A total of 15 recipients have been granted funding worth a total of £65,000 as part of the first round of grants from the Scottish Government’s Regional Food Fund.

The funding aims to provide support for regionally based business who have traditionally struggled to secure it. Successful applicants include Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink and Great Perthshire Picnic both of which received a grant of £5,000.

The Regional Food Fund opened in June this year and commenting on the first round of awards being granted, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “I’m sure that the success of these producers will help to bolster regional economies and ensures that local food and drink continues to be produced in the area it originated from – which can be integral to a product’s identity.”