Food and Drink Innovation

Leveraging Stirling’s strengths in hospitality, tourism and agriculture, Food and Drink is a flourishing sector, with a strong focus on innovation:

• Expert training. Forth Valley College is a recognised leader in hospitality and culinary skills. Its Gallery Restaurant in Stirling combines the art of fine dining with breath-taking views of the National Wallace Monument, River Forth and Ochil Hills. It was the first college training restaurant to be awarded a prestigious Taste Our Best Award by VisitScotland.

• Artisanal producers. Stirling has seen significant growth in artisanal producers over recent years, including in whisky and gin production. For example, Stirling Distillery, one of Scotland’s smallest whisky distilleries, won Best Scottish New Make Spirit at the World Whiskies Awards 2025; and Cromlix Gin was developed in partnership with Andy Murray’s luxury Stirling-based hotel.

• Big brands. Stirling is home to established brands. From Graham’s the Family Dairy, Scotland’s largest independent dairy; to Campbells, a leader in quality Scottish shortbread and fudge; and Deanston, one of the first producers of organic scotch whisky, whose Deanston 18-Year-Old was named 2022 Whisky of the Year by The Whisky Exchange.

• Innovation, aquaculture and agritech. As well as leading producers, Stirling is at the cutting-edge of significant Food and Drink sub-sectors including aquaculture and agritech. For example, Peacock Technology is a Stirling-based start-up applying its expertise in robotics and AI to the dairy industry.

• Thriving food and drink scene. The city of Stirling and its surrounding communities are home to a multitude of award-winning food and drink businesses. For example, local businesses scooped many of the top prizes at the 2024 Food Awards Scotland and Stirling city centre restaurant Mamma Mia was crowned Restaurant of the Year by the Scottish Hospitality Awards in both 2025 and 2024. Meanwhile, another city centre restaurant, Brea, has been rated in the world’s top 10% of restaurants by Tripadvisor.

• Supportive business environment. Stirling’s regional Forth Valley Food and Drink Network – which is supported by Stirling Council and comprised of producers, processors and service industries – works to position the area as a leading food and drink destination whilst promoting the benefits of buying local and supporting growth and sustainability. Every March, the Network celebrates local success through its Food, Drink and Tourism Month.

Spotlight on Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the fastest growing agricultural sector in the world. Together with its supply chain, the industry supports over 12,000 jobs in Scotland alone.

• The University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture is the top-rated aquaculture research and training department in the UK and a leading international centre in its field, with specialist postgraduate degrees such as Sustainable Aquaculture.

• The soon-to-open National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH), supported by £17 million from our City Region Deal, will deliver state-of-the-art lab facilities where experts will conduct commercially relevant research in partnership with leading companies – equipping Stirling’s graduates with the skills required by the blue food economy of the future.

Stirling’s competitive location

As the ‘Brooch that clasps the Highlands and the Lowlands’, Stirling is perfectly located to tap into Scotland’s Food and Drink sector – as well as connected sectors such as agriculture, fishing, hospitality and tourism.

Stirling is within an hour’s travel time of over 50% of Scotland’s population and two international airports which offer flights to over 120 countries. Our city region is connected to motorway networks that extend across the UK and our train station is one of the busiest in Scotland – with public transport linking Stirling to Edinburgh or Glasgow in just over 30 minutes and a new, regular train service announced from London.

Stirling’s location and travel connections make it convenient for business visits and supply chains as well as recruitment.  We work with local, regional and national partners (including our Employer Engagement Forum, Skills Development Scotland, the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College) to support recruitment from our strong local talent pool and across Scotland.

Opportunities to start, scale and locate in Stirling

STEP

Having marked its 40th anniversary in 2023, STEP is arguably Scotland’s original incubator and today offers full-service business support and affordable rents to help businesses grow. With over 200 businesses in various industries across five locations in Stirling, STEP offers mixed-use work, office, kitchen and storage space. As an incubator, STEP provides comprehensive business support, including HR assistance, and affordable rents to foster business growth.

Stirling University Innovation Park (SUIP)

Established in 1986, SUIP houses 70 businesses across 109,000 square feet of office and lab space on the University of Stirling campus and close to the city centre. Its community of innovative businesses offers the chance to work alongside over 400 like-minded professionals, opening opportunities to share knowledge and collaborate.

Further options are available on Commercial Property Opportunities and Flexible Workspaces.

Stirling as a place to innovate and scale

Callander-based Trossachs Cooperage manufactures, repairs and rejuvenates oak casks for the whisky industry using custom-built, state-of- the-art machinery. The business was founded by Gary Drummond in 2025 with £1.3 million investment. The whisky industry is a pillar of Scotland’s food and drink industry, but coopering (barrel making) has faced serious challenges. Trossachs Cooperage – built on skills, sustainability and Scottish craftsmanship – aims to reverse this trend by reducing waste, cutting costs and improving environmental impact. The business is committed to achieving zero waste – with all waste materials recycled, repurposed or converted into firewood and 100% renewable energy drawn from solar and wind sources. Working with the Scotch whisky industry, the cooperage plans to create a new visitor attraction in the coming years.

“The Scotch whisky industry is a pillar of Scotland’s food and drink economy, but coopering – a centuries-old craft – has faced serious challenges. Trossachs Cooperage aims to reverse that trend by repairing, rejuvenating, and hardening oak casks to make them fit for fill — reducing waste, cutting costs, and lowering environmental impact. Our ethos is built on skills, sustainability and Scottish craftsmanship, and we are incredibly proud to drive this forward from Callander.”

Gary Drummond, Founder

Scottish biotech MiAlgae produces eco-friendly Omega-3 for fish feed and pet food using by-products from the whisky industry. MiAlgae has gone from strength to strength – with its site at Balfron in Stirling used to demonstrate the viability of its approach to offering a sustainable, plant-based alternative to fish oil at commercial scale, the company secured multimillion-pound investment to accelerate operations and develop industrial-scale production. In September 2024, MiAlgae reached the finals of the prestigious international Earthshot Prize, which celebrates and helps scale the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

“The success of our demonstrator site (at Balfron) has validated our technology at scale, attracting serious international support. With this backing, we’re focused on building the infrastructure needed to meet the growing global demand for sustainable Omega-3s whilst continuing to advance innovation in biotechnology.”

Douglas Martin, Chief Executive