Return of Scottish Food and Drink September

Scottish Food & Drink September has returned for its 17^th year, with a month-long celebration of Scotland’s world-class food and drink. 

Originally set up by Scotland Food & Drink as a fortnight to celebrate the sector, the month-long campaign encourages food and drink businesses to showcase all that’s great and good about Scottish producers.

Launching this year’s campaign, Scotland Food & Drink chief executive, Iain Baxter, visited Heather Hills Farm to hear the stories behind the family-run business’s honey production.

The Perthshire farm, run by managing director, Mark Noonan, has been producing 100 per cent pure Scottish honey since 1945.

The rolling heather hills of the local landscape, which give the farm its name, play an important role in the taste and flavour of the honey. The business operates 500 hives, housing 20 million bees, and uses traditional collection and extraction methods to keep the honey as nature intended.

The award-winning honeys are then bottled by hand in proprietary glass jars ribbed and shaped like a skep – an old-fashioned beehive, traditionally woven from wicker, or straw.

Mark said: “We like to think of our heather honey as the champagne of honeys. Like wine production, honey’s quality and flavour profile is directly related to the land and flora from which it is sourced.

"We’re blessed to be in this beautiful area of Scotland where heather abounds naturally. Our landscape gives us a natural advantage to make the premium and delicious product range for our customers.”

Iain added: “Mark and the team at Heather Hills embody everything that Scottish Food & Drink September is about. Deeply rooted in the Scottish landscape that surrounds them and the environment that gives Scotland a competitive edge in producing high-quality food and drink products.”

foodanddrink.scot/events-and-membership/scottish-food-drink-september

www.heatherhills.co.uk

Pictured, left-right: Mark Noonan and Iain Baxter