Scotland’s dairy sector is celebrating a major export win with Scottish cheese going on sale in Spain for the first time.
In a sales drive backed by a £20,000 Brand Scotland investment, the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, Scottish Development International and importer Iber Conseil have joined forces with the UK Government to help Scottish cheese producers enter the Spanish market.
Cottage cheese from Yester Farm Dairies Limited has this week gone on sale at Ametller Origen’s 140 Catalan stores in a deal which will see 20 tonnes of the produce supplied in the first year. Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill will today [Friday 14 November] join producers and export partners for a launch event at an Ametller store in Barcelona.
Iber Conseil is also working with other Scottish producers to bring a number of hard cheeses to the Spanish market over the coming months.
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said
Scottish cheese is already celebrated across the UK as a premium, artisan product. Now, thanks to UK Government Brand Scotland funding, it will grace tables across Spain – opening new markets and delivering real benefits for our cheese producers and rural communities.
As part of our Plan for the Change, the UK Government is fully backing Scotland’s world class food and drink sector, including securing a trade deal with the EU that will remove red tape for Scottish businesses to export to the continent.
Founder and managing director of Yester Farm Dairies Simon McCreery said
We are really excited to see our cottage cheese on the shelves of Spanish retailers and we are so grateful for the advice and support we have received through the Brand Scotland initiative.
The Scottish Dairy Growth Board’s Roddy Wilde said
International market development for our world class ranges of Scottish speciality cheeses is a top priority for the sector and this breakthrough into the Spanish market is a key step, opening another door to trade with the EU.
The speed with which market entry has been facilitated and the high quality of relationship built in a short time with Spain’s major speciality cheese importer-distributor are testament to the agility and performance of our collaborative partnership with Scottish Development International as well as to the transformative aid of Brand Scotland funding from UK Government.
This year’s UK-EU trade deal is expected to add up to £5.1 billion a year to the economy and increase the volume of UK exports of major agricultural commodities to the EU by 16 percent.
That’s in part because a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) system has been agreed to which will see routine border checks eliminated so fresh produce can hit supermarket shelves more quickly, with less paperwork and fewer costs.
For artisan producers who often deal in small batches and cannot afford delays due to the perishable nature of goods such as cheese, this agreement will be especially beneficial.
As well as the Scottish cheese exports launch, Minister McNeill is in Barcelona to attend the annual British-Spanish Tertulias. Launched in 1988, it is the UK’s primary bilateral forum with Spain.