The appeal of Scottish food and drink continues despite on-going cost of living challenges

Earlier this year The Knowledge Bank (an initiative established by the Scottish Food and Drink partnership with aims to deliver vital market insights to the food and drink sector) commissioned us to undertake a survey of the Scottish population to provide updated insights on the factors impacting upon the population’s grocery shopping decisions, with a focus on food and drink made in Scotland, local produce and opportunities to shop local.

This research has now been published and is available to download on the Knowledge Bank portal, along with a wealth of other valuable market insights from across the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership.

Rising costs continue to have a significant impact on decisions

Perhaps unsurprisingly given high levels of inflation, over half of Scots stated that price and promotions have become more important to them when buying food and drink (78% and 71% respectively). However, it is also notable that freshness, avoiding unhealthy options and ease of preparation had also become more important for many in the face of increased costs (53%, 40% and 38% respectively).

How Scots shop and prepare meals has also changed in the face of increased prices. The ‘top 5’ most common actions taken to reduce spend on food and drink are as follows:

-       Planning grocery shops more carefully (42%)

-       Changing from buying branded products to supermarket own label (41%)

-       Switching to lower cost retailers (38%)

-       Planning meals more than before (34%)

-       Cooking from scratch more than before (33%)

Other actions taken to reduce energy costs when preparing meals were also recorded with around a quarter using more energy efficient appliances such as air fryers to cook with (24%) and a similar proportion batch cooking meals more often (24%).

The demand for Scottish produce continues

Despite the impacts of rising costs on food and drink choices, the survey found no decrease in the desire of Scots to buy Scottish produce and, in particular, food and drink produced locally. Indeed 82% stated that they would like to be able to buy more food and drink produced in Scotland, no change from the result when a similar question was asked in the 2022 survey.

While the ‘top 5’ items more likely to be chosen over other options if they were made in Scotland were salmon, smoked fish, soft fruit, Scotch whisky and milk, many other types of food and drink also have an enhanced appeal if their Scottish origins are promoted.

The most common reasons given for preferring Scottish produce over food and drink made elsewhere were a desire to support the local economy, the produce being fresher, a lower carbon footprint and expectations of higher quality.

However, to meet their demand for more Scottish produce, consumers stated that they would like to see greater availability in shops, clearer labelling of produce made in Scotland (on labels and in store) and more competitive prices.

Local shops for local people?

Our research also explored Scots views regarding using local shops when shopping for food and drink and the potential pros and cons of using smaller, independents over larger companies such as supermarket chains.

Encouragingly most Scots recognise that using local shops is important as it supports their local economy (86%), make the area a nicer place to live (82%) and can boost their sense of community (80%)

However, a number of potential concerns over using smaller local shops were also raised including the potential that prices could be higher than (69%), that the range available in store would be more limited (44%) and some practical concerns such as difficulties parking (26%) or there being a lack of suitable shops in the local area (32%).

While our survey showed that currently the majority of frequent shopping is undertaken in supermarkets and normally by car, it’s also clear that many Scottish consumers have a desire to support local independent shops, especially if the range of products available appeals, the price is right and shops are within easy reach.

Extracts from the recently published Knowledge Bank report:

If you’d like to access the research referenced in this article and many other resources provided by the Knowledge Bank you can sign up for full access here or register for the Knowledge Bank’s Scottish Provenance webinar on 22nd November to hear more.

Harnessing the Power of Provenance to help food and drink businesses flourish

The Knowledge Bank is a service operated by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership, supporting the Scottish food and drink sector through the provision of market research, insights and knowledge.

At 56 Degree Insight we’ve been delighted to have the opportunity to work with The Knowledge Bank over the last few years, undertaking a range of research projects to collect insights on consumer and trade opinions, with research methods used ranging from in-depth one to one interviews with chefs to large scale surveys of the Scottish population.

A common theme that cuts across all of the studies we’ve undertaken for The Knowledge Bank is the importance of provenance and, in particular, the available of produce which is made in Scotland.

This is the theme of the video launched by The Knowledge Bank last week, featuring some of the key findings from the consumer research we’ve undertaken over the last few years, highlighting the high (but often unmet) demand for Scottish produce which is driven by perceptions of local produce being of better quality and more environmentally sustainable plus a desire to support local businesses.

It is notable that while 89% of Scottish consumers want to buy more Scottish produce and 53% are willing to pay more for local, as things stand Scottish brands only account for around 5% of food and drink sold in Scotland.

Watch the video to find out more and hear recommendations on how food and drink businesses could make the most of this demand by taking steps such as ensuring Scottish produce is clearly signposted and promoted in store and capitalising on Scottish events such as Hogmanay, Burns Night and local celebrations.

With unprecedented international events including Covid-19, Brexit and the war in Ukraine impacting upon the world’s food supply chains and rising consumer concerns over the quality and environmental sustainability of the food and drink they consume, the appeal of local produce is set to continue to grow. However, with food inflation at its highest levels since the mid 70s, many consumers may feel that they are forced to compromise when making grocery decisions.

