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

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD & DRINK TO THE TOURISM SECTOR

David Whiteford, Chairman

North Highland Initiative

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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’.

The Importance of Food & Drink• 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.

Danny Miller, Chairman of NHP

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

Inverness Airport – ExampleINVERNESS 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.

Promotional Panel

Menu

Retail Display Unit

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.

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.

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

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.

Potential For Future DevelopmentAspirations

• 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.

Potential For Future DevelopmentOpportunities• 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.

Potential For Future DevelopmentBarriers

• 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.

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

END