#fooddrinkCDN
With over 25 interactive stands to visit, over 400 delegates were treated to cooking demonstrations, learned how to extract DNA from a strawberry, found out about seafish and seaweed … and even had the chance to taste bugs!
Food and Drink Key Facts
Scotland’s food and drink industry:
• Dynamic and growing over £14bn & Exports up 56%
• Scottish food & drink manufacturing growth rate twice the UK average
• Central to Scotland’s economy – supporting the whole supply chain from farmers and fishermen to local consumers and visitors.
• Increasing importance of local food and drink (est. £600m)
• Ambitious for the future
• People and skills – key pillar of growth
The challenges:
• An ageing workforce
• An image problem
• Skills shortages in technical disciplines e.g. food science and technology and engineering
• Need to attract the best talent to our industry through a pipeline of employment-ready individuals
• Retain and develop our workforce
The opportunities:
• 27,000 job openings in next 10 years at SCQF Level 7 and above
• The long-term shift towards occupations requiring higher-level skills and qualifications is set to continue.
• Foundation Apprenticeship in Food & Drink
• Graduate Level Apprenticeships
• Modern Apprenticeship Programme 12,000 pa –‘earn while you learn’
• Skills shortages in scientific, engineering and technical disciplines – STEM
Ambition 2030
• People and Skills – Key Pillar of Growth
What does ‘Scottish food and drink’ mean to you?
‘The variety – we have everything here in Scotland’
Tom Kitchin, The Kitchin, Chef/Owner‘It epitomises quality, freshness and a unique sense of being’
Victor Contini, Scottish Café, Owner/Founder‘The best larder in the world’
Andrew Radford, Timeberyard, Chef/Owner
Keynote speaker: James Withers, Chief Executive, Scotland Food and Drink
James Withers provided an inspirational keynote speech motivating delegates with the clear vision:
‘It’s 2030 and farming, fishing, food & drink is Scotland’s most valuable industry, recognised at home and abroad as a model of collaboration and a world leader in responsible, profitable growth.