Building Cultural Capital
in Food and Drink
Introduction
The Highlands and Islands valuable and distinctive
culture can help stimulate growth, encouraging
more people to live, work, study and invest in the
region.
Tradition, customs and culture are often
embedded in local food and beverage production
and consumption. The food and drink sector within
our region offers speciality foods of local
provenance, prepared by skilled craftspeople and
often offered within a traditional setting.
The opportunity is to use our culture to help
create value through, for example, more Protected
Geographical Indication (PGI) status products –
more companies developing distinctive branding
and better placed to tell the story about
connections between their products, place and the
people who produce it.
Authenticity of product, strong connections to
localities, and a well-defined regional offer for this
sector all bring potentially transformational
impacts for the Highlands and Islands region.
Business Cultural Capital
Provenance, tradition, heritage, authenticity,
geography, Gaelic, crafts and skills, original stories
and history: All of these can be used to improve
the consumer engagement, increase sales and
margins, and to promote the business in a
sustainable way.
The combination of all of these defines your own
unique Business Cultural Capital (BCC). For our
purposes Business Cultural Capital is defined as:
A group of non-financial assets that a company can
employ to enhance its business.
What makes good Business Cultural Capital for a
food business?
Business Cultural Capital can come from
everywhere: people, places, things; ideas, beliefs,
events and activities. We’ve identified five major
groups of Business Cultural Capital which can help
food and drink businesses.
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People in the business: You and your
team, past, present and future
The business itself: Its history, its ethos,
and location
The things you sell: Their origins,
provenance and quality
How you make the things you sell:
Processes, ingredients and skills
Your customers: How they use your
products and why.
This document provides you with


A checklist to help you define your own
unique BCC
Real-life case studies showing how other
companies, at home and abroad, have
maximised their own BCC
First, a word on Provenance, Authenticity, and
how to protect it…
Provenance and Authenticity
In early 2014 a significant report from global
research agency FutureBrand, highlighting the
importance of provenance and authenticity to
contemporary brands, was published by the World
Advertising Research Centre (WARC).
The FutureBrand research involved collating
quantitative data from 1,050 consumers and
opinion formers from around the world. Drawn
from the United States, France, Brazil, India, China,
Japan and Australia, the research tapped into their
purchasing power and global perspective to
understand how origin and brands influence
consumer preferences and choices. Commercial
brand directors and managers at global blue chip
organizations also offered their insights on country
of origin as a key attribute for brand differentiation
and the role category association’s play in driving
competitive advantage for individual brands.
The results were surprising: country of origin,
design and manufacture were all ranked higher
than traditional drivers of choice like price,
availability and style.
The report describes how a brand’s origin will
become an increasingly important short-hand for
quality, ethics, authenticity and expertise.
Authenticity: Producing unique products or
services with unique standards that can be
connected with the country’s history, people or
geographical situation.
Differentiation: Demonstrating difference from its
competitors through approach, heritage or
culture.
Quality standards: Showing commitment to safety,
craftsmanship, manufacturing excellence and
transparency.
Expertise: Being identified as the ‘best’ in a
category or having created or defined it.
Consumers will increasingly seek out ‘origin brands’
to help them make choices consistent with their
values and needs. An ‘origin brand’ will be defined
as one that deliberately differentiates through
country of origin both in its story (history, founder’s
name, identity, design and experience) and its
production
(raw
materials,
processes,
manufacturing location, expertise and standards).
Whilst this is often true of niche brands today,
‘origin brands’ will increasingly enjoy mainstream,
mass market reach and success.
The implications for brands could be profound.
First, if a brand owner is ‘borrowing’ associations
from a place, they now need to consider if that story
is authentic and own-able. If they do have authentic
reasons to use those associations, like being
invented there, or created by someone from that
place, then they need to consider the best way to
protect that association as an asset, because it is
going to be increasingly vital for differentiation.
If the story is inauthentic, there is every chance that
consumers will begin to migrate to alternative
brands.
Second, if the brand is authentically associated with
a place, then the brand owner needs to consider
how important manufacturing in that place is to
consumers. Does it have unique skills or resources
that qualify it for expertise in the category? Is it
geographically closer to the target market and
therefore a more sustainable or economically viable
choice?
The report concludes that the more a brand is
associated with a country of origin that has unique
products, a differentiated message, genuine
expertise in the category and the highest quality
standards, the more likely it is that a consumer will
consider it. In addition brands can expect to enjoy
better awareness and reputation, command a
higher price premium and out-perform competitors
with a less complete country of origin story.
