tourists – catch your fish and cook it. Host Local Produce Markets and Farmer Markets in the Highlands. Represent Highland produce at Food Markets across the UK. Offer ‘Rural Learning Packages’ – baking, fishing and farming. Burghfield Hotel Develop redundant buildings into ‘foodie destinations’. Tourism and Food & Drink businesses to work together to maximise the benefits available. Cross-sell by utilising technology and resources available.

19. Potential For Future Development Barriers Remote location. Limited transportation links and infrastructure – rail network and flights. Climate - other destinations offer guaranteed weather conditions. Delivery logistics for transporting food and drink can be challenging. Hotels and restaurants are price sensitive – quality comes at a price! Need to understand the ‘value’ of marketing and investing in resources. Tourism trade is seasonal – restricted timeframe.

20. END Potential For Future Development Suggested Actions Tourism and food & drink industry must join forces and work together. Strive to achieve common goals – maximise the opportunity. Highlight food and drink as part of the tourism/visitor attraction. Encourage public employees to use outlets that menu local Food Include food & drink on the agenda for future events/festivals Support and work with local and national initiatives/ organisations. Focus on the market and opportunities outside of the Highlands. Food Tourism “lead” Body