Given the many uncertainties in the market we will continue to closely monitor Scottish consumer attitudes and behaviour through our work with The Knowledge Bank and our own self funded studies including our quarterly Scotland’s Viewpoint.

If you’d like to access the research featured in The Knowledge Bank provenance video in full and many other resources you can sign up for full access here or get in touch with Duncan or Jim at 56 Degree Insight and we’d be happy to help.

How do Scots engage, protect and benefit from our natural environment?

The latest wave of Scotland’s People and Nature survey launches this spring, providing updated insights on how the population is engaging with, protecting and benefitting from nature

In December we were delighted to be commissioned by NatureScot to undertake the latest wave of their Scotland’s People and Nature Survey (SPANS).

Scotland’s People and Nature Survey will measure how people living in Scotland use, enjoy and value the natural environment.  It will cover a wide array of topics, ranging from the details of visits taken to the outdoors for recreation (from local greenspaces to National Parks) and the health and wellbeing benefits gained from time in nature to the day to day actions we take to protect nature.

We’re especially pleased to be working on the new SPANS contract given our previous long history working with NatureScot and (their predecessor) Scottish Natural Heritage on surveys measuring how Scots engage with nature. Indeed, our experience dates back to before 2003 when (as young researchers working for System Three!) we worked with SNH to develop the Scottish Recreation Survey. The Scottish Recreation Survey ran continuously for 10 years before relaunching as SPANS in 2013 and collecting insights right up until the first Covid 19 lockdown began in March 2020.

With a large annual sample size (12,000), invaluable data on how the Scottish population engage with nature were collected over this period. Trends recorded included an overall growth in the volume of visits taken for outdoor recreation - especially visits involving time in close to home, urban greenspaces and an increasing share of visits motivated by health and wellbeing.

We found that these trends accelerated during the 2020 and 2021 periods of Covid 19 lockdown when NatureScot commissioned 56 Degree Insight to undertake three waves of research to measure how the population was behaving and feeling during the pandemic. This research showed how during these difficult times many of us increased our frequency of visits to local outdoor places such as parks and path networks, relying upon these vital places as somewhere to escape to exercise, unwind, reconnect with nature and spend time with family and friends.

The 2023/24  Scotland’s People and Nature Survey will involve 12,000 online interviews undertaken between April 2023 and March 2024 providing updated insights on how the population is engaging with, caring for and benefitting from nature.

Look out for more updates on progress and results as they are published here or visit NatureScots’ measuring participation webpage here

Helping Veterans Housing Scotland to increase public support during a challenging time for charities

Over the last few months we’ve been delighted to have the opportunity to work with Veterans Housing Scotland.   Established in Edinburgh over 100 years ago Veterans Housing Scotland is a registered charity which provides homes for veterans who are disabled - their main aim is to provide safe and secure homes for veterans within a supportive community.

Veterans Housing Scotland commissioned us to provide then with population insights to help them to achieve their ambitions to raise awareness of the important work they do and to identify how they can increase support, a particular challenge given the economic uncertainties we are facing.

To obtain these insights we surveyed a representative sample of just over a 1,000 Scottish adults in early September 2022, asking a wide range of questions covering general attitudes towards homelessness and veterans, current and planned levels of charitable giving and awareness of and interest in supporting veterans charities with a focus on opportunities for Veterans Housing Scotland.

All charities are facing cost of living challenges…

We found that the vast majority of adults living in Scotland had given to charity at least once in the last year (78%). Indeed a core of just over a third of Scots (35%), typically gave to charity every month and the average amount donated per person per year was £88 (and somewhat more amongst certain population groups including families and members of the most affluent social grades).

However, with rising costs of living, charities face a significant challenge. As shown below we found that with increasing living costs, half of Scots expected that the total amount they would donate to charities in the next 12 months would be less than in the last year. In contrast just 10% expected the amount they would give to increase.  Worryingly, some of the groups who had previously given to charity most often are the most likely to expect to reduce their donations – this includes people in the more affluent socio-economic groups, people who are working full time and people with children in their household.

Addressing homelessness remains a high priority…

More positively, we found that tackling homelessness remains high on the list of priorities for most Scots. Asked to rank a range of issues in order of importance, homelessness was ranked third most important on average (with mental health and tackling poverty ranked as 1st and 2nd) and when considering the types of charity they were most inclined to support in 12 months those organisations which help the homeless were ranked amongst the most important.

To understand the factors driving these high levels of concern, we explored attitudes towards homelessness in more detail. We found that over four in five Scots (83%) agreed with the statement ‘taking steps as a society to reduce homelessness is in everyone’s interests’ while 85% agreed that  ‘people are often pushed into homelessness by circumstances beyond their control.’

Furthermore, around 1 in 3 Scots have had personal experiences or are close to others with personal experiences of homelessness.

How to increase support for Veterans Housing Scotland at a challenging time for everyone?

Our research explored awareness and views towards homelessness amongst veterans in detail. More than half of the population (57%) were aware that historically homelessness has been a particular issue amongst military veterans and the vast majority rated this as issue which is very important to address (73% provided a rating of 7+ on a scale from 0 to 10).

