South of Scotland Food & Drink Landscape Assessment
Welcome to the South of Scotland Food & Drink Sector Survey!
The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA), in collaboration with key partners, is conducting an important survey to map and enhance the food and drink landscape across our region. If you are a producer, operator, event organiser, or stakeholder in the food and drink industry, your insights are crucial. By participating, you’ll help shape the sector’s future, inform strategic planning, and ensure better support and opportunities for all involved.
The food and drink sector is vital to our region’s economy, culture, and identity, and to provide businesses like yours with the right support to thrive, we’re gathering valuable information about what is produced, served, and sold here, along with the support available to businesses in the sector. Our goal is to see more local food on plates across the South of Scotland and create clear pathways for growth within the industry. By gathering insights from producers, operators, event organisers, and support organisations, we aim to shape future projects, funding opportunities, and policies that strengthen the local food and drink ecosystem, ensuring businesses have the resources and connections they need to succeed.
Have Your Say - Complete the Survey!
This is a collaborative project for the South of Scotland, and your voice is essential. By taking part in this survey, you’ll help shape the future of food and drink in our region.
Your voice will directly influence the future of the food and drink sector in the South of Scotland.
This survey is essential in helping us understand current challenges, opportunities, and support needs within the sector. While it may take 15 minutes to complete, this is a unique opportunity to shape the future of our food and drink landscape and contribute to regional economic growth.
The survey is open until Friday, 14th March 2025.
We encourage you to share this survey with your industry colleagues and networks—every voice matters in building a stronger, more connected food and drink sector.
Setting the Scene and Providing Context to This Work
Read on to learn more about why this matters, how your insights will be used, and the value this project will bring to businesses like yours.
By taking part in this survey, you will help us:
- Identify Gaps in Support – Ensure businesses have access to the right resources and assistance
- Foster Collaboration – Strengthen connections between businesses, organisations, and stakeholders
- Shape Strategic Plans – Inform future initiatives, funding opportunities, and training programmes
- Streamline Resources – Make it easier for businesses to find and access the information and support they need
- Support Economic Growth – Drive the development of new programmes and networking initiatives that benefit the region
Why Your Input Matters
In August 2024, the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) hosted a stakeholder engagement session with partners, including South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), local councils, Scotland Food & Drink, and various local networks, businesses, and organisations.
Five key objectives were identified:
- Increase the quality of our food and drink offering
- Increase the local provenance of our food and drink offering
- Build awareness and pride in our food and drink sector
- Develop quality food and drink experiences
- Establish a reputation as a top food and drink destination
This survey is part of the first phase of work to support these objectives. Your responses will help us map out existing resources, identify gaps, and provide insights into what’s needed to strengthen the industry.
A Collaborative Project for the South of Scotland
This initiative is a collaborative effort involving multiple organisations dedicated to supporting the region’s food and drink sector, which includes work being carried out for the Regional Local Food Growth Plan and Small Producers Scoping Studies.
Your participation will contribute to a tangible, useful document that includes:
- An Initial Directory – Showcasing producers, what they create, and their business details to connect local supply and demand
- Case Studies – Highlighting inspiring success stories from businesses in the region and beyond
- Consumer Insights – Understanding what matters to consumers when it comes to local food and drink
- Support & Signposting – A signposting guide to available resources, funding, and training opportunities
- Future Roadmap – Insights from the survey will help shape future projects to drive forward industry support, whether in supply chain development, training, or product innovation
We will provide an update and key insights from this work in due course.
Data Protection & Confidentiality
Your responses will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used for research and planning purposes. Data will be stored securely in accordance with GDPR regulations.
If you are a producer, we would love to include your business name, products, and website in the directory to showcase what is produced in the South of Scotland.
Take the Survey
The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of the South of Scotland’s food and drink industry.
Click Here to Complete the Survey
📅 Deadline: 14th March 2025
Thank you for your time and contribution to building a stronger, more connected food and drink sector in the South of Scotland!
