The SWA has outlined its mission to protect and advance its membership and the sector, and serving as the gateway to Scotland’s food and drink supply chain.
Chief executive Colin Smith revealed a rebrand for the association as well as the future launch of a website which will be a resource platform for members and industry to share ideas and best practice, showcasing the best of the industry and signposting members to support.
“We aim to be the driving force behind a well-connected, skilled and sustainable local wholesale food and drink supply chain, we speak with knowledge, honesty and integrity, always placing our people at the heart of everything we do,” Smith said.
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Meanwhile, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, paid tribute to the nation’s food and drink wholesalers, highlighting their continued contribution to Scotland’s economy and food system. “You are a cornerstone of our national goals – from economic growth to sustainability to community wellbeing.”
Acknowledging the “vital role” that wholesalers play in Scotland’s national food and drink supply chain and food resilience, she said: “Wholesalers are the essential connectors – linking our brilliant producers with retailers, hospitality businesses, public sector institutions, and communities across the country. From the heart of our cities to the most remote island communities, your reach is vast, and your impact is profound.”
Gougeon added: “The economic contribution of this sector is significant – not just in terms of turnover and jobs, but in the resilience and reliability that your collective efforts bring to Scotland’s food and drink infrastructure.
Gougeon also participated in a panel discussion as part of the event’s ‘Creating Value and Building Resilience through Sustainable Local Supply Chains’ session. The panel discussion explored the importance of a resilient supply chain, the opportunities for SWA members, and heard key advice from those who have benefited from the training sessions held as part of the ‘Delivering Growth Through Wholesale’ programme.
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Also participating in the session was Sam Henderson, managing director of Lomond Fine Foods, sharing the Glasgow-based wholesaler’s sustainability journey, efficiency initiatives, and recent B Corp accreditation. Stephen Curran, wholesale director of AG Barr and Claire Rennie, founder of Summerhouse Drinks which produces craft soft drinks and tonic waters at her premises on the family farm near Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, were the other panel members.
Meanwhile, in the ‘Empowering People – Innovative strategies for recruitment and retention’ session, Jason Butler, head of operations at United Wholesale (Scotland) – and a previous Rising Star of Wholesale winner at Scottish Wholesale Achievers – shared his experiences of the wholesale sector, and career development opportunities. Other contributors were Lisa Byars, director of the employment team at Burness Paull and Sonya Harper, central operations director of Dundee-based Spar wholesaler CJ Lang.
Adopting the theme Kaizen – a Japanese business philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement – the conference, on 5th June, looked to the future, shining a spotlight on what a thriving Scottish wholesale sector looks like now and in the future, and what wholesalers should be doing to ensure that the industry goes from strength to strength.
