Tag: Scottish produce

Aldi Scotland Serves up Sizzling Scottish Products for the Ultimate BBQ

It’s officially BBQ season and come rain or shine, Scots across the country will be firing up the grill for the ultimate summer feast.

To celebrate the return of BBQ Week (4-10 July) Aldi Scotland have unveiled a huge selection on locally produced BBQ products which shoppers are sure to flip out for.

If you are ‘rare-ly’ wanting to impress your guests the multi-award winning Specially Selected Ribeye Steak is a must for all BBQs, adding a top-quality feel at everyday affordable prices.

Grill-maestros cannot go wrong with the new Nature’s Glen Italian Style Burger, which is a perfect mix of rich tasty Scotch Beef and delicate Scottish Pork all beautifully seasoned and ready for cooking. 

If the Scottish summer fails to make an appearance, the chilli flavoured Scotch Beef Kebabs are enough to bring some heat to any outdoor occasion and are the perfect addition to the BBQ.

However, if you are wanting to move away from the traditional BBQ meats, Aldi can help you ‘scale’ new heights, with their beautifully flavoured range of Scottish Salmon Fillets, from warming harissa infused fillets, to the salty and sweet Miso and Sweet Chilli Salmon, the only problem will be guests deciding what to enjoy first.

The leading value supermarket, which is currently named the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket 2021 by Which?, guarantees exceptional quality, provenance and taste at unbelievably low prices, making it the clear choice for stocking up on the BBQ essentials this summer. 

From a selection of classic beef burgers to kebabs and pork sausages to salmon, each item has been produced right here in Scotland, giving shoppers the chance to pick up the best quality meat and fish products from the country’s world leading natural larder at everyday amazing Aldi prices.

Aldi Scotland’s BBQ range includes:

  • Nature’s Glen Scotch Beef Smash Burgers, 300g, £2.25
  • Specially Selected Scotch Ribeye Steak, 227g, £4.99
  • Specially Selected Scotch Sirloin Steak, 227g, £4.99
  • Specially Selected Scotch Ultimate Burgers, two burgers for £2.69
  • Nature’s Glen Italian Style Burger, 340g £2.49
  • Nature’s Glen 5% Fat Quarter Pounder Beef Burger, Plain/Chilli, 454g, £3.29
  • Specially Selected Scotch Quarter Pounder, Caramelised Onion/Cheddar Cheese, 454g £3.19
  • Nature’s Glen Scotch Beef Kebabs, Plain/Sweet Chilli, 400g,£2.99
  • The Tasty Catch Co Infused Scottish Salmon Fillets, Harissa/Red Thai/Green Pesto/Chilli Ginger and Lime, 220g, £2.99
  • The Tasty Catch Co Scottish Salmon Fillets with Butter Melts, Miso & Sweet Chilli/Sundried Tomato & Parmesan, 220g, £2.99
  • Specially Selected Scottish Pork Sausages, Caramelised Onion/ Cumberland, 400g, £1.99
  • Specially Selected Scottish Pork Sausages, 400g, £1.99

Aldi Scotland works with more than 90 Scottish producers and stocks over 450 Scottish products. You can find your nearest Aldi here.

Royal Highland Show invites produce and crafts entries for Scottish Championships

The Royal Highland Show is calling upon producers from across Scotland to apply for the 2022 Scottish Handcrafts, Bread, Honey, and Dairy Championships. 

Entries open tomorrow – Thursday 24th March. The Championships are judged across an extensive range of categories and recognise excellence in Scottish produce. They are judged in advance by a panel of experienced industry experts and displayed at the Royal Highland Show, taking place from the 23rd – 26th June 2022. 

The Scottish Championships attract producers and crafters of the highest-quality and are recognised as respected industry accolades, and are of great value to successful entrants. 

The Dairy Championships comprise competitions for cheese, ice cream, yoghurt and butter, with classes including those for specialty cheese, frozen yoghurt and flavoured butter. The Dairy Championships will be showcased in a new and improved area on the Showground this year. 

