Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Netherland
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
Australia
Fiji
Hong Kong
India
New Zealand
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Mexico
Peru
USA
Bahrain
Israel
Morocco
Oman
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Tanzania
How Scottish restaurants can cater to the global appetite for local cuisine
Prefer us on Google
People want to eat Scottish food. They want to taste Scottish drinks. Over a third of visitors to Scotland say experiencing locally produced food and drink is important to them. Four in five Scots would like to be able to buy more food and drink produced in Scotland. Recent research from the Knowledge Bank has revealed Scottish produce is perceived as “quality” and “fresher”, and Scottish agritourism is growing exponentially – worth nearly £300 million, smashing its 2030 growth targets by five years.
On top of that, food-driven influencers and content creators have led to a growth in food tourism, driven by the experience economy, where people are increasingly seeking out meaningful and memorable experiences. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, people are willing to invest in something considered premium and ‘one-of-a-kind’.
For the hard-hit hospitality sector, this presents a natural opportunity. Here are five ways to tap into the market for memorable, uniquely Scottish, dining experiences.
1. Tell your story
Once upon a time, the idea for your restaurant was born and now here you are, welcoming diners. So what can you share of your story to add to their experience?
Storytelling captures the imagination and Scotland is a land that’s rich in legend. Leaning into that storytelling tradition could resonate with your guests, whether it’s stories about your own history, the area you’re in, or the produce you’re using. With nearly half of visitors to Scotland coming for the history and culture and nearly 1 in 5 long-haul visitors coming for the food and drink, storytelling offers a way to combine those motivations and create a compelling reason for people to dine with you.
It can also happen everywhere. Menus can explain the origin of ingredients or the history behind a dish. Staff can share anecdotes about local suppliers or regional traditions. Interiors can reflect local crafts, materials or design influences. Even how you serve your food and drink, from tableside preparation to the way your waiting staff introduce each dish, can create a sense of identity and connection. Plus the right storytelling can lead to more sharing on social media, creating free publicity.
2. Lean into your location
Scotland’s breathtaking scenery and landscape is the top motivation for people to visit – attracting 70 per cent of travellers. Using your location to inspire your menu or storytelling is one of the natural advantages you have as a hospitality business in Scotland.
For example, if you’re located near the coast, you might lean into fishing heritage, highlighting the journey from boat to plate and the communities that sustain it. If you run a Highland venue, it’s likely you can celebrate seasonal game, foraging traditions or the rugged landscape that shapes the produce. Scotland’s cities are multicultural and innovative, with their own unique identity. Perhaps these could these feed into your customers’ dining experience.
Meanwhile, trends such as wild dining and chef-led foraging walks are growing in popularity – providing an alternative to traditional restaurant dining. Is this an area where you could branch out for pop-ups, or partner with local suppliers to create special and cross-promotional events at certain times of year?
Even if you simply use more local produce, you’ll still be making the most of your Scottish location, while boosting sustainability through reduced waste and transit.
3. Serve local produce every season
When it comes to menu planning, incorporating seasonal local produce will be valued by guests seeking out trusted and quality ingredients, but it can also save you money. Seasonal ingredients are more cost-effective and buying from nearby suppliers reduces travel costs, while supporting the local economy. VisitScotland has a seasonal food calendar that could provide inspiration.
Some hospitality businesses centre their whole offering around sourcing seasonal local produce – for example, Mingary Castle on the west coast, has a tasting menu that changes daily to reflect what’s available. Meanwhile, Hebrides Cruises have launched an entire season of cruises based around local cuisine – their Hebridean Taste Tales are designed to bring the stories and flavours of the Hebrides and West Coast of Scotland alive for guests through the food and drink they serve, with evolving partnerships and collaborations with a range of local providers throughout the year.
And with a quarter of agritourism (just over 25 per cent) activities centring around farm food or cafes, and around the same percentage of travellers (26 per cent) visiting a brewery or whisky or gin distillery, it shows how important provenance is to customers and the extent to which it motivates them to visit. For local hospitality businesses, it’s a win-win.
4. Partner up to enhance experiences
Creating a unique dining experience isn’t something you have to do alone. By partnering closely with local producers, you have the potential to offer something visitors genuinely cannot find elsewhere. This could be as simple as sourcing exclusive cuts from your local butcher, or agreeing a bespoke smoking or curing method with a fishmonger, or it could go wider to encompass collaborative tasting menus with farmers and drinks pairings created alongside nearby breweries and distilleries.
This could even lead to new ideas for your menu, potentially enabling you to get exclusive access to ingredients that influence the dishes you serve, or special access to locations for events, helping you create one-of-a-kind experiences.
By feeding into the desire for a more memorable experience through local partnerships, you can also access marketing benefits too. Cross-promotion between hospitality venues and local suppliers can significantly expand your reach, allowing you to tap into your producers’ audiences – while collaborative events, limited-edition menus, and tasting experiences are all types of content that people like to share online.
5. Put your guest at the heart of your offering
At the end of the day, Scottish hospitality is renowned for its warmth. How you welcome diners to your restaurant helps define how they remember their experience – and whether they come back for more. By putting yourself in their shoes, you might discover new opportunities for storytelling, new ideas for dishes, or new touches to your service that can all make a difference to getting people through the door.
With restaurants facing rising costs across the board, catering to what your visitors are seeking out is more important than ever. Authentic and memorable experiences, rooted in Scottish produce, culture and identity, are key.
Your business is built on great service. Ours is too.
Whether you run a restaurant, hotel, or bar, we provide handcrafted hospitality insurance designed to protect what matters most: your people, your income, and your reputation.
Talk to us today to see how we can serve your restaurant, from a straightforward insurance review to exploring any cover you may need if you’re partnering up for special events or pop-ups.
