Oriental connection to net new business!
The trip was organised by Seafood Scotland (SFS), the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and Scottish Development International. It is part of Scotland’s sponsorship of Scottish salmon and langoustine for the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) World Chefs Global Challenge and the Hans Buesukins Junior challenge.
“Japanese chefs are very excited about using Scottish seafood and appreciate its premium quality, and the pristine environment in which it is fished and farmed,” explained Clare Dixon, SFS Marketing Manager.
“Along with many other international chefs, the Japanese see Scottish seafood as one of the world's top quality products, and this is something we would like our own local chefs to appreciate more widely."
“We hope to create interest throughout Japan in our products, and help them to understand the wide variety of premium quality seafood available from Scotland. We are after all, a small nation with big export ambitions," she added.
The group includes top chefs AJA Chairman Hisatoshi Utsunomiya, AJAC Director Yutaka Ishinabe, and AJCA Secretary Kiyohiro Kawabata, as well as Ms Aiko Obayashi and Isao Iwasaki, and journalists from Professional Cooking Magazine and Suisan Keizai Shimbun, a leading Japanese Seafood Industry newspaper.
Their extensive 3-day visit includes the Scottish Salmon Company’s Ardheslaig sea site on Loch Torridon, a tour of Scotwest Seafoods’ live langoustine holding facility at Kyle of Lochalsh, a cooking demonstration by Michelin Star Chef, Marcello Tully at Kinloch Lodge, and a trip on a shellfish boat out of Portree to watch creel fishermen at work catching lobster and crab. The group is also visiting a scallop diver at Aultbea, independent salmon operators Loch Duart Salmon and Wester Ross Salmon, and will learn about the Scottish pelagic industry through a meeting with Michael Croan of Croan Seafood and Iain MacFadden, Chairman of the Scottish Pelagic Association. One of the highlights of the visit is a tour of the Talisker distillery, where they will take part in a seafood and whisky pairing.
