Agritourism conference celebrates Scottish produce

The inaugural conference, which will be held at P&J Live in Aberdeen, is expected to attract visitors from more than 50 countries. Organisers say food served over the three-day event will showcase produce from 20 farms within the Scottish Agritourism network, alongside fish from the Aberdeenshire fishing community.

More than 90% of the menu is being sourced directly from named farms and businesses, with ingredients including fresh vegetables, salads, herbs, soft fruit, cheese, eggs, Scotch Beef, ice cream and home baking. Delegates will also be introduced to the stories behind the food, highlighting the people, farms and landscapes responsible for producing it.

A strong emphasis has been placed on providing healthy and nutritious meals during the conference, while evening receptions will offer visitors the chance to sample a range of Scottish drinks, including Scotch whisky, Aberdeenshire gin, beers, ciders and soft drinks.

Anna Mitchell of Castleton Farm, Laurencekirk, whose soft fruit will feature on menus at the Global Agritourism Conference (Image: Craig Stephen)

Ahead of the main conference programme, more than 300 of the anticipated 600 delegates are expected to visit around 40 agritourism businesses across Scotland, where they will experience farm-to-fork hospitality first-hand.

Sector lead for Scottish Agritourism and chair of the Global Agritourism Conference, Caroline Millar said: “As a farmer, it has been a pleasure working with the chefs and team at P&J Live, and Abbey Conferences, to bring the vision for this event, to life. Delicious lunch and dinner menus will feature many of the farmers that conference delegates will visit or meet, ensuring that this is a very unique dining experience.

"For example, they will visit Forest Farm Dairy, see the dairy cows and see ice cream being made and they will visit Castleton Farm, and see strawberries, raspberries and blueberries growing. They’ll meet the farming families, hear stories of the land, the processes of rearing and growing, the challenges and triumphs behind the final products and then later, both will be served for desert at the Gala Dinner."

She continued: "This is just one example of how this will make a really memorable experience for visitors to Scotland. We hope there will be a legacy from this inaugural Global Conference and that there will be more named and direct sourcing of produce by both the P&J Live and other exhibition venues in the future.

"We are extremely grateful to the Scottish Government for supporting the conference and allowing us to offer this showcase of Scottish food and drink from the agritourism community.”

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Gillian Martin said: “Scottish agritourism has real long-term potential. It offers visitors a genuinely high-quality, authentic experience rooted in farming, food and drink, while also helping to secure the future of Scotland’s family farms. At the same time, it supports rural communities and strengthens Scotland’s place on the global stage as a leading agritourism destination.

“It’s about much more than just food and drink - experiences like these help people connect with where their food actually comes from, highlighting the importance of supporting local Scottish producers and cutting down on food miles.”

Food and beverage manager at P&J Live, Graham Mutch said the venue was proud to host the inaugural event in Aberdeen.

“What better way to showcase our venue and Scottish Agritourism’s dedication to exceptional food and drink, than to put it on the event menus,” he said.

“Scotland is home to one of the very finest larders in the world and for our chefs to be able to celebrate these ingredients and their members then to serve them to hundreds of delegates as carefully crafted dishes is something very special.”