Food and drink events in Dingwall, Lochinver and Grantown for producers and buyers

23rd January 2014

Local food and drink producers and retailers are being invited to three events at the start of February in Lochinver, Dingwall and Grantown on Spey to explore and discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration.

The events, which take place in Lochinver and Dingwall on Tuesday 4 February and Grantown on Thursday 6 February, are the final ones in a series of local meetings that have taken place across the Highlands organised by the Think Local project which aims to facilitate constructive discussion about forging closer partnerships in the local food and drink sector.

Think Local Project Co-ordinators Sarah Allen and Davie MacLeod have been running online surveys to complement the meetings and to find out more about business needs and to identify any barriers to growth so they are looking forward to coming along to discuss the findings.

Sarah said: “These meetings will give us the chance to feedback what producers have told us about supplying food and drink locally and also what retailers and the hospitality trade have told us about buying local food and drink. We want to thank everyone who has taken part in our on-line survey and I am sure the food and drink producers and buyers coming along on the 4th and 6 February will find the results of the survey intriguing and enlightening.”

The Lochinver event takes place in the Village Hall on Tuesday 4 February and runs from 1.00-3.00pm. The Dingwall event also takes place on Tuesday 4 February and will be held in the Dingwall Mart from 7pm-9pm. The Grantown meeting takes place on Thursday 6 February in the Grant Arms from 2-4pm. Anyone who is interested in the local food and drink sector is welcome to attend.

North, West and Central Sutherland Ward Member and Vice Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning, Environment and Development Committee, Councillor George Farlow is delighted that The Highland Council is supporting the project. He said: “These meetings are an opportunity to bring together crofters and farmers alongside restaurateurs, retailers, B&B providers and hoteliers to see if they want to pursue some of the issues raised. The Highland Council will be looking at all the findings in detail once all the meetings have taken place to see what needs to be done to support local activities in the food and drink sector.”