North-east food and drink including whisky, beef and seafood were showcased to Michelin-starred French chefs on a fact-finding visit to Scotland.
They took part in a jam-packed programme, taking in a variety of suppliers, over four days in June.
The trip was organised by Scottish Development International (SDI), the international division of Scottish Enterprise.
It was supported by the Scottish Government’s office in Paris and organisations across the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership.
Tour also took in Scottish seaweed
A total of six chefs, including some with Michelin stars, visited two sites in Moray – The Macallan Distillery, in Craigellachie, and the Aberdeen Angus cattle farm at Ballindalloch.
They also spent time at seafood processor Macduff Shellfish in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire.
Other stops on the tour included a Bakkafrost salmon harvesting site in Argyll and East Neuk Seaweed in Fife.
In addition, the French visitors met top Scottish chefs including Craig Wilson, of Eat on the Green, near Ellon. Mr Wilson – known as the “kilted chef” – is a Scotland Food & Drink ambassador.
Harriet Bernot, an SDI food and drink specialist based in France, hailed the trade visit as a “wonderful opportunity” to further boost the already strong reputation of Scotland’s rich larder.
She added: “Each of the attendees on this trip are influential in the French culinary sector and have enjoyed stellar careers.
“This visit will not only raise the visibility of Scottish produce in the French foodservice sector, but also potentially deliver new export and sales opportunities in France for producers in Scotland.”
Heightened interest in food provenance among consumers
At a time when consumers are increasingly interested in how their food is produced, the trip gave the chefs a chance to find out why Scotland’s produce is renowned for its quality and provenance.
Also taking part in the tour was Laetitia Conseil, head of gastronomy at French catering supplier Metro, which has nearly 100 wholesale stores serving more than 400,000 customers such as restauranteurs and independent traders.
It is hoped the trade mission will significantly increase the number of Scottish suppliers listed with the culinary organisation.
Few countries have the natural larder that Scotland offers.”
Fiona Richmond, head of regional produce at industry-led partnership Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Inward trade events such as these can be one of the most effective ways to build cross-border connections.
“Few countries have the natural larder that Scotland offers, and with a quarter of attendees at this year’s Scotland Food & Drink Industry Conference looking to expand into international markets, we must make sure we are helping them capitalise on the opportunities available.”
France is Scotland’s second most important international export destination after the US, with an estimated £2.9 billion of sales in 2019.