Culinary coup continued for Scottish seafood until 2016

A continued deal struck with the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs) will see Scottish seafood remain at the forefront of Worldchefs’ activities for the coming two years, with Scottish salmon, and scallops on the menu in the Worldchefs leading culinary competitions held in every corner of the globe, a truly global opportunity for exposure.

As part of the agreement, the Scottish product will be used exclusively by over 100 of the world’s top chefs as they compete in the Global ChefsChallenge, which culminates in a grand finale in Athens at the 2016 Worldchefs Congress.

Charles Carroll, President of Worldchefs, said: “The Scottish Seafood Collaborative Group has been a supportive partner of Worldchefs and we are proud to announce our partnership once again. Scotland boasts a stellar reputation for its high quality seafood; and the industry’s commitment to sustainability in itsfishing and farming methods is highly respected around the world. As chefs, we naturally love working with great ingredients and produce. With Scottish seafood, we have more than the promise of premium seafood, we know they have also beenfished and producedwith worldly responsibly.”

The new deal has been agreed by the Scottish Seafood Collaborative Group, whose aim it is to promote Scottish seafood across the globe, and in particular, in China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

Graham Young, Head of Seafood Scotland, said: “We entered into the Worldchefs partnership two years ago, confident that the deal would offer the collaborative group and Scottish seafood industry the opportunity to develop deeper relationship with a recognised global network of top chefs - whose influence at a regional level is second to none.

“The key strengths of this partnership are the links to a wealth of culinary experts and the introductions to import distributors, restaurateurs and hoteliers. The partnership provides myriad opportunities to supply product for chefs to cook with and taste - and nothing works better than this in terms of proving how fantastic and top quality Seafood from Scotland really is.

The first deal to promote Scottish seafood through Worldchefs was agreed in 2012 and since that time:

Salmon and langoustine has been provided to over 100 of the world’s top chefs participating in the Global Chefs Challenge through seven heats and the finals

Worldchefs representatives have visited Scotland to see for themselves Scottish products from ‘Sea to Plate’, providing them with the knowledge to be able to confidently endorse Scottish seafood amongst World Chefs members.

Scottish seafood was directly promoted to over 10 million World Chefs members

Presentations on Scottish Seafood were delivered to regional Worldchefs congress groups in Europe and Asia

Deeper engagement was achieved with the global chef sector, leading to new partnerships and introductions in key markets. Specifically, engagement with the World Gourmet Summit (Singapore), All Japanese Chefs Association and the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic competitions at HOFEX Hong Kong were made possible through the Worldchefs relationship.

Scott Landsburgh, Chief Executive of Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) and Scottish Quality Salmon added: “Renewing our partnership with WACS strengthens international links to the world’s top chefs and hoteliers where Scottish provenance and quality can be at the forefront.

“With more than 10 million members worldwide, Worldchefs is very influential in the restaurant and catering sectors, particularly regarding top quality seafood and this ultimately enhances our reputation in world markets.

“Over the next two years we will continue to promote a greater awareness of Scottish salmon in new and developing markets. We are already seeing significant interest from the Far East as a result of the strong trade relationships built up over the years, and we anticipate this will grow with the added involvement of the WACS partnership.”

Graham Young concludes: “The relationships we have developed and the opportunities that have opened up to Scottish seafood over the last few years have really exceeded expectations. Working in partnership with Scottish Development International, we believe this ongoing sponsorship will raise the profile of our produce and help to boost overseas exports of Scottish seafood and so we have renewed the deal to continue this strong partnership until 2016.”

ends

Issued on behalf of the Scottish Seafood Collaborative Group by Clark Communications. For further information, please contact Lesley Brydon: 07771 630834 / lesley@clarkcommunications.co.uk.