Opportunity for food and drink producers

Events aimed at identifying new links

LOCAL food and drink producers and retailers in Caithness and Sutherland are being invited to two events in Thurso and Dornoch to explore and discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration.
The events, which will both be held on Tuesday 21 January, are part of a series of local meetings taking 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.
Similar well attended events have already taken place in Skye, Lochaber and Wester Ross. 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 21 January will find the results of the survey intriguing and enlightening.”
The Thurso event takes place in the Caithness Horizons Centre from 2pm – 4pm and the Dornoch event will be on the same day at the Burghfield House Hotel from 7pm-9pm and 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 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.”
Anyone living in Sutherland interested in coming along but who may not be able to get to Dornoch on the 21st January is invited to an event next month in Lochinver Village Hall on Tuesday 4 February from 1.00-3.00pm. The other final events in February will take place in Dingwall Mart on Tuesday 4 February from 7-9pm and the Grant Arms in Grantown on Thursday 6 February from 2-4pm.
For further information please contact Davie MacLeod on 07867 646273.