Fyne Ales – one of the UK’s most effective brands
Fyne Ales, a Scottish brewery on the banks of Loch Fyne in Argyllshire has been named as one of the UK’s most effective brands.
With just seven employees, Fyne Ales held off a host of well known names to win the Design Business Association’s GOLD award for design effectiveness.
The redesign packaging and labelling for its specialist beers was judged to be more effective than those designed for the likes of Guinness, Fairy Liquid and Cadbury’s Buttons.
Fyne Ales was started ten years ago by Jonny Delap and his wife Tuggy on the family dairy farm. On St Andrews Day 2001 the first batch of ale was brewed. Fyne Ales Scottish beers are still made using water sourced from a burn above the brewery overlooking Glen Fyne and the head of Loch Fyne. Over the years, despite winning many quality awards Fyne Ales struggled to find high street sales outlets. Then, with a minimal budget of less than £7,000 Fyne Ales commissioned Glasgow agency Good Creative to redesign the packaging and labelling. Since the redesign sales have more than doubled and the company has been awarded distribution deals with Oddbins. Waitrose and the beers are sold in Wetherspoons pubs.
Jamie Delap, son of the late Jonny Delap, is now chief executive of Fyne Ales. Quoted as saying “The rebrand is the most important thing we have ever done”, Jamie anticipates a further doubling of sales in the next 12 months and is negotiating export opportunities to Hong Kong and Sweden.
News info:
http://forargyll.com/2010/09/fyne-ales-sees-sales-double-and-export-market-on-fast-track/
Scottish Producers call for Hospitality Trade to Source Local
On Monday 28th February, at Scotland’s largest hospitality show, ScotHot 2011, local producers rallied to persuade Scottish hotels and restaurants to make the most of Scotland’s rich natural larder and source local.
ScotHot is Scotland’s largest trade show for the hospitality sector and over 8,000 representatives from across the sector converged on Glasgow SECC to view the servies and produce on exhibition. This year Scotland Food & Drink and East Lothian Food & Drink showcased some of the best produce from established brands and small family businesses and artisan producers. This collaboration between producers reflected the growing importance and demand from visitors to Scotland who want to experience the ‘real Scotland’ through our national food and drink.
Recent research concluded that visitors are prepared to spend on average seven percent more on food and drink when visiting businesses offering an authentic ‘Taste of Scotland’ based on quality local produce. This could boost visitor spend on food and drink to £800 million annually, second only to spend on accommodation. Continue Reading >>
Ambassador Award for Claire Macdonald from Scottish Farmers
Claire Macdonald, one of Scotland’s favourite cooks, has been awarded the prestigious Ambassador Award by the National Farmers’ Union.
This prestigious award was presented to Claire Macdonald at the National Farmers’ Union’s annual dinner. Now in its third year the award is presented to the individual who the NFU believe has contributed the most to communicating Scottish food throughout the world. This is the first time the award a non-journalist has received the award. Clare’s focus is food rather than the farming sector. Continue Reading >>
Give Vouchers from Alba Fishing
Unsure what to land that lovable angler in your life, the birthday gift for friends or family? Alba Fishing have the answer…their fly fishing vouchers make a perfect gift with a DVD inside showing exactly what a day with Alba is all about. Alba guaranteed a two day delivery from date of order.
Expert or novice, young or not so young, male or female – Alba Game Fishing Voucher offers a memorable luxury fly fishing experiences for all and Alba Fishing uses exclusive locations so your loved one will really feel special and privileged. Costs start at £50 – see web site for full details
Ubiquitous Chip Wine Tasting Dinner – Languedoc Region
An exciting evening of Wine and food inspired by The Languedoc Region of Southern France in the company of Vincent Goumard of Mas Cal Demoura is being hosted at Glasgow’s Ubiquitous Chip restaurant. The menu will feature onion and mountain ham fougasse, Catalan oxtail, bourride with homage to Scottish seafood, Confit goose and home-cured Toulouse sausage cassoulet and Creme Catalan with cinnamon biscuit
Mas Cal Demoura is situated in the small but prestigious AOP of Terrasses de Larzac on a site which merits the title of Grand Cru du Languedoc. The Domaine has already attracted very impressive press coverage.The vineyards produces five grape varieties in almost equal parts: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault. The average age of the vines is 25 years and some are considerably older.
Isabelle and Vincent Goumard are committed to producing wines that respect the environment from which they come and express both their terroir and their personalties. In the vineyard they treat organically and harvest manually.
More information : http://www.ubiquitouschip.co.uk/
Thursday 24th February at 7.00pm - £45.00 per person – Tel: 0141 334 5007
The Scottish Foodie – In Print
The Scottish edition of Foodies magazine hit the shelves and coffee tables of Scotland’s food enthusiasts in January. An A5 sizes glossy publication, it stood out amongst the plethora of free style and fashion magazines that cover the counters of coffee shops, deli, health clubs etc.
This Scottish edition was packed with inspirational recipes from local and celebrity chefs, lots of news from Scotland world of food and drink including restaurant reviews, new openings and seasonal inspirations. Look out for it next time you’re sipping your flat white, expresso or double latte
The latest online version of Foodies includes articles on Master Chef Claire Lara, Celebrity Chef Gino D-acampo and Crinan Hotel in Argyll.
