UK trade minister Douglas Alexander has praised the recent successes of East Lothian food and drink brands.
The comments by Alexander, who is the Member of Parliament for Lothian East, come after local companies Brose Oats, Chocolate Tree, Belhaven Smokehouse, and Buck & Birch took home top awards at the recently held ScotHot Innovation Awards in Glasgow which celebrate the best of Scotland’s food, drink, hospitality, retail, and tourism.
Douglas Alexander, Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security in the UK Government, said: “I’m delighted that East Lothian businesses enjoyed so much recognition at this year’s ScotHot Innovation Awards.
“This latest success further underlines the County’s status as one of the leading areas in Scotland’s excellent food and drink industry. I will always support local producers as they continue to enhance East Lothian’s outstanding reputation in the sector.”
Brose Oats produces a range of oat milks, Chocolate Tree makes organic artisan chocolate, Belhaven Smokehouse specialises in smoked salmon and trout, and Buck & Birch’s range of drinks are formulated from local, foraged ingredients.
Co-founder Rupert Waites of Buck & Birch, which won the Gold award at ScotHot, said: “There is a collective feeling that East Lothian food and drink brands are not only gaining traction in Scotland and across the UK, but also internationally, and we’re excited about our prospects in export markets.”
Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “We know that our regional food groups play a pivotal role in the growth of Scotland’s food and drink industry as a whole, and East Lothian has certainly become a premier destination for food tourism too, providing a great range of opportunities for visitors to enjoy Scotland’s world-class, heritage-driven food and drink.
“Encompassing sea, coastline, and rolling farmlands, the area’s reputation for high quality produce has gone from strength to strength, and I’m sure we will see many more success stories in the years to come.”
Separately, local Scots entrepreneur George Mackintosh, who owns historic farm development Papple Steading near Haddington, will be featuring Brose Oats, Chocolate Tree, Belhaven Smokehouse, and Buck & Birch at the luxury retreat that has hosted some of the world’s biggest brands, businesses, and celebrities since it opened its doors in 2022. Last year, Papple was voted one of the top luxury retreats in the UK.
George Mackintosh said: “East Lothian has become a magnet for tourism and we regularly host businesses and individuals from every corner of the planet. While they’re here, we want to showcase the county’s incredible food and drink and its provenance.”
Mackintosh also points to the role played by Queen Margaret University (QMU), which opens an Innovation Hub later this year, in supporting food and drink brands in East Lothian: “QMU should take a lot of credit for driving innovation in the sector, building on its 150-year history in food sciences.”
