Artisan food production, small family business and the Scottish food paradox

This paper aims to draw together three strands of work currently being carried out at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh to take an overview of food in Scotland and on-going local interventions. The provision of “artisan” food, defined here as food that forms part of the established tradition of its local area, usually produced on a relatively small scale, has become prominent in Scotland in recent years and is seen by many as part of a developing food culture that begins to address the Scottish food paradox.

A review of current research that considers artisanal food production and work that researches small and family enterprises was undertaken.

Small business support within the UK and indeed tailored support for businesses owned and managed by families is in a developmental phase at present. While there are numerous sources from which businesses can seek support, there are also acknowledged challenges for businesses in identifying the most appropriate sources of support, and the opportunity cost of engaging with business support agencies remains a serious concern for many. Further, much business support prioritises high-growth businesses, effectively de-prioritizing artisanal food producers.

The development and promotion of appropriate business support systems tailored to artisanal food production is an area that would merit further development.

The value of this piece lies in its blending of two distinct areas of work, considering both the challenges faced by artisanal food producers and recent research in family and smaller enterprises.