What’s in store at Scotland’s Speciality Food Show in 2019?

What’s in store at Scotland’s Speciality Food Show in 2019?
Here’s what to look forward to at the 11th edition if this popular fine food and drink festival

With around four months to go until Scotland’s largest trade sourcing event in the speciality food market, industry specialists are beginning to buzz with excitement. Coming off an unprecedentedly busy summer period, with Scottish soil received a record number of foreign tourists, the show will take place over the course of three days, from 20th-22nd of January. A joint effort between Scotland’s Food Show in Glasgow and the Speciality Food Show in Edinburgh, the show will take place at Glasgow’s SEC.

One of the show’s features is the Launch Gallery, which uses a different stand fitting system to allow it to stand out in the show and is subsidised by the show to lower entry barriers for young companies, with the aim of giving a platform to innovative new companies to showcase their products. The Launch Gallery in 2019 will present exciting companies like Fife-based Coul Brewing Co, Isle of Skye Smokehouse, Perthshire-based Birken Tree birch water, Chocolates of Glenshiel, Pittenweem Preserves and Genius Brewing, and will feature an extended area to account for the increasing amount of start-ups out there.

The show will feature new faces like Hungry Squirrel, Strathearn Cider, Deans of Huntly, Seedlip Drinks, Ice and Fire Distillery, Just Crisps and the Dessert Depot along with returning members like The Little Herb Company, Chrystals Shortbread, Greencity Wholefoods, Cottage Delight and The Cress Co. 1,000 trade buyers from a range of delis, food halls, restaurants, hotels, and department stores have signed on to pay a visit to the show.

The show promises not only hundreds of stands of high quality Scottish food and drink, but has multiple events scheduled throughout in the Seminar Theatre, from workshops and seminars to talk, all proffering advice from experts about the industry. As always, the show will present the well-received Best Product Awards. Michelle Wilkinson of The Very Lovely Sauce Co said of the show, “This is a must attend annual event for me as it allows me to catch up with existing customers, as well as meet new customers and more importantly have more people sample my products and give feedback.”

Already the show has sold around 75% of its available stands, with 150 stands booked by Scottish food and drinks producers from across the market: bakery, gift food, cheese, meats, chutneys, spirits, beers, confectionery, and more, as well as leaders in the food presentation market: lighting, packaging, refrigerating. For more information about the show or about how to sign up, visit scotlandsspecialityfoodshow.com.

According to Mark Saunders, show director, “Demand for stands at Scotland’s Speciality Food Show is high, with a great range of producers and most notably regional food and drinks stands, such as The Shetland Islands, The Orkney Isles and Invest Northern Ireland. This year Tuesday will be dedicated to the Food Show with many extra activities, such as a Dragon’s Den style session and other foodie seminars. Following the rare good weather this summer and swarms of tourists, food outlets across Scotland will be in a good position to re-stock and search out those gems that their customers will love.”