In the context of these high levels of concern, our research tested a range of ways in which Scots could support Veterans Housing Scotland, including donations or volunteering time or skills. This analysis has allowed us to identify the groups most open to supporting their charity and by gaining feedback on alternative brand and communications options we have been able to provide recommendations on the marketing approaches likely to be most effective.

Find out more

If you’d like to find out more about the work undertaken by Veterans Housing Scotland and how you can support their aims, please visit their website www.vhscot.org.uk

Also please get in touch with the team at 56 Degree Insight if you’d like to hear more about our work in the charitable sector or how we can help your organisation using the approaches we’ve followed in this study.

Measuring Social Value

Located in County Down, the Mourne Mountains are the most dramatic mountain range in Northern Ireland and include Northern Ireland’s highest peak Slieve Donard at 850m (2,790 feet).

The Mournes are a landscape and habitat of international importance, located at the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest. They are also a popular destination for outdoor recreation providing a place for locals, day visitors and tourists to enjoy walking, mountain biking, nature watching and many other pursuits.

Mournes Community Renewal through Nature Project

Our client, the National Trust works with Northern Ireland Water, Woodland Trust and the Mourne Heritage Trust to collectively care for large areas of the Mourne Mountains.  This group of organisations is working together to develop a more holistic and collaborative approach to how they care for the parts of the Mournes owned by the National Trust and Woodland Trust, as well as those owned or managed by public bodies (see map below). 

A survey of users and organisations

To inform this project 56 Degree Insight have been commission to undertake a survey of individuals and organisations who live, work, take part in recreation or use this land in other ways.

The survey is part of wider programme of engagement with the local community and key stakeholders which will provide a detailed insight into issues impacting the land and how to maximise the potential to contribute to quality of life and well-being, mitigate the climate crisis and provide sustainable economic benefits – all while safeguarding the precious and fragile environment from which these derive.

Measuring social value
Our survey is using an online approach to cover a wide range of areas to better understand the profile of individuals and organisations that use the Mournes, the activities they take part in, the quality of their experiences, motivations for visits and their views on priorities for the future of the land.

A key focus of our work is to establish the social value of the Mournes by measuring to what extent users obtain benefits relating to a wide range of areas including health, wellbeing, learning, nature connection and community cohesion. Once fieldwork is complete these results will be applied to data from other sources relating to annual visit numbers and the monetary value of benefits to obtain an estimate of the total social value of the area.

On writing the survey is still live with fieldwork continuing until Monday 26th September. Interim results are already providing valuable insights on how the area is used, the benefits it brings to locals and visitors to the area and their feedback on the future of the area. Final reporting will take place in October.

Find out more
If you’d like to find out more about this survey, our approaches to outdoor recreation evaluations or methods we can use to measure social value, please get in touch

And if you’ve visited the Mournes in the last year or are an organisation operating in the area please take part in the survey by clicking on this link! https://bit.ly/Mournes2022

Cruise holidays - and the vital role of the Tour Operator

As we emerge on the other side of the worst restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic (hopefully!), the travel and tourism industry in particular is quickly returning to pre-2020 levels of business.  In particular, overseas package holidays appear to have bounced back significantly this summer as many of us have eagerly sought to return to pre-Covid holiday choices and behaviours (airport delays and airline cancellations notwithstanding!).

One of the hardest hit sectors of the travel industry over the last couple of years has of course been the international cruise market. No other type of holiday was hit quite as hard as ocean cruising during 2020 and 2021. This sector is incredibly buoyant however, and this year has also seen a rapid return to the volumes of demand pre-2020.

Whilst many of us are comfortable at booking airlines and accommodation ourselves, cruise customers are more likely to use third party tour operators and agencies to help design and book their cruise rather than trying to put all of the different elements together independently.  This perhaps reflects the security of having a third party organiser to help should flights be delayed and cruise departures missed.  Their role is even more important post-pandemic as travel regulations around Covid have changed, country-by-country on multiple occasions.  A Travel Agent can ensure that cruise customers are up to date with all of the latest requirements around certification and restrictions on the various stages of the cruise.

In April, 56 Degree Insight were appointed by Brooklyn Travel, the parent company of two of the UK’s leading cruise tour operators – Cruise Kings and Scotland’s Cruise Centre – to undertake qualitative research amongst a selection of their customers.  They were keen to establish the views of customers about the service they received, what they did well in addition to where they could improve, and how they compared against the competition.

The customer base was segmented into enquirers, new bookers and established, regular customers.  We also ensured there was coverage of the traditional couples market, young and old, as well as coverage of the growing family market.

Around 20 online depth interviews were undertaken with customers during May where we talked about their experience of cruises, its appeal, and the decision-making process from consideration through to booking.  We then examined the Cruise Kings / Scotland’s Cruise Centre customer experience and probed on areas that needed to be addressed.

It is safe to say that in all of the customer experience research we have undertaken over many years, we have never uncovered such a degree of positivity and endorsement for any company than was the case for the two Brooklyn Travel brands.  Of course there were some small areas which would benefit from some attention, but the bespoke service and expert advice that the Travel advisers provided alongside value for money and the efficiency of the whole experience ably demonstrate why these brands are so highly regarded – and why so many customers return time after time.

