North east Scotland has the ingredients to create a world-class gourmet food and drink festival, highlighting the region's quality products and attracting more visitors.
Opportunity North East (ONE) and leaders within the region's hospitality and food, drink and agriculture sectors want to realise this potential.
Food tourism celebrates regionality, provenance and authentic experiences and bolsters the visitor economy. With sustainability now at the forefront of everyone's minds, it is essential to show visitors the full provenance story, from field to fork and grain to glass.
The region has high-value signature food and drink products with great heritage behind them. Combined with the region's offering of established visitor attractions and experiences, which draw international audiences, and the high-quality hotel accommodation, these strengths provide great potential for food tourism experiences in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
The aspiration is to create a gourmet food festival which will:
- showcase the region's produce to the UK and international audiences;
- attract high-value visitors to the area;
- inspire young people to engage with the region's food and drink sector and to consider careers in food and drink and hospitality; and
- encourage people locally to discuss the journey of their food and to look for sustainable, locally sourced produce.
Opportunity North East Ltd
11 Queens Gardens
Aberdeen
AB15 4YD