TWENTY-THREE of France’s top chefs have arrived in Scotland to sample the best food and drink the country has to offer.

The Master Chefs of France will visit the Scottish Salmon Company farm at Loch Fyne and Loch Fyne Smokery today, with a dinner organised by Seafood Scotland at Cameron House Hotel this evening. Tomorrow, the chefs will be hosted by Quality Meat Scotland on a farm visit to Shantron Farm in Luss. They will then visit Glengoyne distillery to sample whisky, cheese and oatcakes.

The visit will conclude with a gala dinner, hosted by Fiona Hyslop MSP, minister for culture, tourism and external affairs, and is part of the Scottish Government’s Scotland Food and Drink Export Plan, which is intended to increase exports across a wider range of markets.

Latest figures show that the total value of Scottish food and drink exports to France was £722 million, a 56 per cent increase since 2007. France is now Scotland’s second-largest food and drink export market in the world, behind only the United States.

Hyslop said: “We’ve seen the value of Scottish food and drinks exports to France increase significantly, underlining the growing importance our friends across The Channel place on sourcing authentic produce from Scotland’s rich and natural larder. The EU provides significant support to Scottish rural communities and is a key market for the food and drink we produce.”