It was a pleasure working with the Brooklyn team – and based on our findings, we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Cruise Kings or Scotland’s Cruise Centre next time you are considering a cruise holiday.

Customer Experience research – both qualitative and quantitative – is an area where the 56 Degree Insight team have a great deal of expertise and previous experience.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you’d like to find out more about how we can help in this important area of research.

The impacts of the housing crisis on business in Skye and Lochalsh

During the last 4 months we’ve been working on an important study, commissioned jointly by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association, SkyeConnect Tourist Destination Management Organisation and The Highland Council, which has sought to measure the impacts of the lack of affordable housing in Skye and Lochalsh on businesses, in particular their efforts to recruit staff.

The study has involved a mixture of approaches including an online survey of 143 businesses and ten one-to-one in depth consultations with a range of organisations operating in the area (including representatives from several larger private sector companies, the NHS and housing organisations).

The survey results were published earlier this month, revealing that the scale of the problem is significantly worse than public agencies had previously estimated. Headline findings from the research included the following:

• Between 1300 and 1700 job vacancies are currently unfilled because of the lack of accommodation.

• 2 in 5 businesses are currently experiencing recruitment problems with the most significant issues amongst businesses with 5 employees or more

• 29% of businesses have offered a job to an individual who has decided not to take the role. Accommodation issues were mentioned in 50% of these cases

• 1 in 5 people employed in businesses in the area live outside Skye and Lochalsh and 1 in 4 don’t live in their own home

• 25% of businesses expect the number of positions they need to fill to increase over the next three years

• 65% expect recruitment of permanent posts to get harder and 58% expect the situation to worsen in relation to seasonal posts

Our report concluded that the housing shortage is already impacting on the local economy with many businesses forced to reduce the services they deliver or choosing to not invest in the growth of their business. Looking ahead, the chronic lack of supply of affordable housing is constraining economic growth and limiting the ability of businesses to respond to development opportunities across the area.

However, respondents to the study also highlighted that there are many potential solutions to the problems including more investment in all forms of affordable housing. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and government policy needs to be adaptive and sensitive to remote and island needs.

As shown below the release of the report has generated much interest in the press. Our clients for this project will now use the results from the survey to lobby Governments and other public and private sector agencies for the investment they feel is required to alleviate the housing crisis and protect the economy of Skye and Lochalsh.

We look forward to continuing to support our clients for this project in the sharing of results. If you would like to find out more about the research please get in touch.

A return to face to face surveying as we launch the 2022 Canal & River Trust Visitor Survey!

We were hoping for sunshine over the weekend as we began fieldwork for a major new visitor survey on behalf of the Canal & River Trust.  Working with our face to face fieldwork partners Walnut we’ll be undertaking over 100 days of face to face interviewing with visitors to a selection of the Trust’s visitor attractions across England and Wales during May and June. Eight of their main attractions will be included, including Anderton Boat Lift, the Tees Barrage, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Wrexham and their museums in Gloucester, Ellesmere Port and Stoke Bruerne.

After a long period of restrictions on face to face interviewing we’re delighted to be back in the field (or should I say on the towpath..). The survey will invite visitors to provide their feedback on their experience at the attraction, what they enjoyed most, what could be improved and their reactions to the possible options for enhancing the visitor experience. We will also capture valuable information the profile of who is visiting Canal & River Trust sites including demographics such as age and life stage and visit details such as transport modes used and whether visitors are on holiday or a day out.

With over 2,000 interviews due to be completed with visitors over the period, the survey will provide a wealth of new insights for each attraction and the ability to compare results by key visitor segments. These insights will be used by the Trust to increase the benefits gained by those who visit their sites (including learning, health, wellbeing and happiness), increase diversity of those visiting and ensure that the attractions are maximising the benefits to the communities they lie within.

If you’d like to find out more about the Canal & River Trust and their work click here - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk

To hear more about the survey get in touch with the team at 56 Degree Insight.

Bringing insights to life in the Mountains of Venice!

Some of you may recall the blog we wrote a few months ago, where we described the brand research we undertook for the Province of Belluno in the Dolomites: l'esperienza di viaggio - 56 Degree Insight and The Italian Job!

It’s always gratifying when we see the fruits of our labour - and in this case, the marvellous destination branding that has been developed for the region by Tom Buncle of Yellow Railroad.

The research recommended that a linkage to Venice and the Dolomites was crucial if the potential of Bell;unese was to be developed - and the creation of ‘Dolomite Bellunesi: the Mountains of Venice’ delivers this just perfectly.

We think the video that the destination have created is magnificent and really sells the benefits of a visit to this most beautiful part of the eastern Dolomites - again, the key messaging suggested by the research has been incorporated - authenticity, stunning scenery and wonderful local food.

You can watch the video below - we want to go back!!

