Parliamentary under-secretary given bridie offer to chew over

A UK Government minister has been urged to put an Angus delicacy to the taste test.

Michael Ellis was invited to visit the county and sample one of its most famous dishes – the Forfar bridie – during an exchange in the House of Commons.

The offer came from Angus Scottish Conservative MP Kirstene Hair as she pressed him on how his Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was working to join up the UK’s food and drink sector with its tourism potential.

Ms Hair has previously backed an Angus Council bid to establish Scotland’s first food culture hub in conjunction with the Tay Cities Deal.

She told the parliamentary under-secretary: “One of the many reasons that millions of people from around the world come to the UK and Scotland is because of our world-class food and drink sector, of which Angus is a powerhouse.

“The minister is very welcome to come and taste a Forfar bridie whenever he wishes.

“But can the minister reassure me that this UK Government is working to support the Scottish food and drink industry and develop the necessary links between the sector and the UK tourism industry?”

Mr Ellis said the department was working hard to “protect and promote some of our world leading produce”.

The fellow Conservative also credited Ms Hair on the work she was doing in her constituency around tourism.

It comes after Montrose SNP councillor Bill Duff branded the bridie a “low quality processed meat product” that is not fit to feature in the planned

£15 million food culture hub.