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Tayside and Fife food and drink groups are to benefit from a slice of £250,000 funding to further promote Scottish produce.

Industry body Scotland Food and Drink and other local authorities are supporting 15 groups throughout the country with extra investment, with three based within the Angus, Fife and Perthshire areas.

A network of regional ambassadors will be created to work in conjunction with local authorities to promote regional food and drink and tourism strategies.

Local food groups which have been selected include Appetite for Angus, Great Perthshire and Food from Fife, which plans and delivers projects such as increasing consumption ans supply of local produce, imparting new business and digital skills, hosting events and crucially, developing food and drink tourism.

Great Perthshire, which focuses on promoting food and drink in the Perth and Kinross area, aims to increase awareness and champion local suppliers and producers through a strategic marketing campaign over the nest year.

The group would like to increase membership across the region, offer an accessible training programme, provide networking and promotional opportunities, and run a successful food and drink event in 2021.

Mark Bush, chairman of Great Perthshire said: “Perthshire is the heart of Scottish food and drink.  Our region offers the finest example of grown, reared, made and brewed produce alongside world class dining and hospitality providers.

“Buying, consuming and using local produce enables us to feel a part of our community and place, keeps the planet happy and supports economic growth and employment.

“The funding from Scotland Food and Drink will help us drive our food story as part of the wider demand for building sustainable food tourism.”

With shopping local more popular than ever, Moira Bryce co-ordinator at Food from Fife, said “The appetite for local produce has been more important than ever over the past few months and those food and drink producers with a short, local supply chain have been best able to serve the needs of those locally.”

Supporting regional food groups is a key pillar in Scotland Food and Drink’s UK Market Development “home advantage” strategy, which aims to achieve £17 billion turnover from food and drink sales within the UK by 2030.

Fiona Richmond, head of regional food and Scotland Food and Drink, said: “Regional food groups like Great Perthshire, Food from Fife and Appetite for Angus have a pivotal role to play in the successful growth and development of our country’s food, drink and food tourism sectors, especially in the recovery from Covid-19.”