A showcase of creativity, the Handcrafts Championships include a variety of art forms, from porcelain and beadwork to baskets and walking sticks, with the theme for entries being ‘Celebration of the Countryside’. This year, Handcrafts will be moving to a brand-new marquee in the Craft Zone.  

Each year the Bread Championships, held in association with Scotland the Bread, attract a high calibre of entries. Celebrating ‘real’ bread made without additives or preservatives, there are classes for everything from sourdough to loaves made especially by small producers. 

The Honey Championships, feature several classes for all things honey related – including raw honey, honey cocktails, artwork related to beekeeping and photography featuring bees. 

Chief Steward of the Scottish Championships, Jackie McCreery, said: “The Scottish Championships are an unrivalled stage for the high-quality products that are coming out of Scotland. The Royal Highland Show is the best shop window you could ask for, and a gold, silver or bronze award catches the eye of potential customers. 

“There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain – for larger companies it’s a chance to solidify the claims of their best-selling products, while for smaller producers it’s an opportunity to prove their worth against the top products in their field, whether that’s sourdough bread or artisan gelato.” 

Entries close for the Scottish Handcrafts Championships on 15th April, with the rest of entries closing 22nd May.

Full details of entry criteria and classes can be found on the Royal Highland Show website. 

For further information please visit www.royalhighlandshow.org. 

Ye’ll have had yer Burns Supper, then?

Exports of iconic Scottish favourites are generating billions for the UK economy

burns-night-dinner

Over the weekend millions of people around the world tucked into haggis and toasted Robert Burns with a dram of whisky – and new figures have revealed exports of iconic Scottish favourites have risen since 2010, generating billions for the UK economy.

In the last four years the UK has exported £4.85 million of haggis to 28 countries, up 51% between 2011 and 2013 – Ireland, France, Spain and Hong Kong are the biggest buyers of haggis outside the UK.

Scotch whisky is enjoying rising exports, with a 24% increase between 2010 and 2013. There were 1.3 billion bottles exported in 2013, worth £4.37 billion and enough to fill Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Swimming Pool 145 times!

Exports of Scotch whisky are worth £135 a second to our economy and, along with haggis, contributed to a record year for the UK food chain which generated £103 billion in 2013 and now employs 1 in 8 people.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: Robert Burns called haggis the ‘great chieftain o’ the pudding-race’ and it’s wonderful that more than 200 years later, this delicious, wholesome dish is now being appreciated around the world. In a Burns night meal, nothing goes better with haggis than a dram of Scotch whisky, one of our greatest export success stories.

More and more food and drink from Scotland and the rest of Britain is being sold abroad thanks to this government’s efforts and the success of our long-term economic plan. It is yet more proof of how we are stronger together in the United Kingdom.”

Scottish haggis brand Macsween sells more than a million units of haggis over the Burns period.

Jo Macsween, Haggis Ambassador and joint Managing Director of Macsween, said: “Macsween have seen a rise in haggis consumption outside of Scotland as our brand continues to grow through innovation and our dedication to introducing our award-winning products to those who have yet to discover the versatile dish.

“Haggis is indeed very popular in Europe, where consumers are engaged with nose to tail eating. In fact, haggis is actually an ancient global dish, and many European countries have their own equivalents—so haggis is well-received. Haggis is very popular across the globe—we have seen requests from India, China and the Middle East.”

2013 also saw a successful year for Scottish farmed salmon, with growing global demand making it the UK’s second most exported food after chocolate confectionary. Worldwide sales of UK salmon in 2013 reached an all-time high of £571 million.

Scottish wild salmon and Scottish farmed salmon are among 62 foods produced in the UK that enjoy Protected Food Name status, which gives them legal protection against imitation throughout the EU. Products with this label must be made in particular geographical areas and follow specified production methods.

Scotland currently has 13 protected food names, including Arbroath Smokies and Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar. Other applications for PFN status in the pipeline include Dundee Cake and Ayrshire Early Potatoes.