Showcasing Scotland in Milan

26 Aug 2015 12:23 PM

Programme to promote tourism and Scottish food and drink at Expo 2015.

Scottish food, drink, tourism and sustainability will be the focus of a four-day Scottish showcase at the World Expo in Milan next month.

‘Scotland at the Expo’, a programme of events to be held at the Milan Expo 2015, was announced at the Italian Consulate last night by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop.

Working with UK Trade and Investment, the Scottish Government’s ‘Scotland at the Expo’ programme will take place at the UK Pavilion from 10-13 September.

As part of Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink 2015, ‘Scotland at the Expo’ will reach an estimated 75,000 visitors to the UK Pavilion from Italy, Europe and the rest of the world.

VisitScotland will promote Scotland’s great food and drink to an international audience. Visitors will sample some of Scotland’s best whisky and beer and taste authentic Scottish food specially devised for the Expo by top Scottish chef Tom Lewis.

Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish Government will share examples of innovation and sustainable best practice from across Scotland’s food and drinks sector with policy and industry experts from Italy and Europe.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, said:

“The Milan Expo is attracting the attention of the world and ‘Scotland at the Expo’ is a great opportunity for us to showcase Scotland’s world-class food and drink, innovation and tourism. As we continue to enjoy the Year of Food and Drink our programme will focus on the variety and provenance of food and drink available across Scotland.

“This is an important opportunity to raise Scotland’s profile and promote our expertise in food and drink production and the sustainability sector. We have an important part to play in helping others tackle global food challenges.”

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, will attend the Expo to promote Scottish food and drink and meet representatives of the Italian tourism industry. He said:

“This is a great opportunity to promote Scotland and our fantastic food and drink on the global stage.

“‘Scotland at the Expo’ will showcase Scottish food and drink to tens of thousands of international visitors and, through working with Tom Lewis and globally renowned food business Mosimanns, Scottish producers like Peelham Farm, Taste of Arran, Argyll Smokery and Stag Bakeries will have the opportunity to raise their profile here and overseas.”

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland said:

"Scotland's reputation for quality food and drink is growing the world over, with exports currently at a record high. The Year of Food and Drink 2015 is a celebration of our outstanding natural larder and the diverse dining experiences that only a trip to Scotland can offer.

"The Milan Expo not only provides us with the perfect opportunity to inspire visitors to embark on their own culinary adventures in Scotland, but also gives us an invaluable platform to promote our diverse and exciting food and drink industry on the global stage.”

Tom Lewis said:

“Scotland’s greatest assets are its distinct four seasons with each season producing some of the best produce in the world. Being at ‘Scotland at the Expo’ will give people the opportunity to try some of the best of Scottish produce from our meats, to our fish and shellfish, to the grain that goes into our whisky and even the honey that comes from our bees. We are the luckiest nation in the world.”

Notes To Editors

The World Expo 2015 in Milan runs from 1 May to 31 October. Under the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ and with 145 participating countries, the Expo provides a showcase for food and drink from around the world.and aims to highlight the challenge of feeding an ever increasing world population. The Expo expects to welcome over 20 million visitors to its 1.1 million square meters of exhibition area.

‘Scotland at the Expo’ builds on a visit by the Minister for Europe and International Development Humza Yousaf in July when he addressed a joint Scottish Government-British Chamber of Commerce for Italy event, met a number of Italian companies with strong links to Scotland and spoke at the Social Enterprise World Forum.

Tom Lewis will showcase Scottish produce through cookery demonstrations and an appearance on Italian TV’s Expo Cooking Show – ‘The World on a Plate’. Pizzas with a Scottish twist and Scottish beer, cheese and honey will also be available to sample.

The UK Pavilion, known as ‘The Hive’, will resonate to the sound of bagpipes and Scottish bee entrepreneur Warren Bader of Plan Bee will help visitors understand what their supermarket would look like without bees.

On Saturday 12 September, the Italian Orobian Pipe Band and a ceilidh with Ceilitaly will bring the Expo to life.

The Scottish Government is working with a wide range of partners to deliver ‘Scotland at the Expo’ including Visit Scotland, Scotland Food & Drink, UK Trade & Investment, the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy, Diageo, the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK and Varvello.