Claire Lara:
http://www.foodies-magazine.com/meet-the-chefs/274-masterchef
Brewhaha brings ‘Brew’s the Daddy’ Home
Brewhaha, the young Glasgow based tea company, has just launched a range of Super Teas in the UK. The new range offers ten different types of Super Tea which claim to counter the effects of issues like lack of sleep and overindulgence.
The Brewhaha Super Tea range which includes Rose Tea, All-Day Caffeine Free Tea and the uniquely named Brew’s the Daddy has already been launched in the US with great success and recently won a Food Oscar at the great Taste Awards. Brewhaha owner Joanne McLeod is aiming to promote throughout the UK in delis and stores such as Harvey Nichols and will use the concept of ‘pop-up’ tearooms across Glasgow and other Scottish locations.
Joanne’s “tea room with a twist” in Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries serves a wide range of teas, including the Brewhaha Rose Tea which has developed a cult following and is a favourite with actors Jude Law and Jonny Lee Miller.
It is only six years since Joanne launched Brewhaha from her kitchen table in Glasgow. Joanne beleives that tea is a multi-generational drink that needed to refresh its image.
“Brewhaha is all about making tea fun again and young people were the first to catch on, with students holding Brewhaha tea dances and parties. During his time at St Andrews University, Prince William bought Brewhaha from his local deli.”
Further details on Brewhaha Web Site >>>
The Brewhaha Super Tea range has already been launched in the US with great success and recently won a Food Oscar at the great Taste Awards. Brewhaha owner Joanne McLeod is aiming to promote throughout the UK in delis and stores such as Harvey Nichols and will use the concept of ‘pop-up’ tearooms across Glasgow and other Scottish locations.
Joanne’s “tea room with a twist” in Glasgow
Protect our Stornoway Black Puddings!
Mor Macleod, 95yrs old Mor Macleod is one of the stars of a BBC film on Stornoway Black Pudding which reports on a bid to protect the genuine Stornoway Black Puddings from imitators.
In the BBC film, Mor Macleod shares her traditional method for making the dish at her home in Brue, on the island of Lewis. Known in Gaelic as marag dubh, black pudding has been a favourite on the Island for many years. The campaign is intended to persuade the European Union to protect the geographical origin of Stornoway black pudding in the same way as Cornish Pasties, Stilton Cheese and Arbroath Smokie. (There’s still hope for Glasgow’s Tikka Masala)
Local butchers Charles Macleod have been making ‘Charlie Barley’ puddings for over 50 years. If the campaign is successful then anything labelled Stornoway black pudding would have to be made on Lewis to the current high standards of Stornoway’s butchers.
See also: Stornoway Black Pudding Bible
Chef’s Chefs – A Scottish Chef’s Resources
A welcome addition to the Scotland’s online food resources is the Chef’s Chefs web site currently focuses on the Scottish Hospitality industry.
With Scotland renowned for its wealth of fresh food produce and top class cuisine with 16 Michelin starred restaurants, the web site originators thought Scotland was an ideal starting point.
Chef’s Chef is an innovative resource for chefs and food lovers enabling them to give opinions of establishments, read the latest articles on kitchen techniques and equipment and to exchange recipes and new food ideas. Their articles on aphrodisiacs, Mediterranean thighs and the 20+ job adverts shows the wide range of interest covered on the web site.
Whether your a foodie, a chef or a restaurant owner it is definitely one to check out.
Sourcing Scottish Food Overseas
It is encouraging to see the growth of small enterprising companies exporting uniquely Scottish food overseas. In recent months we have featured Edinburgh’s Foodieboxes, Cocoa Mountain in Sutherland and the record worldwide exports of Tunnocks . The latest outlet to be spotted by Taste-of-Scotland.com is Scottish Food Overseas. A small but enterprising online resource Scottish Food Overseas offers to export over a dozen types of haggis, Scottish cheeses, food hampers and even a copy of the Scottish Daily Record! (Wot? No Broons?)
http://www.scottishfoodoverseas.com
NOTE: We get regular requests for sources of Scottish food overseas. Our latest was a request from Cyprus for Scottish cheese. It is our intention to create a directory page with links to international sources. So, if you know if a reputable supplier of Scottish produce to overseas destinations please get in touch and leave a comment.
Hotel Du Vin – Scottish Events
The chefs, sommeliers and GM’s at Hotel du Vin Glasgow and Edinburgh have devised a series of food and drink events showcasing wines and local produce. A clever idea which will attract new clientele and promote the hotel’s suppliers.
A Winter Barbecue
The Edinburgh Hotel du Vin is holding a winter barbeque on Friday 25th March. Showcasing homegrown and local produce from Peelham Farm this is billed as an ‘all you can eat pork buffet with plenty of cider’. Warm blankets and appropriate heating will be provided. It should prove a real crowd puller so we suggest you book early to be sure of your place in the queue. Cost £35 per person.
Glasgow Cheese Saturdays
By the time you read this the Cheese Saturday may already have been enjoyed by a lucky few. Pierre from Clarks Cheese and Hotel du Vin’s Chef Sommelier Laurent are scheduled to host a cheese and wine tasting afternoon in the bistro at Hotel du Vin Glasgow on 12th February. Price £15 per person.
Keep an eye out for events at the Hotel du Vin corporate events site:
Well done Hotel du Vin!
