Hansard

I was delighted to hear that the Government had chosen the subject of food policy for today’s debate, and for a number of reasons.

First, I am one of those privileged individuals who is lucky enough to be able to say that I live to eat rather than eating to live. I am a self-confessed foodie, a bit like Orson Welles, although I am perhaps not the same shape yet. He once said:

“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”

JRR Tolkien also said:

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

I get where they are coming from. In fact, I am pretty jealous of people like Richard Bath and Ron Mackenna, who are food critics, and I get a real buzz out of going to food shows whenever I get the chance.

Secondly, and more important, I am hugely excited about the Scottish food industry’s potential and the fact that today’s debate gives us the chance to celebrate the fact that Scotland has the best quality food store in the world.

Thirdly, I frankly want to boast about the truly fantastic food businesses that operate in and around the Stirling area.

Fourthly, the debate provides us with the opportunity to recognise that, although Scotland is blessed with quality food products, it is not acceptable that in the 21st century in this rich country of ours food banks are needed to feed our poor. That need is increasing and it will be made worse, as Elaine Murray said, because of welfare reform.

Lastly, as has been so vividly demonstrated by the enough food for everyone if campaign, Scotland must play its part in ensuring that the 800 million people who live in hunger on this planet get enough to eat, and in ridding the world of the shameful statistic that more than 2 million children die each year simply because they cannot get enough to eat.

I will get back to the main reason why we are here today, which is to celebrate our fantastic food products, and the fact that the sales of Scottish food have rocketed in recent years. Of course, that has not happened by accident. As Alex Johnstone did, I commend the Scottish Government and Richard Lochhead for showing the leadership that has grown our reputation for quality around the world. Wherever around the world consumers see Scotland on the label, they are seeing the stamp of quality.

I also like the way in which we promote our products by playing to our key strengths at home and abroad on premium, strong and internationally competitive brands, on our reputation for naturally healthy food, and on the provenance, quality, authenticity and trustworthiness of Scottish products. The fact is that when quality and consistency are essential, Scotland delivers. For example, our farmers are renowned for producing some of the finest red meat—beef and lamb—products in the world.

We are leading the world in the export trade, and also domestically. The Scotbeef plant on the outskirts of Stirling has impressive state-of-the-art slaughter facilities and processes approximately 2,500 cattle or 15,000 lambs a week. On Saturday, I was pleased to pay a visit to a fantastic local butcher in Cambusbarron in my constituency. It is run by Michael More, and the purpose of my visit was to demonstrate my backing for Scotland’s independent butchers and farmers and the quality of their produce.

The big supermarkets are now scrabbling to do all that they can to demonstrate the traceability of their meat products, but the good local butchers have been carrying out that good practice all along. Michael More sources the majority of his beef and lamb from Caledonian Marts, which is a local farmers co-operative in the Stirling and Oban areas. Again, on Saturday—and I am about to allude to my diet and what I said earlier about the Forfar bridie—I purchased one of Michael’s famous steak pies in the sure and certain knowledge that I was buying a premium product of the highest quality and, my goodness, I was right.

If there are colleagues in the chamber who, like me, like nothing better than a good pie—members will notice a certain theme in what I am talking about—they should know that I recently lodged a motion to recognise the success of Cameron Skinner from Kippen at the recent 14th world Scotch pie championships. If anyone is ever passing near to Kippen, I assure them that stopping off to purchase Cameron’s pies or sausages will be well worth the effort.

As I said earlier, I like to go to food shows, and when I am there I always try to buy the fabulous products of Edenmill Farm, which is run by the Gibson family from a real butcher’s shop and smokery near Blanefield. Of course, the Stirling area has many other producers of top-quality products across the range of foodstuffs, but I have had time to highlight only a few of those today. The Deanston and Glengoyne distilleries—both are in my constituency—also contribute to our remarkable export record as a whisky area, and because of that I am quite delighted about what they do.

However, I would not like to miss the chance to recognise the Mhor group, which is a unique family-run business based in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park. From the establishment of the fabulous Monachyle Mhor hotel 20 years ago on the banks of the stunning Loch Voil—known as “The Daddy Cool of the Trossachs”—to the creation of Mhor fish, Mhor bread, Mhor farm and Mhor to your door, the company has simply continued to produce the finest food and hospitality that Scotland can offer.

In closing, I want to recognise the fantastic efforts made by the members of Forth Environment Link to promote and encourage local food growing and consumption. I admire their work hugely and I know just how hard they work at getting their message across. How do I know that? I was involved in setting up one of Scotland’s first ever farmers markets—in Perth—when I was a council leader. I know how hard it was to get that established and put on a firm footing, but such markets now happen across Scotland and I am delighted by that.

I will close with one quick quote. I began by quoting some historical figures and I will end with a contemporary quotation:

“What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn—I love it!”

So says Jamie Oliver, and so do I.

15:21