Tracking business performance and confidence in the Cairngorms and Moray & Speyside

Over the last year we’ve been working with Cairngorms Business Partnership to undertake their Cairngorms Business Barometer, a quarterly survey of businesses operating in the Cairngorms National Park tracking a range of areas including numbers of customers, levels of turnover and expectations for the future. In late 2021 we were delighted to be commissioned by Visit Moray Speyside to work with them to launch a similar survey - the Moray Speyside Business Barometer - in their area with the first wave of this new survey completed last month.

Both surveys involve the quarterly completion of a short online questionnaire amongst a sample of businesses, providing details on levels of business during the last 3 months, expectations for the future, general levels of business confidence and the impact of a range of ‘barriers’ on levels of business. The survey approach also allows for the inclusion of a set of ‘hot topic’ questions on a subject of particular interest at that point.

Reflecting the nature of the economy in both areas, while participating businesses are largely involved in the tourism industry, the types of businesses participating is wide ranging, including accommodation providers, retailers, hospitality businesses and food and drink manufacturers. In return for participating, businesses receive rapid access to the survey reports and a personalised summary of the results comparing their own performance and outlook with the averages for businesses across their area.

We published the 2022 Quarter 1 results from both of the Barometers this week, reporting on how businesses in each area had performed during the first three months of the year and their expectations for the rest of 2022 and beyond.

In both surveys the results provided a fairly mixed picture. With the relaxation of Covid restrictions and international tourism markets starting to return, business levels have certainly improved for most in comparison to the same time last year. And in both surveys most businesses indicated that they expect increased levels of business this year and levels of confidence for the short (3 months), medium (12 months) and longer term (24 months) are all slightly above the averages normally seen for this time of year, even pre-pandemic.

However this post pandemic optimism is tempered by growing operational concerns over rising supplier and energy costs, with many businesses already experiencing significantly increased costs and nearly all anticipating hikes during the next 12 months. Staffing concerns are also continuing to present a significant challenge for some businesses as a combination of factors mean that many struggle to fill vacant positions.

Click on the links below if you’d like to find out more about the Cairngorms Business Barometer or Moray Speyside Barometer (or to find out how to take part if you are a business based in either area!) or get in touch with us if you’d like to hear more about the surveys or opportunities to  establish up a Business Barometer in your region.

https://www.cairngormschamber.com

https://morayspeyside.com/barometer/

Provenance, sustainability, country of origin and trends impacting on the foodservice channel – The Chef’s Perspective

Introduction 

In late March we were delighted to be invited to present at The Knowledge Bank’s Foodservice Channel conference at the EICC, sharing the findings of research which explored the views of chefs on the trends impacting upon their menu and ingredient choices.

The study involved a range of research approaches including 14 in-depth interviews with chefs from a variety of types of establishments across Scotland, a focus group with student chefs and a UK wide online survey of over 200 chefs.

Adapting to survive 

We heard from our chefs about how difficult the last two years has been and how their businesses have changed their ways of operating to survive. However, as we emerge from the pandemic many of the chef’s we spoke to told us how changes initially made as a result of Covid-19 restrictions would be continued longer term as they’d been welcomed by customers and/or they provided more profitable ways of operating.

These changes included simplified menus, offering eating at home options, reduced opening hours and, for some, a diversification into new areas such as takeaway coffees or bakery. The pandemic has also driven some hospitality businesses to adopt technology in ways that they would not have considered before, for example at table ordering via a smartphone app, providing additional menu information via QR codes or increasing the use of social media to stay engaged with customers and local communities. 

Food and drink trends here to stay 

The research also uncovered a number of other interrelated trends which began before Covid but accelerated during the pandemic and look set to continue into the longer-term future. These included…

• Environmental sustainability – a vital area, increasingly important to many chefs and consumers and driving a number of the other trends seen including veganism, awareness of food miles and provenance and concerns over packaging.

• Plant based and vegan – an area of rising demand predicted to continue to grow fast, in part because of rising concerns over the environment but also due to customers becoming more aware of the health benefits of the food and drink they consume and the origins of ingredients.

• Rising awareness and concerns over allergens – a general increased desire amongst consumers for transparency over the ingredients in the food and drink they consume and new legislation such as Natasha’s Law.

• Health and wellbeing – growing in importance both in terms of consumer awareness of the health benefits of the food and drink they choose to consume but also a growing importance of promoting wellbeing amongst staff working in the hospitality sector.

• Experiential dining – many of the restaurateurs and caters we spoke to were increasingly looking to provide diners with a unique experience which would leave them with lasting memories.

• Provenance/ slow food – we heard how customers are also seeking more authentic food, made with love, made by smaller local/community producers and with a clear provenance.

• Booming interest in food and drink – all of these trends are set within the context of consumers taking more interest and caring more about the food and drink they consume. This trend is driven by both social media and the significant numbers of programmes on television about cooking, baking, food production, etc. Customers are much more knowledgeable than before, more appreciative and adventurous but also more demanding!

The importance of Provenance

One of the key areas we focused upon in the research was Provenance. After being provided with a short definition of food provenance (“knowing where food was grown, caught or raised, how it was produced and how it was transported”) 3 in 5 of the chefs included in our UK wide survey indicated that this was something that was very important to them when they were making decisions on ingredients to include on menus.

