Growing value, growing reputation - Scotland Food and Drink

Growing value,
growing reputation

Foreword from the
Chairman & Chief Executive
Since 2007, Scotland’s food and drink industry has been flourishing. Driven
by the extraordinary skill, talent and entrepreneurial flair that lies at the
heart of our industry, sales of Scottish products at home and abroad have
grown beyond any of our estimations. This has all helped develop Scotland’s
reputation as a Land of Food and Drink.
We are proud that Scotland Food & Drink is an organisation at the heart of
this success. Our organisation was once just an aspiration. That was until
the main representative bodies covering food, drink, fishing and farming
came together and expressed a collective desire to work together to achieve
the potential of our sector. Five years on, the industry has a single strategy,
a single action plan and a collaborative model, working hand in hand with
the public sector.
Critically though, the organisation is a membership body, here to support
the growth of companies small, medium and large. We are the industry’s
voice and have committed ourselves to work tirelessly to create the operating
environment for our food and drink producers and member businesses to
prosper.
We have reviewed what we do as an organisation and what we deliver, based
on conversations with our members. This revitalised membership package is
the result and one we know we can deliver for you.
The journey since 2007 has been exciting; but in many ways, with the strong
and unique platform we have developed, our journey has only just begun.
Support us, work with us and together we can be proud of a sector that is
growing in value and growing in reputation. We can’t do it without you.
Ray Jones
Chairman
James Withers
Chief Executive

The industry’s voice to Government
With a close working relationship with Scottish Government Ministers and officials,
its enterprise agencies and regulators, Scotland Food & Drink plays a pivotal role
in representing the views of the industry. We are uniquely placed to influence, for
the better, the environment in which our member businesses operate.
The organisation now advises Government on how best to support and grow the
sector and, working closely with our members, we highlight the issues that need
to be tackled.
If you have issues that concern you or you believe need to be addressed, get involved
with the organisation and we will take your voice to the key decision makers.
Building our image
with consumers
The leading industry groups covering
red meat, salmon and whisky have
made great strides in promoting their
products, but not enough had happened
to promote our national produce as a
whole - until now.
We have developed Scottish Food &
Drink Fortnight into a major event every
September, and each May the industry
‘Oscars’ are presented to the winners
of the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence
Awards. Winning generates significant
PR for member companies and for
the industry as a whole. Our PR work
on behalf of the industry – at home
and overseas – will build demand for
premium products, the platform from
which your company can grow.
Helping you to find
the right support
In many ways, the nation’s food and
drink sector is fortunate in the level of
support that exists to help companies,
which Scotland Food & Drink has worked
hard with industry partners to put in
place over the past five years. However,
the landscape can often feel cluttered
and confusing with different bodies
doing different things. We are here to
help you make the most of that support
which exists and, crucially, to make the
world a little simpler to navigate.
Our expert staff have built up a huge
knowledge of the sector, understanding
where to go for the right help. If we
don’t have the answer to a question,
we invariably know who does. As the
organisation develops over time, our
ambition is that it becomes a ‘one-stopshop’
for food and drink businesses.
One organisation,
one strategy
In 2009, for the first time, a whole
industry strategy was launched for
the Scottish food and drink sector.
By bringing all the main trade
organisations and levy boards under
one roof, the collective strategy was
born, setting out a roadmap for
businesses of all sizes to flourish.
It is the strategy behind which
Government and its agencies have
aligned their activity.
Our action plan has particular work
streams around innovation, skills,
sustainability, export and UK market
development. All of this is focused on
increasing the sales of
Scottish food and drink
at home and abroad.
In so doing, we are
taking Scotland’s
reputation as a Land
of Food and Drink to
a whole new level.

