Perthshire Breakfast Project Signs Up Major Local Hotel

A scheme which aims to promote the diverse produce of Perth and Kinross and support local tourism businesses has signed up its first large hotel.

The Perthshire Breakfast scheme encourages tourism businesses to offer local food and drink to customers for breakfast. It was launched last year and has been taken up by many B&Bs in the area.

Now Duchally Hotel and Country Estate, near Auchterarder, has signed up to the project, making it the first large local tourism business to join in.

The council’s enterprise and infrastructure vice-convener, Councillor Ann Gaunt, joined the hotel's general manager Graeme MacDonald at the resort last week to see how its chefs plan to cook up their version of a Perthshire Breakfast.

A Perthshire Breakfast consists of at least 50% of Perthshire-produced food and drink. The scheme supports local B&B and hotel businesses by giving them a selling point, while providing a boost to local food-producing businesses and promoting Perth and Kinross as a food destination.

Councillor Gaunt said: "A Perthshire Breakfast shines the spotlight on the huge variety of delicious, local and seasonal food found in Perthshire.

"From outstanding raspberries and mouth-watering soft fruit to fresh free-range eggs and honey, from top-quality beef, lamb and game to wild boar, succulent venison and an array of vegetables, Perthshire is unbeatable, and locally sourced food is almost always fresher and of higher quality.

"A Perthshire Breakfast gives visitors to our area the chance to experience this top-quality produce. Visitors will know where their food has come from and the story behind it, creating a very positive image for both the business and the area.

"Businesses can choose what produce to use at different times of year, and present dishes using their own imagination and flair.

"As well as offering visitors beautiful authentic food, another benefit of a Perthshire Breakfast is that produce is locally sourced, thereby reducing transportation miles and helping minimise adverse environmental impact."

Graeme MacDonald added: "Duchally Hotel and Country Estate is delighted to be the first hotel in Perthshire to offer a Perthshire Breakfast.

"Research shows that today’s visitors are looking for a 'food experience' where they can sample a local culture through the food and drink of a region – offering a Perthshire Breakfast is an excellent way of doing this.

"Since highlighting that we offer a Perthshire Breakfast and increasing the local products we offer at breakfast, sales and customer satisfaction have increased dramatically. We actively try to buy local where possible for the quality and to enhance the customer experience in our restaurant and bar."

The Perthshire Breakfast initiative is part of Perth & Kinross Council’s Developing Rural Tourism Project. The project supports new initiatives to develop tourism across the area and is funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Perth & Kinross Council would be delighted to hear from any tourism business interested in learning more about the initiative. Please send an email for more information.

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