When asked to explain why they felt this way, responses included including a desire to support local producers, the pride in using quality produce with known provenance and the promotional value of being able to tell a story around menu items.

The in-depth interviews provided an opportunity to explore this area in more detail; we found that promoting high quality produce with a clear provenance often reflected a chef’s own personal or business ethos, including a desire to operate an environmentally sustainable business.

Many of the chefs also valued the importance of building positive, trusted relationships with other businesses in their local area, particularly those that shared their values. 

Also, when we talked to our Scottish based chefs about food and drink produced in Scotland response was almost entirely positive with Scottish produce felt to offer many benefits.

First and foremost, we heard how offering Scottish produce on the menu would meet their customer’s demands. For Scottish residents this appeal existed due to a combination of practical reasons, such as an expectation of greater quality and freshness, and more emotional reasons such as a sense of pride and desire to support producers in the local community. For visitors to Scotland, Scottish produce also provided a way for them to try something different from the norm, enhancing their visit experience.

Our chefs provided lots of examples of trusted relationships with local suppliers and producers and all of this added to the appeal of buying Scottish and while buying local could be more expensive, this wasn’t necessarily always the case and there was a recognition that offering dishes which were labelled as Scottish or local could support higher pricing.

Find out more

This short article has summarised a few of the key results from this new research. If you’re involved in the food and drink sector in Scotland and would like to see more of the findings, please get in touch with The Knowledge Bank

If you’d like to have a chat with the 56 Degree Insight team about how our services can help your business to better understand your customers, get in touch.

As we emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic, how are Scots feeling about returning to cultural events?

Creative Scotland have just released the latest report from the series of surveys we have undertaken for them during the Covid-19 pandemic, measuring how the Scottish population has been engaging with arts and culture during this period and their hopes and fears for returning to events and venues as restrictions are eased. 

Fieldwork for this latest survey wave took place in February 2022 with 1,105 online interviews undertaken with a representative sample of the adult population, including a ‘booster’ sample of additional 100 members of the ethnic minority population. 

Consistent with the previous three survey waves (undertaken in 2020 and 2021) half of the population told us that since the pandemic had started they had really missed the opportunity to go to cultural events and venues and, since the re-opening of venues, many had already attended or had plans to attend events and shows with levels of interest highest for cinema, live music, theatre and live comedy.

However concerns around Covid-19 remain for many with 55% of the population continuing to feel worried about the potential health impacts of the virus for them and their family, some respondents stating that outdoor and larger venues are more attractive than smaller indoor ones and, at the time of the fieldwork, just over half (55%) indicated that they supported the idea of events only being available to those who had been fully vaccinated or just obtained a negative test result.  

But as we emerge from one crisis impacting the sector another is on the horizon. Our study also showed the increasing concerns and potential impacts of the rising costs of living– 48% of the population are worried about their household finances for the year ahead and many feel that they will be less likely to attend cultural events in future as they need to save money. Most notably around half or more stated that they may be less likely to attend cinema, theatre or live music due their tightening budgets.

If you would like to find out more about this survey and view the full report visit the Creative Scotland website now or get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss our research approaches and how we can help you.

Consumer trends in food and drink in Scotland

The recent consumer research undertaken by 56 Degree Insight for the Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards has generated a huge amount of data on Scottish consumers’ food and drink consumption and purchasing habits. We have been able to identify what is important to consumers when deciding what to buy, and where - from channel choice to brand decisions around label information, to the bigger issues around provenance and sustainability - and where they fit in decision-making alongside price and quality.

Two key areas have come through in all of this consumer research - firstly, the importance of health decisions around dietary choice and choosing products that can deliver a healthier lifestyle. Secondly - the desirability to choose products which have been produce, reared or grown locally.

The good folks behind the main trade magazine for Scottish convenience stores, Scottish Local Retailer Magazine (SLR), have kindly provided us with space to write a column each month on some of these trends. You can access the digital version of this magazine here (well worth a read for everyone with an interest in the latest trends win local retail) but hopefully of interest to some of you, we have reproduced the two most recent articles below - The Local Factor and The Health Factor.

Identifying tourism growth opportunities in Aberdeenshire

In March we were delighted to be able to present the final results of a programme of qualitative research which we recently completed for VisitAberdeenshire. 

The research aimed to provide VisitAberdeenshire with a detailed understanding of the views and opinions of potential visitors to their area, exploring a number of key areas including how the pandemic has changed attitudes to domestic travel, perceptions of Scotland, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen as a destination and the actions that need to be taken to achieve ambitions to grow the value of the sector. 

To obtain the in-depth understanding of consumers views and attitudes needed a qualitative approach was used with a total of six online focus groups conducting using Zoom amongst residents of the North of England and Scotland. 

The focus groups recruitment ensured that as well as speaking to people in our selected locations, we recruited a mix of people in different lifestages (from young independents, to family and empty nesters) and people with different levels of previous experience of the region – from recent visitors to those with limited awareness of what the region offers.

The insights from this research will be used by VisitAberdeenshire and their partners to guide the actions taken as they work towards the ambitions for the region – first and foremost the planning of marketing activities which will stimulate recovery in the area’s tourism sector as we emerge from the pandemic.