Helping you grow your
business in the UK
As part of a membership organisation,
you need to feel the direct benefit of
membership in your own business. That
is why Scotland Food & Drink delivers a
series of programmes to increase your
own sales within the UK. Our Access to
Markets programme has been a flagship
project over the last few years. It has
worked directly with the major retailers
and food service companies to build
new relationships between them and
our members. From hugely successful
Meet the Buyer events, to more intense
Supplier Development Programmes and
presence at the major exhibitions, our
members have benefited from millions
of pounds worth of additional sales.
Additionally, our INSIGHTS market
intelligence team can work with you
to ensure you know the latest trends
in your category and arm you with the
information you need to exploit market
opportunities.
Helping to grow your
business abroad
Scottish Development International acts
as the international arm of Scotland
Food & Drink. Our international strategy
sets out clear opportunities in these
markets and we are now working with the
industry bodies that specifically cover
red meat, salmon, seafood and whisky
to develop even closer working to exploit
the opportunities that clearly exist.
Scotland Food & Drink has increased
its presence at the world’s biggest food
and drink shows, from Germany, France
and Belgium to Dubai, Boston and
Singapore. With discounted attendance
rates for members, many companies
have been able to go to international
shows for the first time.
Learning from others,
developing best
practice
One of the key benefits of Scotland Food
& Drink membership is the opportunity
to meet and learn from other businesses
in the sector. We host events throughout
the year where companies can interact
with each other. We also host events
which allow members to make the
most of the opportunities developing
in the sector, from innovative routes to
funding and investment, to cutting edge,
emerging technology in the industry.
This all represents why Scotland Food &
Drink exists and what we do. We are here to
forge a successful, profitable and sustainable
future for our members’ businesses with our
partners. In so doing, the nation’s food and
drink sector will go from strength to strength
and our reputation as a Land of Food and
Drink will be cemented.
However, we know that delivering specific
service to you is crucial too. So read on to
hear about the thousands of pounds worth
of benefits you can access as a member.

All of our services are developed with the aim of giving you a
competitive edge and helping you grow your business. Here
is just a selection of some of the benefits available to Scotland
Food & Drink members. The list is growing all the time so please
speak to your Business Development Manager who can advise
you on where to go to get the right support and how to use the
benefits below (see the back cover for contact details).
Being a member of Scotland
Food & Drink gives you access
to a wealth of benefits that you
just can’t get anywhere else.
Access to
Markets Events
The Access to Markets programme offers
you the opportunity to develop skills
and knowledge about your customers in
foodservice and retail, through a series
of workshops, training events and Meet
the Buyer opportunities. These events
have been held with the UK’s largest
food and drink buyers, from the major
supermarkets to middle ground retailers
and the main food service companies.
We have a rolling programme of very
successful Buyer Briefings, Meet
the Buyer events and more intensive
Supplier Development Programmes
which are aimed at helping companies
find new customers and grow UK
sales. Members get priority access and
preferential rates.
Insights – market
intelligence to give
you a competitive
edge
category against others and to break
out Scotland only data. This market
intelligence data would normally cost
thousands of pounds. Scotland Food &
Drink has recently expanded its breadth
of access to IGD Research to include
“ShopperTrack” (consumer attitudes and
behaviours), to complement the “Retail
Analysis” service. The INSIGHTS team
will disseminate summaries of relevant
pieces of research either in summary
format or via the regular publications
to our membership.
Free Brand Review
Scotland Food & Drink member Randak
Design offers Scottish food and drink
businesses a unique opportunity to
access their branding expertise. Having
worked with some of Scotland’s most
iconic brands, they offer members the
opportunity to participate in a two day
brand review.
From the simplest brand identity to
the most extensive brand management
Marketing Support
If you have a marketing problem that
you don’t know how to answer, we can
help. We work with Russell Ferguson
Marketing (RFM) to offer an internet
and phone helpline service for those
times when you just need some quick
answers to those thorny marketing
issues.
Free Website
Review and reduced
design rates
We work with D8, who are responsible
for our own website, to offer a free
review of your online communications to
identify cost-effective ways to strengthen
your brand, improve your customers’
online journey and increase profit from
the web. D8 is an integrated design
agency based in Glasgow, working across
print, digital and interiors/exhibitions,
with food and drink clients UK-wide.
Free ‘Mock’ VAT
Inspection
Our specialist Insights team can guide
strategy, Randak’s work in Scotland’s
Campbell Dallas Chartered Accountants
you through the often complicated world
food and drink sector covers brand
invite all members of Scotland Food
of market intelligence. With retailers
development, from name creation,
& Drink to undergo a free ‘mock’ VAT
and other major customers increasingly
positioning and Intellectual Property
inspection carried out by their expert
demanding category and product
Trademark protection through to
VAT department. In the food and
information from companies, our
structural design, bottle shaping and
drink sector there are a number of
Insights team is an invaluable support
packaging design – all as part of a
inconsistencies in the VAT treatment
network.
planned brand management programme
of certain products and categories of
to ensure consistent brand integrity for
products. In order to ensure compliance
Members can now gain access to
long-term success. Places are available
with VAT rules, the half day inspection
Kantar Worldpanel category data free
on a first come, first served basis and
will issue members with a high level risk
of charge, allowing them to track
are subject to company status.
report. This free service, worth up to
volume and spend changes across
£1,500, is exclusive to Scotland Food &
their own category, to benchmark their
Drink members.

