Sector valued at £19 billion as conference targets £30 billion by 2030
Key buyers from major retailers including Aldi, Sainsbury’s and ASDA are set to meet more than 250 Scottish food and drink business leaders in Aberdeen at the Scotland Food & Drink Industry Conference. The conference will be held at the P&J Live arena in Aberdeen for the first time on 3 March 2027. Producers from across Scotland have been invited to meet major buyers and figures from retail, food service, hospitality, government, enterprise agencies and growth partners.
Scotland’s food and drink sector is currently valued at a record £19 billion, a total that the Scotland Food & Drink Industry Conference 2027 aims to increase to £30 billion by 2030. The conference will feature speakers on growth topics including accessing new markets, growing shelf-space for Scottish products, net zero, and succession planning. The speaker line-up combines sector experts from leadership organisations, heads of Scottish food and drink businesses, and major retailers.
Attendees will be the first to access new trends data, as well as the chance to connect with key potential buyers. Research from The Knowledge Bank, Scotland Food & Drink’s insights hub, found that 51% of Scots said “made in Scotland” provenance was important to them, and 87% want to be able to buy more food and drink produced in Scotland. The Knowledge Bank also found that 56% of people in the UK outside of Scotland would like to be able to buy more Scottish food and drink products when grocery shopping.
Iain Baxter, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Our sector has an £11 billion in potential growth between now and 2030. To achieve that we need to match the ambition of our businesses with the practical tools they need to seize on the opportunity.” He added: “The Scotland Food & Drink Industry Conference in March is a unique opportunity for businesses to be part of the conversation around the future of our sector and empower them with insights, connections, practical guidance and inspiration to realise this growth potential.”
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Baxter also said: “Our sector is unique in its collaboration and shared determination to grow and make Scotland the best place in the world to own, operate or work in a food and drink business. Our £19 billion valuation is a positive reflection on the endeavour and entrepreneurial spirit of our business leaders, but as global appetites for the premium products we produce grows, we have to be prepared to take advantage of that demand.”
ONE Seedpod has been confirmed as headline partner for the event. Alan Thorpe, Director of ONE Food & Drink, said: “We are excited about partnering with Scotland Food & Drink to bring this conference to Aberdeen for the first time. ONE SeedPod is Scotland’s innovation hub and located just up from the conference venue, so we’re looking forward to showing a national audience the exciting innovation and development happening here in the north east of Scotland.”
Tickets for the Scotland Food & Drink Industry Conference 2027 are available at industryconference.foodanddrink.scot.