If you would like to find out more about this study or other research we’ve undertaken in the tourism sector or a qualitative research offer please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The Power of Football!

Football is Scotland’s number one sport – both in terms of participation but also in terms of the numbers who watch the game.  Per head of population, football remains more popular in Scotland than in any other European country.

The Scottish Football Association is charged with governing the game – it exists to promote, foster and develop the game at all levels in Scotland.

But of course football evolves and changes quickly, and it is important that our Governing body evolves at a similar pace.  Last year, the Scottish FA published The Power of Football, a strategic plan designed to improve the national game at all levels up to and including the FIFA World Cup in 2030.  This first stage covered the 2021-2025 period and it mapped out the association’s journey within six key pillars of activity, each with a key overriding objective:

• Qualify consistently and compete in major tournaments

• Accelerate the growth of girls’ and women’s football

• Inspire the nation through lifelong participation

• Deliver a world-leading coach education and development system

• Modernise the Home of Scottish Football

• Connect Scottish football’s diverse communities

You can read the strategy in detail here.

The 56 Degree Insight team have been working with the Scottish FA over a number of years to better understand the requirements of all of its stakeholders – from players and coaches through to spectators of the national teams as well as club football.

Last year, the Scottish FA and UEFA commissioned us to undertake a comprehensive qualitative study amongst football supporters to better understand how they felt about the Scottish FA and its role. How could it improve and where should it be focusing?  This fed into the development of the Power of Football strategy, and we have been delighted to work with the Scottish FA again over the last couple of months in testing various creative development routes amongst similar audiences of supporters.  A number of focus groups were held with fans across the country and the results will help the Scottish FA and its media agency to fine tune the materials which will bring the real power of football to life, highlighting all of its benefits across social, mental and physical health, inclusivity and diversity and football’s ability to bring people and communities together.

To find out more about the work we have undertaken about our national sport, please just get in touch

Helping Anglian Water’s customers to love every drop

Driving up customer satisfaction is essential for Anglian Water. Yet, as a water company which provides a service which many people don’t think much about, this can be a challenging ambition.

While the day to day customer service provided by Anglian Water undoubtedly plays a vital role in improving customer satisfaction levels (from fixing leaks and unblocking pipes to responding to call centre enquiries quickly), given the low levels of day to day contact the organisation has with the vast majority of customers, how the brand is communicated is also extremely important.

Recognising this Anglian Water’s communications seek to make it clear what the organisation does and what their brand stands for, seeking to move from a place where users of their services have little or no interest or knowledge in what they do to one where customers care about and appreciate what the organisation does. The ultimate aim of their communications is to help customers to understand Anglian Water’s brand purpose and the relevance this has to their own lives and those of others living in their community.

Brand tracking

We are delighted to have been working with Anglian Water for the last year to undertake analysis and reporting of their brand tracking research. This research programme involves quarterly ‘dips’ surveying a representative sample of customers from across the Anglian Water region. The survey tracks a number of key indicators including brand awareness, knowledge, advocacy and how well they are delivering against a number of strategic areas of focus such as sustainability, value and community engagement.

The research also allows us to test the effectiveness of Anglian Water’s communications (for example see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X6TZaulQwI) to evaluate to what extent communications are reaching their target audiences, the messages being taken, how these are impacting on people’s opinions of the brand and any actions taken as a result.

Business impact

The results from the brand tracking are proving invaluable to Anglian Water by giving them the actionable insights they need to pursue their brand, comms and creative strategies. This has included identification of the key drivers of positive brand perception and customer satisfaction and a deeper understanding of how to connect the brand, comms and customer experience. 

If you’d like to discuss how 56 Degree Insight can support you in your brand and communications evaluation or would like to hear more about the work that we are doing in the utilities sector, please get in touch.

As restrictions ease will the pandemic have a lasting impact on how Scots engage with nature?

NatureScot have just released the third in a series of national surveys we have undertaken for them tracking the population’s behaviours and feelings relating to outdoor recreation and nature over the course of Covid-19 pandemic.

Fieldwork for the latest survey wave ran in September 2021 and involved over 1,100 interviews. Encouragingly, our survey found that even as restrictions eased in the summer and some aspects of life began to return normal, the increased levels of engagement with nature recorded during periods of lockdown continued for many people.

Indeed, two thirds of the population agreed that compared to pre-pandemic they were more likely to notice health and wellbeing benefits from spending time outdoors and a third of told us that their enjoyment of wildlife in their local area had increased.

However with the increased numbers of people enjoying the outdoors, many users also noticed an increased amount of litter. Almost half told us that litter had spoilt their enjoyment while 29% experienced a lack of public toilet facilities!To see more results from this survey click on the link below.

If you’d like to find out more don’t hesitate to get in touch.

https://www.nature.scot/doc/naturescot-research-report-1289-enjoying-outdoors-monitoring-impact-coronavirus-and-social

Finding solutions to business housing needs in Skye and Lochalsh

Next month fieldwork will go live on a new survey of businesses based in Skye and Lochalsh, seeking to find out to what extent a lack of affordable accommodation is making it difficult to recruit staff and to obtain the business community’s views on possible solutions to the problem. 

