The Scottish government has announced that food exports topped £1bn last year, reaching an impressive total of £1.1bn. This increase – a rise of about 3.5% – was largely driven by the addition of extra sales of fish and fresh seafood which account of £613m of the total.

But add drink exports to the mix and that number skyrockets to in excess of £5.1bn, which just goes to show how popular whisky is around the world.

The main destination for Scottish food and drink was the United States (£800m), with France (£734m) second and Spain (£247m) rounding out the top three. There was remarkable growth recorded in China too, with the government’s report saying they rose by 82%.

Commenting on these figures, the Scottish Food Secretary, Richard Lochhead, said: “We have a wonderful natural larder that lends itself to come of the best produce in the world and we have some extremely hard-working farmers, producers and processors who deserve the recognition that comes with their products being in demand all across the globe.”

James Withers echoed Lochhead’s sentiments. The chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink praised Scotland’s growing and improving national identity and that many countries are finding out about and buying Scottish food thanks to the county’s greatest and most well-known export.

“Whisky has blazed a trail globally, but it is one that is being increasingly followed by other food and drink products.

“Europe,” he continues, “remains our biggest food export market but we are beginning to now realise our ambitions to expand across North America, the Middle East and Asia.”

To go with this, we’ve delved into our recipe books (otherwise known as our brains) and have come up with this goodie: A traditionally Scottish haddock soup, with added whisky.

Ingredients

• 150ml double cream
• 30ml Scotch whisky
• 25g Butter
• ½ smoked haddock (skinned, boned and flaked)
• 1 rasher of smoked bacon, diced
• 1 crushed clove of garlic
• ½ onion, chopped.
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped chives

Instructions

• Heat the butter in a pan and then gently fry the onion and garlic
• Add the bacon into the mix and fry until crisp
• Pour in the whisky and then simmer, stirring regularly
• Add the cream and fish and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes.
• To serve, garnish with the chopped herbs.