Premium grocery

Premium Grocery: Scotland’s pantry open to the world

You’ll find tradition and innovation go hand in hand, as Scottish producers excite and delight chefs and customers worldwide. 

Provenance and tradition

Outside the UK, Scottish premium goods are typically seen through a somewhat romantic, heritage lens. For consumers across Great Britain, however, this has been replaced by an appetite for premium Scottish groceries that are high in quality and can be traced back to their sources. Our produce ranges from the innovative and trendsetting to popular time-honoured favourites like Scotland’s famed tablet. Elisabeth, who with her husband Peter co-founded Mrs Tilly’s, says she started making tablet in the traditional way back in the late 1990s. And all because Peter had said, “Nobody makes really good tablet – so why don’t we give it a shot?”

Embracing innovation

Here you’ll find tradition and innovation go hand in hand, as Scottish producers excite and delight chefs and customers worldwide. It’s all thanks to Scotland’s blend of new, disruptive companies alongside established brands. Take Blackthorn Salt, for example. Co-founder Whirly says, “The core of Blackthorn is sustainability. It's the west coast wind (and a bit of sun) working its magic through blackthorn branches. We love that it's really old, but actually in a modern way.”

Home and abroad demand

Scottish premium grocery products often start off local before scaling up to be shared with the rest of the world. Our top international markets include France, Norway, Ireland, the USA, and Netherlands. Together, these account for 65% of overseas exports. The premium grocery sector reported significant growth in 2022 and was valued at a staggering £8.1 billion – more than 30% increase on the previous year.

Quality Assurance

The Scottish grocery sector is built on a commitment to quality assurance and sustainability. Every part of the food and drink supply chain in Scotland is subject to legislative safeguards that protect the environment, ensure the welfare of livestock, and guarantee the safety of all food and drink produced. Indeed, the legislation goes further: protecting the rights and welfare of those who live on or near land used for production, as well as people’s consumer rights.