Food & Drink

Dedicated to quality from farm to fork

East Ayrshire has a modern and dynamic food and drink sector, with a focus on high quality products. There are over 750 active farms in East Ayrshire, most producing dairy, meat and poultry. Farmers are well represented by local NFU agents and organisations like the Ayrshire Farmers’ Cooperative.

In addition to agriculture, there are more than 4,000 people employed in the producers and hospitality sector of food and drink. In the food production sector, producers are supported through organisations like Ayrshire Food Network and Ayrshire Larder, in addition to local authority support through the food and drink business advisor.

East Ayrshire’s hospitality sector ranges from 4-star hotels with à la carte restaurants to bars, bistros and gastro-pubs. In addition, there are businesses meeting the demands of developing market areas, such as high-end independent cafes and coffee shops. As well as offering customers better quality and freshness, the increasing use of quality local produce in the sector supports local farmers and producers.

In recent years a number of businesses have been nominated for awards in the Entertainment & Hospitality Awards highlighting the excellent calibre of food and drink businesses within East Ayrshire.

Some key businesses

• The Lost Distillery Company creates present-day expressions of legendary whiskies from almost a century ago
• Dunlop Dairy makes a range of traditional farmhouse Scottish cheeses
• Woody’s Ice Cream Ltd manufactures an award-winning range of sorbets, ice creams and desserts
• Caledonian Bottlers produces a variety of still and carbonated alcoholic and soft drinks
• Brownings the Bakers Ltd is the largest craft baker in the west of Scotland
• Braehead Foods Ltd supplies fine foods and Scottish game to the best chefs in the UK and Europe