Healthy Appetite for Scottish Community Food Fund - funding opportunity

11th September 2013

Eighteen local food and drink initiatives are toasting their success after winning grants totalling more than £100,000 from the new Scottish Community Food Fund (CFF).

Administered by the Food & Drink team of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the Scottish Government fund supports projects and events around the country that encourage people to appreciate and access local produce.

The projects to receive funding in the CFF’s first round include Uist Veg box, which provides locally grown vegetables and herbs; food and drink festivals in Largs, Elgin, Dundee and the Borders; Edinburgh Community Cafes Festival; and food and drinks networks that bring producers together in Lanarkshire and the Highlands.

David Lamb of SRUC’s Food & Drink team said: “There has been real enthusiasm for the Community Food Fund. For the first time, the local food and community food sectors have an opportunity to benefit from national support. The Fund is really targeting their needs and helping them achieve their aspirations to bring high quality, locally produced food to more people across Scotland, and to promote it further afield.”

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment said: “It is clear that more and more people want to understand and be involved in the production, growing and sourcing of what they eat. Across a wide spectrum of ages and backgrounds there is a growing appreciation of the role of local food in our communities who want to be able to taste and enjoy the wonderful products available on their doorstep. This not only gives them access to fresh, seasonal and nutritional good, but also ensures there is a local bond with their food and suppliers.

“The Community Food Fund provides access to funding which not only makes this possible, but allows them to look at other ways of engaging local communities with top quality produce.”

Tracey Baxter, organiser of the recent ‘World Jampionships’ jam-making competition held in Dundee is one of the recipients of the funding. She said: “We are delighted that the Community Food Fund gave us support, as we have had overwhelming feedback on the success of this new venture. Quite simply, no Community Food Fund - no Jampionships.”

With the next round of the CFF opening for applications this week, more projects are set to benefit from the £1.2 million fund between now and 2016. Applications are considered on a quarterly basis by a panel comprising representatives from Scotland’s food and drink industry. The closing date is 3 October.

More details and an application form are available at http://www.sruc.ac.uk/info/120472/community_food_fund.

The projects receiving funding in the first round of the CFF are listed below:

Largs Food Festival
£5,000

Newhaven Fest
£2,000

Flavour Fortnight 2013
£10,000

Deliciously Good Food Development
£6,500

Ayrshire Food Activities Consultation & Business Plan
£5,000

Scottish Orchards Open Orchard Days
£10,000

Establishing a Highland Food Network
£10,000

Food from Argyll
£8,000

Uist Veg Box
£3,000

Living Food at Cawdor Castle
£5,000

City of Elgin Food & Drink Festival
£5,000

World Jampionships at Dundee Flower & Food Festival
£5,000

feastRen 2013
£5,000

Strengthening Local Supply Chains: Shetland and West Highlands
£5,000

Taste Borders
£5,000

Lanarkshire Food and Drink Network
£10,000

Food for Thought
£5,000

Edinburgh Community Cafes Festival
£5,000