Scotland tops local food poll

The YouGov SixthSense poll was unveiled at the launch of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, the annual celebration of Scottish local food. Of those questioned for the UK-wide survey, 79 per cent believed that buying local food supported the local economy, whilst 54 per cent of Scots though it important that Scottish food was available at their local supermarket. In addition, in Scotland 43 per cent said locally sourced food is an important factor when eating out.  Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead MSP teamed up with Michelin starred chef Tom Kitchin to hand out free breakfasts, made with local and seasonal Scottish produce, to commuters and shoppers at the launch in the centre of Edinburgh. Starting on Saturday, Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight is the annual celebration of Scottish produce and links the public with chefs, restaurants, farmers and visitor attractions through a range of festivals and gatherings around the country. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead urged everyone to get involved in Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight. “Here in Scotland we’ve got a fantastic range of fine food and drink right on our doorstep and it’s great that so many Scots recognise the effort being made to promote Scottish produce.  “But we can always do more and the Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight is a great opportunity to introduce more people to our wonderful natural larders, as well as delivering a boost for our economy at the same time.”