Hansard

Sitting in the chamber yesterday afternoon, I realised how much this nation has changed since I came to the country. This Parliament is responsible for a lot of those changes and, as we have heard this afternoon, the cabinet secretary is responsible for a lot of the good changes that have happened in the food and drink sector.

With the change of First Minister, yesterday was an historic day. We witnessed a modern leader taking charge of a modern Scotland. Scotland’s new First Minister is a great communicator—she is always seen with her mobile phone in hand—and she might be able to help the cabinet secretary to promote the best of our local food. STV Aberdeen tweeted yesterday that our iconic north-east delicacy the rowie, or the buttery for people who do not know their loons from their quines, is now available as a phone cover. The iRowie is born, and it is an affa fine phone cover. A few warnings come with the iRowie: “Do not spread jam on this cover,” “Do not grill lightly,” and, “Do not eat. It will not taste good.”

This modern nation of ours is innovative when it comes to food and drink and has started to rediscover its food tradition. All who are involved in food production are adapting the fantastic food and drink that we have to modern Scotland. We are becoming a good food nation.

I have spent most of my adult life in the food industry in Scotland, and where better to taste the best food that we have to offer than the north-east? Members will find many rowies at the taste of Grampian food festival, which is held every year at the Thainstone centre in Inverurie. Maureen Watt was right when she said that I would talk about that. This year, I helped Jimmy Buchan, the star of the BBC’s “Trawlermen” documentary, to cook Scottish langoustines in the seafood marquee. It was great to see Jimmy sharing his extensive knowledge of seafood with many young families who live in the north-east. The seafood marquee attracts huge crowds and is incredibly popular.

Food champions such as Jimmy, skipper of the Amity II, and Peter Bruce, skipper of the Budding Rose, promote seafood in schools under Seafood Scotland’s seafood in schools programme, reaching tens of thousands of pupils every year. That is how we best promote the industry to future generations. We must ask the fishermen, the farmers, the food processors and the experts, and this Government is doing just that.

Despite my best efforts this year and in the past few months to promote free-range Scottish chicken, the industry in Scotland is in trouble. We heard a few weeks ago that major retailers would not renew their contracts to buy free-range Scottish chicken. I thank NFU Scotland for its briefing, and I agree that food producers are unfairly disadvantaged due to top-down imbalances in profit distribution from large retailers to producers. As Rob Gibson stated, the issue is about social justice for rural Scotland. When the best of Scottish produce cannot reach our local supermarket shelves, we all suffer. I ask the cabinet secretary to do everything in his power to help chicken farmers in the north-east such as Bob Hay from Turriff.

International demand for Scotland’s food and drink is growing. We must thank Richard Lochhead for that, as he has travelled the world with our food producers, opening up new markets for Scottish produce. This modern nation of ours is not only rediscovering its food tradition but passing it on to future generations. We are becoming a good food nation. We need to both celebrate our food and drink heritage and promote our innovations.

The food and drink sector is an integral part of our culture and our identity. I learned that when I was very young. As the cabinet secretary said, France is one of the most recognised good food nations, and in my home town of Dijon in Burgundy, the food and drink sector is celebrated every year at the foire gastronomique. It is the biggest event in the year for the region, with more than 200,000 visitors. It is on a par with our Royal Highland Show. My love of food will always be associated with the good family times that I spent at the food and drink fair.

As I am a son of a farmer and was a seafood exporter for many years, I would love to see Scotland’s best food and drink on show in Burgundy in France. There is a way. Every year the show invites a guest country not only to sell and display its best food and drink but to promote itself as a tourist destination, showing off the best of its culture and its identity. Next year is Scotland’s year of food and drink—what a great opportunity for VisitScotland. Let us show the world that we are becoming a good food nation. South Africa, Spain, China, Portugal and many other countries have been to Burgundy as the guest country over the years. Before anyone objects because we are not an independent nation, I should say that Quebec was the guest of honour in 2001.

I will finish by mentioning a local award-winning food producer, J G Ross of Inverurie. When he won his award earlier this year, he sent this message to all politicians:

“Politicians, if you want to know where the real engine rooms of the economy are and what will generate economic growth, look up your local family business. We are here, we employ, we invest.”