| Winner of the Excellence Award 2007: North Highlands Products/Mey Selections (Wick, Caithness) |
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Winner of the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Excellence Award in 2007 was North Highlands Products/Mey Selections of Caithness. The formation of North Highland Products and the creation of the Mey Selections brand were direct results of the North Highlands Initiative inspired by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. Launched in August 2005 to boost the economy of the region, the initiative aimed to foster closer connections between farmers, fine food producers, and consumers in the area. As well as support from HRH Prince Charles, the project received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and SERAD (Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Dept). John Strak, Managing Director of Mey Selections, takes up the story: “Here at Mey Selections, we are driven by a belief in quality food and drink produced in this region and we wanted to find a way to get these products to a wider market. Using the name Mey Selections, we created a brand for a vast range of products all originating from a 100 mile radius of the Castle of Mey.”
Mey Selections became the brand name of North Highlands Products Ltd, the company formed by the Caithness farmers to select and source supplies of the highest quality farm and food products from the North Highlands – all Mey Selections products originate from within a 100 miles radius of the Castle of Mey. John explained: “As well as sourcing all our major ingredients from the local area, we aim to give a fair price to our traditional family farmers, fishermen and food producers – people who are passionate about delivering the natural goodness of the North Highlands to consumers across the UK.” The Mey Selections product range includes prize-winning beef, lamb, mutton, geese, cheese, eggs, oatcakes, honey and oat biscuits, shortbread, whisky, honey, preserves and Castle of Mey tweeds. Winning the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Excellence Award was an important development for Mey Selections. “As well as being a welcome accolade for our business, we see it as a mark of recognition and credibility for our 500 suppliers. And with Mey Selections products now in over 600 stores across the UK, each one of these 500 suppliers can justifiably feel that they are now part of a winning team”, said John. “At Mey Selections we are committed to using the highest standards of food production to produce the highest quality food. We are currently looking into extending our range of products to include sustainable supplies of fresh fish and shellfish through local harbours, as well as bakery and other products, we aim to deliver only top quality food to discriminating customers – at the same time, ensuring a sustainable future for local farmers and food producers.” Website: www.mey-selections.com
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