Free “Sales
Manager for Hire”
Do you need help to review and develop
your sales strategy Not sure how to
approach a key multiple or food service
provider Scotland Food & Drink is
delighted to offer its members a day’s
free access to an industry expert (worth
£450) who can assist in a variety of
areas from negotiating with multiple
retailers to reviewing marketing
strategies and accessing practical
skills and know-how.
Our Sales Manager for Hire days are
provided by industry experts.
Discounts and
Support at National
and International
Exhibitions
Scotland Food & Drink provides
discounted stands in a prominent
branded pavilion and enhanced support
at a number of national exhibitions.
In addition, Scottish Development
International (SDI) offers preferential
rates for Scotland Food & Drink members
on exhibition costs at all international
exhibitions that they attend.
Refrigeration Support
and Carbon Trust
Loans Advice
ACE Refrigeration has a vast amount of
experience and an impressive customer
base, including food and drink companies.
Members can benefit from the following
free of charge:
• UK Site Survey to assess current
refrigeration use, gauging efficiency
improvements and cost savings.
• Eligibility assessment for Carbon Trust,
interest-free loans to finance and invest
in energy saving projects (from £3,000-
£500,000). Energy savings offset the
loan repayments (includes completion of
application form for Carbon Trust Loans
on customer behalf).
• Advice and design assessment of the
potential use of Enhanced Capital
Free Intellectual
Property Review
The value of and benefits to be gained
by a member from its intellectual
property cannot be underestimated –
but often are. Intellectual property takes
many forms including, amongst other
things, trade marks, patents, copyright,
database rights and know-how.
Scotland Food & Drink has been working
with leading Scottish law firm, McClure
Naismith LLP to assist in addressing this
issue. Together we have developed a user
friendly IP review questionnaire to assist
members with identifying the intellectual
property that is most important to their
business.
This represents an immediate cost
saving of approximately £1,000. In
addition, McClure Naismith will offer
discounted and/or capped rates for
future business.
Free Legal Advice
All members of Scotland Food & Drink
are entitled to one hour’s free legal
advice (worth £250) with top legal
firm Maclay Murray & Spens. This
service is offered from any of MMS’
offices (located in Aberdeen, Glasgow,
Edinburgh or London) and can also be
conducted via telephone conversations
if these locations are inconvenient.
This offering covers advice on any
legal matters that are of concern to
a member.
Free PR Advice
Members are entitled to up to £500
worth of free consultation with
3x1 Public Relations as part of our
member benefits package. This benefit
encompasses advice in a face to face
meeting or by telephone with a senior
consultant depending on location.
Further assignments qualify for a 10%
discount off the agency’s standard rate.
Business Mentoring
One of the main benefits of joining
Scotland Food & Drink is that you are
joining a network of businesses that
are committed to growing the food and
drink industry in Scotland. Your fellow
member companies have a wealth
of expertise in the food and drink
industry and many are keen to share
their expertise to help others grow. If
you or your colleagues have any issues
which would benefit from input from
other members or if you would like to
volunteer as a mentor, please get in
touch with us.
Research and
Development (R&D)
Tax Relief/Cash Back
This is a UK Government tax incentive
to encourage more R&D work to be
undertaken by UK businesses. For food
and drink companies this covers product
or process innovation. Most companies
are surprised at the range of activities
that can qualify for relief. Johnston
Carmichael are able to make claims
on behalf of Scotland Food & Drink
members and they have never had an
R&D claim rejected by HMRC. They have
recently achieved an extraordinary £3m
of accumulative R&D claims with more
than 20 companies.
Foreign Currency
Service
No1 Currency is an Edinburgh based
foreign currency specialist providing a
consultative and cost effective approach
to international bank transfers. They
produce a morning market update which
has a core focus on sterling against
the euro and US dollar. No1 Currency
looks to provide the most competitive
quotes possible for members’ currency
transactions. Typical savings for business
clients can be anywhere between 1% and
3% of the transaction value. Additionally,
they will waive all UK sending charges for
members, helping to further reduce the
cost of international payments.
Utility Savings
Managing Utilities provides a specialist
procurement and management
service in the deregulated utilities
and telecommunications market. They
provide Scotland Food & Drink members
with free independent advice in making
substantial savings on their gas and
electricity costs, as well as protecting
your business from the forecast longterm
