Edinburgh Airport has become Scotland’s first 'Provenance Airport' by signing up to a Scottish Food and Drink Pledge.
This pledge demonstrates Edinburgh Airport’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that it continually works with its retail partners to use authentic, sustainable Scottish food and drink wherever possible.
It comes in a year which has seen Scotland’s busiest airport celebrating the Year of Food and Drink by highlighting the wide range of Scottish produce available at the airport and also promoting the locations around Scotland from where it has originated.
Edinburgh Airport is committed to showcasing Scotland’s incredible larder- be that enjoying an Edinburgh Gin along with a delicious Scottish beef and haggis burger in The Gathering, through to a pint of Innis and Gunn lager beer in the Sir Walter Scott.
The opening of the World of Whiskies shop in the airport’s new 1300sqm walk-through World Duty Free store is further testament to its commitment to the pledge. The World of Whiskies shop is the largest of its kind in the World Duty Free estate and stocks an unmatched selection of malts.
To mark the signing of the pledge, the store is promoting two new Glenlivet Master Distiller Reserve expressions, both of which are available as world exclusives at Edinburgh Airport from today for two weeks.
Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport Gordon Dewar with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Food, Richard Lochhead Picture: Edinburgh Airport
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said “Scotland’s vast array of incredible produce deserves to be celebrated, and in what better way than at Scotland’s global gateway.
“We are delighted to sign the Food and Drink pledge and commit to continuing to work in collaboration to promote Scottish food and drink.”
The pledge comes after Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Food, Richard Lochhead, wrote to transport hub operators across the country asking them to commit to sourcing more local produce. He said: “Scotland’s outstanding food and drink is a massive draw for visitors from around the world and, with more than 10 million people passing through Edinburgh Airport last year, it is the ideal place to showcase the unrivalled quality and provenance of our produce.
“I very much welcome Edinburgh Airport showcasing the Scottish food and drink on offer - the first of Scotland’s airports to do so. As Scotland celebrates our Year of Food and Drink, I would like to see more operators to follow this good example and make a commitment to playing a part in Scotland’s journey towards becoming a Good Food Nation.”
Scotland Food & Drink Project Manager Fiona Richmond comments: “We welcome the launch of the Good Food Nation Scottish sourcing pledge during the Year of Food and Drink. Scotland offers a fantastic larder of quality products that make us a Land of Food and Drink while the pledge provides a framework through which to work with retail and foodservice across the country to source authentic, sustainable Scottish ingredients to improve their offering.
"It’s key to communicate the strength and scale of the local sourcing to the consumer and implement best practice across the business’ operations. Edinburgh Airport’s efforts in committing to the pledge and becoming a provenance travel hub are notable, applying across a broad range of food and drink outlets.”
Over and above promoting Scottish produce Edinburgh Airport is also working with Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to raise awareness of the origins of the food and drink. A competition is being run until the end of October to win trip to the Scottish islands and tour a distillery of the winner’s choice through their new Whisky Pass.
The Edinburgh Airport pledge: "Our pledge is for Edinburgh Airport to play an important part in Scotland becoming a Good Food Nation by continuing to work with our partners in retail and catering to increase where possible the use of authentic, sustainable Scottish food and drink.
Edinburgh Airport will increase the visibility of Scottish produce and products to help showcase and celebrate the seasonal variety and quality of our food and drink for the benefit of visitors from home and abroad."
