The Glenlivet Visitor Centre picks up Taste Our Best award

The Old Maltings Coffee Shop at The Glenlivet Visitor Centre, recently attained the Taste Our Best award for the locally-sourced and fresh food and drink it includes on its menu. It is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to have attained this recognition.

Taste Our Best is a joint initiative between VisitScotland and the Scottish Government. Launched in 2013, the scheme is designed to recognise businesses including hotels, restaurants, cafes, takeaways, visitor attractions and B&Bs that not only offer a quality food and drink experience, but include and promote Scottish produce on their menus, to give consumers choice.

The Glenlivet is already a 5* Visitor Attraction and the Old Maltings Coffee Shop prides itself on using local food and drink suppliers, including the butcher in Dufftown (12 miles away); the baker in Grantown-on-Spey (20 miles); ice cream from Buckie (30 miles), cheese from Ardersier (40 miles), vegetables from Inverness (40 miles), dairy products from Forres (30 miles) and preserves from Conon Bridge (50 miles). All the goods they buy are from the Moray area and Highlands and Islands.

The Old Maltings’ menu includes homemade Cullen Skink, served with a wedge of fresh crusty bread from a local baker; Ploughman’s lunch consisting of a selection of Scottish cheeses, The Glenlivet whisky pickle, oatcakes and a side salad; and locally-sourced Scottish smoked salmon and Scottish beef and ham.

Results from the 2011/12 Scotland Visitor Survey highlighted that the sampling of local produce is the second highest activity undertaken by visitors when they come to Scotland.

Caroline Mitchell, Manager of The Glenlivet Visitor Centre, said: “We are delighted to have received this award, which recognises our commitment to supporting local suppliers. The team at The Glenlivet visitor centre is dedicated to ensuring all our guests have the best possible experience, and leave with a fantastic impression of the area, as well as of our world-famous Scotch whisky.

“Our visitors come from far and wide, so it’s great to have the opportunity to showcase the wonderful local produce of the Speyside region in our The Old Maltings Coffee Shop.”

 Scott Armstrong, Regional Director at VisitScotland, said: “I would like to congratulate the staff at The Glenlivet Visitor Centre on receiving this award, but it comes as no surprise, as the scope of locally-sourced food featured on their menu really is commendable.

“We know that visitors love authentic, quality Scottish food and drink and Taste Our Best is all about taking this knowledge to the next level and really encouraging the tourism industry and businesses to recognise the real benefits of sourcing, using and promoting local and Scottish produce. We have such a rich natural larder here in Moray Speyside, with some of the best products in the world right on our doorstep.

“2015 is the Year of Scotland’s Food and Drink and we hope that all the visitors to our shores this year who are experiencing the range of truly global events across the country will also get to taste the best of Scotland.”

Funded by the Scottish Government (£450K over three years) and VisitScotland (£470K in kind) with support from Scotland Food and Drink, the Taste Our Best initiative brings together the tourism and food and drink industries.

Research has shown that visitors are willing to pay up to 15% more for food that is of Scottish or regional origin and businesses that provide local food can typically enjoy higher level sales of up to 20% per year. It’s estimated that Scotland’s food and drink tourism industry is worth £2.5 million per day to the economy with sampling traditional dishes and local produce among the top activity undertaken by visitors to Scotland.

Taste Our Best replaced the EatScotland food and drink QA scheme, which is being phased out.  Further details can be found at: www.visitscotland.org/quality-foodanddrink.aspx