Press release -
Taste of Aber-dine
A group of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire tourism organisations has become the first recipient of a cash award from the VisitScotland Food and Drink Growth Fund, it was announced today (Tuesday 27 January).
The Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Year of Food and Drink Partnership, comprised of VisitAberdeen, Visit Royal Deeside, Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership, Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Partnership and Aberdeenshire Council, has been given £20,000 to boost the marketing of local produce during the Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015.
The announcement comes as VisitScotland teams up with Aberdeenshire Council and Scottish Enterprise to host a regional Year of Food and Drink Reception at Woodhill House this evening.
The reception will give businesses a chance to network with key contacts from both the tourism and food and drink industries.
The Aberdeen City and Shire Year of Food and Drink Partnership aims to showcase the region’s abundance of quality fresh and seasonal produce, including Aberdeen Angus Beef, seafood, ice cream, cheese, whisky, beer and fruit, against the backdrop of stunning scenery, rich heritage and traditional local culture.
Its marketing will include the launch of a dedicated website, online advertising and a series of press trips, while events such as Turriff Show, Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, Taste of Grampian and Royal Deeside Food & Fiddle Fortnight will also be promoted throughout the year.
Group spokesman Peter Medley, Marketing Director for VisitAberdeen said:
“Our food and drink, from beef and seafood to whisky and beer, is a huge part of the overall visitor experience. Restaurants and hotels are starting to think about menus that use local produce and we are also encouraging businesses to sign up to VisitScotland’s Taste Our Best scheme. Our unique collaboration, boosted by money from the VisitScotland Growth Fund, will help us to promote the very best that this region has to offer.”
Riddell Graham, Director of Partnerships at VisitScotland, said:
“The Year of Food and Drink Growth Fund allows us to build partnerships across Scotland to ensure visitors and locals get to experience the best of Scotland’s larder.
“With so many fantastic places to eat in the region, such as Moonfish Café and Eat on the Green, not to mention a huge array of festivals, Aberdeen City and Shire is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the Year of Food and Drink.
“The Growth Fund encourages tourism businesses to work together and I would like to congratulate the Aberdeen City and Shire Year of Food and Drink Partnership on receiving this award, which will help them to shine a spotlight on this region’s fantastic offering.”
Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said:
“I am pleased that ‘Aberdeen City and Shire Year of Food and Drink Partnership’ has been awarded £20,000 from the VisitScotland Food and Drink Growth Fund which will help increase awareness of the exceptional local produce.
“The Year of Food and Drink is a great opportunity to build on the success of Homecoming 2014, and inspire the people of Scotland and our visitors to celebrate the world famous food and drink we produce all across the country. I would also encourage other businesses and organisations across Scotland to look for opportunities to join in the many events celebrating the Year of Food and Drink.”
Applications for the Year of Food and Drink Growth Fund are now closed, but businesses interested in applying for money through the VisitScotland Growth Fund can find out more at www.visitscotland.org
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- year of food and drink
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/foodanddrink
