Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon met with staff at the East Kilbride site

CCE invests £6M and signs Scottish business pledge

By Laurence Gibbons

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has invested £6M in its Scottish operations and signed up to the Scottish Business Pledge, in a bid to boost productivity, competitiveness and fair work.

Driving Scotttish economic growth: logistics makes a key contribution

Scotland’s growth depends on logistics

By Michael Stones

Efficient logistics are a key driver of growth in the Scottish economy, according to a new report from the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

Robert Graham (l) with Scotland’s rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead

Graham’s dairy invests £1M in spreadable butter

By Rod Addy

Graham’s The Family Dairy is pumping £1M into production facilities at its Aithrey Kerse Farm at Bridge of Allan in Scotland to boost spreadable butter capabilities and increase flexibility.

Scotland's food and drink sector is worth £13.9bn

Scottish food industry to get £70M

By Rod Addy

Scotland’s food industry will get £70M as part of the new Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014–2020, which is expected to receive formal EU approval shortly.

Swedish retailer ICA will stock Scottish red meat across the country

Scottish red meat to hit Swedish retail shelves

By Laurence Gibbons

Scottish red meat will be stocked on retail shelves across Sweden as part of a new deal between the country’s leading grocer and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

On the right rails? The Caledonian Sleeper service has pledged to support local food and drink businesses

Buy Scottish food, transport firms urged

By Michael Stones

Buy more Scottish food and drink is the message the government is sending to the nation’s airports, stations and ports in the form of an invitation to sign a new sourcing pledge.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze

G&J Jack fish factory saved by fire service

By Rod Addy

G&J Jack fish factory has escaped disaster thanks to the prompt actions and expertise of the local Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which battled a blaze at the Fraserburgh plant.

The Scots are drinking more alcohol and sugary drinks than UK average

Snapshot: Scotland’s NDNS results

Scots eat poorer diet compared with UK average

By Nicholas Robinson

Scottish consumers drink more alcohol, eat fewer fruits and vegetables and drink more sugary drinks than the rest of the UK, according to Scotland’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) results.

Martin and Claire Murray take delivery of Elizabeth, their new still for gin

Rock Rose gin from Britain’s most northern distillery

By Rick Pendrous

What is being claimed as the most northerly gin distillery on mainland Britain was commissioned last month, following the installation of a new still - christened ‘Elizabeth’ - in the custom-built distillery at Dunnet, Caithness.

Scottish food and drink firms could generate 10,000 extra jobs over the next five years

Food exports to drive 10,000 new Scottish jobs

By Michael Stones

Up to 10,000 new food and drink industry jobs could be created over the next five years thanks to Scotland’s rapidly rising exports, predicts a report from Bank of Scotland.

Scottish ministers have thrown their support behind an independent food safety body

MSPs support changes to Scottish food safety body

By Laurence Gibbons

Plans to replace the current Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland with a new Food Standards Scotland body have received the backing of Scottish health and sport ministers.

The strengh of Scottish food and drink brands was linked to a yes vote in the nation's independence referendum

Surge in Scottish brands linked to referendum vote

By Michael Stones

The Edinburgh government has claimed responsibility for a £513M surge in sales of Scottish food and drink, which it says underpins confidence in Scottish brands ahead of a yes vote in the nation’s independence referendum on September 18.

Scotland may well vote for independence on September 18, bringing years of political instability to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, warned Michael Portillo

Foodex 2014

England complacent on Scottish independence vote: Portillo

By Michael Stones

England seriously underestimates the prospect of Scotland voting yes to independence and the political instability that would bring, warns former cabinet minister and broadcaster Michael Portillo.

The Westminster government has been urged to enforce the mandatory fortification of bread and flour with folic acid across the UK

Call for UK-wide folic acid fortification

By Rick Pendrous

The government at Westminster is being urged to press ahead with mandatory fortification of bread and flour with folic acid across the UK in a bid to reduce neural tube defects in foetuses.

‘This has been a very challenging quarter,’ said 2 Sister's ceo Ranjit Boparan

Boparan Holdings losses widen to £27.5M

By Nicholas Robinson

Losses for Boparan Holdings, the holding company for 2 Sisters Food Group, have widened to £27.5M from £12.3M a year ago, as the company continued to cut costs and capital expenditure, a second quarter trading update has shown.

The Scottish government pledged to end 'the scourge of misleading information' about the origin of food

'We'll make food labelling clearer': Scottish government

By Michael Stones

Consumers in Scotland will receive far clearer information about the origins of their food, the Scottish government has pledged, after launching a new partnership yesterday (February 11) to deliver that promise.

Fergusson is expected to complete the review into the UK dairy industry by the spring

Scottish politician to lead dairy review

By Laurence Gibbons

Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and West Dumfries Alex Fergusson has been appointed as chair of the inaugural review of the Dairy Industry Code of Best Practice.

RBS has been accused of treating some small businesses 'horrendously' by a government adviser

RBS accused of ‘horrendous treatment’ of small firms

By Michael Stones

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been accused of “horrendous treatment” of some small firms, after it allegedly wrongly classified sound businesses in a high risk category in order to boost revenue.

The joint venture is expected to boost whisky exports by £3.6M over three years and to create 15 jobs

New £6.7M distillery to boost exports and jobs

By Michael Stones

Perthshire whisky distillery John Fergus & Co has teamed up with Indian alcoholic-beverages company Kyndal to invest £6.7M in a new Glenrothes distillery, which is expected to lead to exports worth £3.6M and to create 15 jobs.

Up to 400 new food and drink industry jobs will be created by the new business park over the next 10 years

400 new jobs to be created by new food park

By Mike Stones

A new food park near Perth in Scotland could create up to 400 jobs over the next 10 years after local councillors gave planning permission for a £8.7M investment last week.

2 Sisters took on Vion’s UK red meat and poultry business in March

2 Sisters development underlines Boparan’s shrewdness

By Rod Addy

Positive developments at 2 Sisters Food Group plants in Scotland and Wales are more evidence of ceo Ranjit Boparan’s shrewdness, according to industry commentator Julian Wild of law firm Rollits.

The Scotch Whisky Association is set to appeal against the ruling

Scotch whisky group appeals against minimum alcohol price ruling

By Lorraine Mullaney

The Scotch Whisky Association’s (SWA’s) legal challenge to Scottish government plans to set a minimum price for alcoholic drink has failed and the “disappointed” organisation will appeal against the judge’s decision.

Diageo is reviewing it Scottish operations

Diageo to cut 80 jobs in Scotland

By Lorraine Mullaney

Diageo is planning to “take 80 roles out of the business” as it restructures its management operations in in Scotland.