price increases. Their approach
to cost savings, extensive experience in
the corporate commercial sector and
unrivalled relationships throughout the
supply chain enable them to deliver a
comprehensive service and add to your
bottom line.
Free E-commerce
Website Review
Scotland Food & Drink member
Webage is offering members a unique
opportunity to access their e-commerce
review. Analysis will cover a range of
items from navigation and imagery
to security and shipping policies.
Webage are already aware of the main
benchmark parameters so will very
quickly be able to ascertain where your
website is under performing.
Know the Law
Training Sessions
Ensuring your people know about the key
legal issues relevant to your business
can make it run more effectively. Brodies
LLP, corporate and commercial law
practice, believe in creating a culture of
sharing knowledge and up-skilling and
now offer a range of training sessions
and workshops to help Scotland Food
& Drink members achieve this. The
seminars and workshops are provided
free of charge. The Brodies team will
visit your office premises to deliver the
sessions.
Technical/Quality
Training & Quality
Systems Support
SFQC (Scottish Food Quality
Certification) specialises in the
inspection and certification of food
production, processing and service.
With accreditation requirements
becoming increasingly crucial to
customers, Scotland Food & Drink
members can benefit from a whole range
of discounts, such as a 10% renewal
discount for BRC-certified businesses, a
15% group discount for those that have
multiple businesses working with SFQC,
a 10% discount for carrying out organic
processing audits and certification and
a £150 discount for SME businesses
wishing to access SALSA mentoring.
Food Technology
Support
Need some help with any aspect of
product development Food Innovation@
Abertay is offering a 10% discount to
members on a variety of its services
including new product development
and reformulation; sensory analysis;
product analysis and shelf life
testing; food hygiene; food safety and
HACCP; marketing and consumer
research analysis; and food styling and
photography.
Product Development
Support
If you are thinking of developing a new
product or need to modify an existing
one, then you can take advantage of
hands-on help from an experienced
product development professional.
This service is focused on recipe
development and complements the work
of the Food & Health Innovation Service.
Members qualify for a discounted one
day consultation with our NPD expert
at a cost of £100. Any further work
undertaken will receive a 15% discount.
Environmental
Performance Review
Sustainable Food & Drink’s review
covers environmental initiatives, ways
to develop bespoke environmental
action plans and how to engage with
stakeholders. The consultancy available
through Sustainable Food & Drink will
help members with a range of services,
cutting costs and unnecessary wastage
to benchmarking performance.
Sustainable Food & Drink is based at
Glasgow Caledonian University and has
EU and Scottish Government funding
to help Scottish food and drink SMEs
improve their competitiveness by cutting
carbon footprints and unnecessary
environmental costs.
Allowance products (this can equate to
a discount on goods of up to 28%).

STAFF
James Withers
Chief Executive
james.withers@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0940
Kenny Martin
INSIGHTS Analyst
kenny.martin@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0944
Amanda Brown
Operations Manager
amanda.brown@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0942
Kathryn Mutch
Membership & Communications Executive
kathryn.mutch@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0949
Linda Chirnside
Office Manager & PA to CEO
linda.chirnside@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0940
Andrew Niven
INSIGHTS Manager
andrew.niven@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0946
Elaine Cox
Business Development
elaine.cox@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
07795 151838
Ann Picking
Sustainability Project Manager
ann.picking@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0943
Gillian Cullen
Finance Administrator
gillian.cullen@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0950
Stephanie Pritchard
Access to Markets Manager
stephanie.pritchard@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0948
Anna Davies
Communications & Marketing Manager
anna.davies@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0951
Fiona Richmond
Access to Markets - Food Service
fiona.richmond@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0947
Sophie Fraser
Marketing Executive
sophie.fraser@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
0131 335 0952
If you would like to learn more, please visit
www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org
Follow us on Twitter - @scotfooddrink
www.facebook.com/eatscottish
Debbie Tully
Business Development
debbie.tully@scotlandfoodanddrink.org
07917 355 918
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