This important new study, which has been commissioned jointly by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association, SkyeConnect Tourist Destination Management Organisation and The Highland Council, follows on from similar studies undertaken by 56 Degree Insight during 2021 in Badenoch & Strathspey and Lochaber. These previous studies provided valuable evidence on the impacts of a lack of affordable housing in these areas including estimates of the proportion of businesses facing recruitment challenges because staff cannot find accommodation, the numbers of positions impacted and details on the types of accommodation most needed to address these problems.

The survey of businesses in Skye and Lochalsh will aim to gather similar evidence on the extent that a lack of housing is impacting upon recruitment and go further by asking participants to have their say on the best possible solutions - giving their own opinions on the actions that should be taken and their reactions to a range of potential solutions. 

While the core of the study will be an online survey of businesses, due to take place during February, a follow up series of one to one interviews will be undertaken with a selection of organisations to obtain more in depth feedback on the issues faced and the actions which need to be taken to resolve them.  This stage will provide us with the opportunity to engage in more detail with some of the larger employers in the area and potentially other stakeholders including land owners.

We look forward to launching the new survey soon. If you would like to find out more about the research or if you are a business based in Skye and Lochalsh and would like to take part in the research please get in touch!

56 Degree Insight - research & insight partner for the 2022 Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards

The Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards are the ultimate platform to recognise and showcase innovation, with the primary goal to help more Scottish producers get their brand on retail shelves.

Past entrants include everything from major supermarket brands and discounters to own-label ranges and smaller artisan producers, reflecting the breadth and depth of our diverse industry.

56 Degree Insight are delighted to be one of the Award partners - providing the food and drink sector in Scotland with the latest consumer insights and research findings.

We will be providing regular updates at www.56degreeinsight.com/srfda-2022 - bookmark this page to access the latest findings and deep dives into all things food and drink research over the next few months. And for more information about the awards themselves, follow the links below.

The video below provides a taster of some of the findings we will be sharing

For more information about the awards, visit www.scottishretailfoodanddrinkawards.com and follow them on Twitter: @ScottishRfda  

Christmas vs Hogmanay: who wins in the battle of the December festivities amongst Scots?

Following Christmas, and as we gear up to the New Year celebrations in Scotland, albeit in a rather muted form this year because of restrictions caused by the rise of Omicron, it begs the question – what is more important to most Scots – Christmas or New Year?

It may be a surprise to discover that Christmas was not celebrated in Scotland for around 400 years, from the end of the 17th century to the 1950s. Indeed, for much of that time it was effectively banned - this dates back to the Protestant Reformation, when Christmas was deemed a ‘Catholic feast’, and as such the Kirk deemed that it was not to be celebrated!

Therefore, right up until the 1950s, many Scots worked over Christmas and celebrated their winter holiday at New Year when people gathered for parties, exchanged presents – and this became known as Hogmanay. 

Hogmanay remains a ‘very Scottish tradition’ and is synonymous with Scotland the world over.  But how to Scots in 2021 feel about Hogmanay and Christmas?  Does Hogmanay still take precedence?

In early December, before the latest Covid restrictions which will impact hugely on Hogmanay this year (no mass street parties or gatherings for example), 56 Degree Insight polled a representative sample of 500 Scottish adults and asked them – which do you like better, Christmas or Hogmanay/New Year? 

And clearly, things have changed since the 1950s!  Two thirds of Scots said that they prefer Christmas (65%) and only one in eight prefer New Year (12%).  One in five had no preference (19%) whilst 4% don’t like either.

Not unexpectedly though, there are variations in opinion by certain demographics.  As would be expected, families are the group most likely to prefer Christmas (77%) – only 7% of them prefer New Year.  However, young Scots adults - those aged 16-24 - are rather more likely to prefer New Year (26%), although even amongst this age group, a larger proportion choose Christmas (49%).

So why do most Scots prefer Christmas?  The main reason – mentioned by just under a third is the appeal of Christmas for families and children (31%):

''It is just so magical and wonderful for children and spending time with family”

''It is my most favourite time of year - I love spending time with family and giving gifts”

However for others, preference for Christmas is fuelled as much by a dislike for Hogmanay around two areas – bad memories and often loneliness (10%) and too much of an alcohol focus (8%):

''New year is a very sad time as I think about all the people who are no longer with us”

“Hogmanay can be very lonely”

''Hogmanay is just an excuse for people to get drunk”

Indeed amongst the 19% who prefer Hogmanay (dominated by the under 35s) , the main reasons given relate to parties and drinking:

''Christmas is too long and is getting boring as I get older. Prefer the parties at Hogmanay”

“Hogmanay means a good party, lots to drink and a fresh start to new year”

So, some clear evidence that for most Scots, Christmas celebrations are now more preferred over those that take place a week later – something that would have been much less likely back in the middle of the 20thCentury.

FOOTNOTE:

These findings were reported in the Scotsman on 30th December - accessible here