Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Larder than life
New food and drink scheme is putting tasty Lanarkshire produce on the map
There’s fire in the bellies of the team behind a dynamic new collective, whose vision is to earn Lanarkshire the recognition it deserves as one of the country’s regions of excellence for high quality, sustainably sourced food and drink.
Motivating the masterminds behind Lanarkshire Larder is a hunger to share with discerning lovers of food and drink the passion local producers have for the proud provenance of the quality, craft products they create and sell.
The new regional food group has brought together producers, restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels and farm shops, all of whom reap what they sow from the green and pleasant land of Lanarkshire.
In signing up as members of Lanarkshire Larder, 35 businesses are putting their hardearned money where their mouths are in the quest to elevate the status of the region’s produce and products, and to boost the local economy by luring tourists on to a food and drink trail that will give them a taste of the flavoursome delights Lanarkshire’s natural larder has to offer.
At the helm of Lanarkshire Larder is businesswoman, Selina Cairns
– a long-time ambassador for locally sourced, sustainable food and drink. A director of Errington Cheese, which was founded by her father, Humphrey Errington in 1981 from the 250-acre Walston Braehead Farm near Carnwath, Selina is chairperson of Lanarkshire Larder – a regional food group that was born out of her frustration that, although North and South Lanarkshire is Scotland’s second biggest producer of food and drink, the vast, highly-populated region has – until now – lacked the support that producers in areas such as Orkney and Ayrshire have used to their huge advantage.
A robust business plan persuaded government and industry collaborative body Scotland Food & Drink to award Lanarkshire Larder a grant of £10,000 – an amount that was jointly match funded by North and South Lanarkshire councils.
Lanarkshire Larder ploughed the investment into the appointment of project coordinator Gillian Rae, who has brought to the role a wealth of
We’re making people aware that there is amazing food and drink produced in Lanarkshire. We are off the grid
experience in Scottish travel and tourism which she channels into fiercely advocating for the group’s members.
“When they think of Lanarkshire, so many people think of just Wishaw and Motherwell,” said Gillian, who is buoyed by the number of people who have viewed the loss of their hospitality jobs during the pandemic as an opportunity to launch niche
Lanarkshire businesses like gin distilleries.
“We are making people aware that there is amazing food and drink being produced in Lanarkshire. We are off the grid.
“East Lothian and the Highlands and Islands have a huge presence. We want to bring people into the area to see what’s out there.
“Parts of Lanarkshire, such as Strathaven, Biggar and the
Clyde Valley, have the makings of great days out for Glasgow and Edinburgh communities, and they are right in between the two cities.
“There’s also an appetite among Lanarkshire people to buy stuff that’s sustainable and is being produced locally.”
Although the pandemic dealt a massive body blow to the hospitality industry and its suppliers, the collective has in times of economic hardship been a fertile breeding ground for shared ideas among its members and has brought to the fore inspiring tales of age-old businesses that have demonstrated their resilience and entrepreneurial flair by daring to stray into exciting new territories.
Take Hillhead of Covington dairy farm, which milks 350 Holstein cows on the banks of the River Clyde.
Although customers continued to enjoy their fresh daily pint from their local dairy during lockdown, the business responded to their craving for a sweet treat by shaking up the image of milk.
We’re looking at food and drink trails for Lanarkshire.. to encourage people to visit
Experimenting with a variety of flavours, from banana to salted caramel, Covington made milk the cool drink of choice by launching a range of milk shakes, which are going down a treat among visitors to The Milk Hut at Tinto Tearoom and Brownlie’s of Biggar.
The Orchard in Biggar, which has been selling fresh fruit, veg, fish, baking and fine foods since 2007, is another Lanarkshire Larder member that began to think outside the box when the pandemic hit.
In a bid to bring a ray of cheer to those stuck indoors during lockdown, The Orchard launched its patisserie Sunshine Boxes, which contain a different selection of moreish traybakes, brownies or biscuits each week.
The boxes, which can fit through a letterbox, can be sent around the UK, delivered locally, or collected in the shop.
Among the Michelin-starred chefs to fly the flag of quality, sustainable Lanarkshire produce is Graham Cheevers, who recently opened restaurant Unalome in Glasgow’s fashionable Finnieston.
Among the suppliers whose produce he is showcasing in his first solo venture are Errington Cheese and Macduff Beef – a fourth generation Wishaw-based meat wholesaler. Run by Rory Duff and son Andrew, the company sources top quality cattle from a small selection of trusted farms in the Scottish Lowlands and Borders, supplying tender, succulent and ready-to-cook beef and lamb to high-end butchers, caterers and restaurateurs across the UK.
Lanarkshire Larder’s commitment to nurturing talent in the food and drink sector also piqued the interest of Cheevers, who champions the pressing need to plug the skills gap in his industry through education.
The collective has formed an alliance with North Lanarkshire
College which both hope will lead to producers’ pop-up shops within the college and even the creation of apprenticeships.
“It is important for food and drink producers to encourage people into
the food and drink industry,” stressed Selina, who wants to see students visiting the premises of thriving Lanarkshire businesses like her own.
“It is not what schools are pushing. We need people to see it as a career, and we need to nurture their creativity.”
For now, Gillian’s focus is on attracting further funding to allow Lanarkshire Larder to strengthen the might of its brand. “We are looking to put forward food and drink trails for Lanarkshire, encouraging people to visit the area and experience food and drink from the region,” said Gillian, who is currently preparing an application for funding from Visit Scotland.
“We need to demonstrate the value and increase our membership. Our voice will gain strength in numbers.”
For more information, go to www. lanarkshirelarder.com