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New North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards categories inspired by pandemic responses


By Alan Beresford

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THE adaptability and innovation demonstrated by north-east food and drink manufacturing businesses will be recognised in the sector’s benchmark awards this year.

Rachel Gambro, Food Tourism Ambassador for Aberdeenshire and awards judge and Jan Leatham, Tourism and Hospitality Manager at Lost Loch, the 2020 winner of the Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience. Picture: Karen Murray, First Pix.
Rachel Gambro, Food Tourism Ambassador for Aberdeenshire and awards judge and Jan Leatham, Tourism and Hospitality Manager at Lost Loch, the 2020 winner of the Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience. Picture: Karen Murray, First Pix.

The 2022 North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards have launched with two new categories reflecting the fast-evolving industry. The additional awards – E-commerce Success and Operational Excellence – will celebrate innovative businesses that have developed digital routes to market and grown their online sales and highlight significant gains in productivity and sustainability achieved through process change, digital transformation, advanced manufacturing and low-carbon production.

The 2022 Awards comprise of 12 categories overall, ranging from Best New Product (Emerging Business) to Best Distilled Product. They are open to all food and drink producers based in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray and are free to enter.

Delivered in partnership by Opportunity North East (ONE) and Aberdeenshire Council, the awards showcase the products and achievements of food and drink producers in the region of all sizes and at all stages. Entries are welcomed from established and new businesses and recognise the achievements and successes of the entrepreneurial food and drink community.

The sector employs more than 22,000 people in the north-east and turns over more than £2.2 billion a year.

Stanley Morrice, who chairs the food, drink and agriculture board at Opportunity North East, said: “Our region is synonymous with premium food and drink from land and sea. Agile, enterprising and innovative food and drink businesses – from industry leaders to scaling businesses and ambitious new starts – have brought new products to market and grown their sales, connected with customers and consumers via new channels, and enhanced their low-carbon production to contribute to net-zero targets over the past two years.

“The 2022 awards are a great chance for businesses to demonstrate how they have successfully addressed the opportunities and challenges of the fast-changing food and drink market. They recognise individual and collective achievements and increase awareness of products among buyers. We look forward to sharing some of the producers’ success stories with the sector and wider community and marking the contribution made by everyone who works in the industry.”

Rachel Gambro is one of Scotland’s Regional Food Tourism Ambassadors and judge of the Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience category.

She said: “Food and drink production is an essential part of north east Scotland’s economy, worth £2.2 billion and employing 22,000 within the region.

"I am delighted to undertake the role of ambassador for the region and am very much looking forward to seeing the range of brilliant work that will be submitted to the awards this year.”

Entries should be made via the website – www.nesfoodanadrinkawards.co.uk – which also contains guidance and support. The closing date is Monday, March 7 and winners will be announced at an awards presentation dinner on Thursday, June 9 at the Chester Hotel, Aberdeen.

The Awards is sponsored and supported by title sponsor ESS Support Services Worldwide, CMS, Scotland Food & Drink, Serco NorthLink Ferries, Skills Development Scotland and Strachans.



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