EU Schemes which help
improve and protect BCC
Where food and drink producers have strong BCC
linked to geography and/or traditional processes
or recipes, it may make sense to seek some
protection under one of the following EU schemes.
The following EU schemes aim to encourage
diverse agricultural production, protect product
names from misuse and imitation and help
consumers by giving them information concerning
the specific character of the products:
Protected Designation of Origin - PDO: covers
agricultural products and
foodstuffs which are
produced, processed and
prepared in a given
geographical area using
recognised know-how.
Protected Geographical Indication - PGI: covers
agricultural products and
foodstuffs closely linked
to the geographical area.
At least one of the
stages of production,
processing or
preparation takes place in the area.
Traditional Speciality
Guaranteed TSG: highlights
traditional character,
either in the
composition or means of
production.
Registering a product name
under PGI, PDO, or TSG
Schemes
A group of producers must first define the product
according to precise specifications.
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An example of the successful application
for PGI status by Stornoway Black
Pudding can be found here.
Here is the application to register the
name 'Scottish Wild Salmon' as a
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
under the EU Protected Food Name
Scheme
This following link takes you to an
interesting PowerPoint presentation by
Quality Meat Scotland on the use and
application of PGI status to Scottish Meat
Producers in the EU should send applications to
the relevant national authority: List of EU national
authorities
[148 KB] .
Find out which product names are registered or
have been applied for by checking out the DOOR
database ("Database of Origin and Registration")
of PDO, PGI and TSG.
Find out which product names have been
cancelled or have a cancellation on-going by
checking the table of PDO, PGI and TSG
cancellations
[371 KB]
.
The Case Studies
In the following section we’ve highlighted five businesses (three Scottish and two from elsewhere) who have
maximised their Business Cultural Capital. We’ve shown how these businesses fit with our BCC Checklist and
highlighted how this transfers into real-life plans and actions. We hope they provide inspiration for you in
developing your own BCC.
Copas Turkeys
Summary
Prior to their 2004 redesign Tom Copas said "We have a great product but no brand, and I want to own the
Christmas table."
Copas Turkeys are very special. The Copas family have been rearing them for Christmas since 1957. Their birds
are truly free range, roaming the cherry orchards until adult maturity.
These fine products demand fine packaging and communications – highly crafted, highly authentic, highly
ethical – telling the Copas family's rich stories across copy and claims.
"Copas Turkeys command higher premiums and that is absolutely supported by their brand identity. It is joined
up, supportive and fully integrated. Packaging sells, whilst building an 'inspirational brand' and the right to
charge a premium, but this only works if the product delivers on promise, and it does."
Pig & Poultry Marketing Magazine, 2011
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Copas Turkeys
Type of Cultural Capital
You and your team
 How did you come to work
for your business?
 Your background?
 Your Skills and training?
 What do you believe in?
 What causes do you
support?
 What are your aims?
Your Business
 How did it start and why?
 Where are you and why?
 The building’s history
 Your employees, where are
they from and how do they
get their skills?
 What is the business ethos?
The Things You Sell
 The history, heritage,
tradition, legends
 Links to
celebrations/events/beliefs
 Geographic difference
 Why is it named as it is?
 What is different about it?
 Flavours and taste?
Description – The Copas story
 Tom Copas and family had been living and
working in Cookham since 1868, they
began farming in 1901 and in 1957, Tom’s
personal passion for turkeys began.
 Copas Traditional Turkeys remains a
passionate, hard-working family business
where everyone mucks in.
 The COPAS Partnership runs sister
businesses based in, and helping to
develop, the town of Cookham.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
 Tom Copas’ father had the idea of letting
him start a turkey business, to keep him
on his toes after leaving School. That first
Christmas, Tom managed to sell 153
turkeys to local markets and families,
some of whom remain customers today.
 Kings Coppice Farm, Cookham, the family
home since 1901
 A true family business – all four of Tom
and Brenda’s children are involved in
Copas one way or another.
 An experienced husbandry team is led by
Steve who has worked with Copas Turkeys
for over twenty years.
 Marrying the very best of centuries-old
production values with state-of-the-art
facilities.
High
Medium
Low
 The British like tradition. And when it
comes to Christmas, nothing is more
traditional than a Christmas turkey dinner
with all the trimmings.
 Approximately 10m turkeys sold at
Christmas time via both the multiples and,
more traditionally, high street butchers
and delis.
 Being Game-hung for 2 weeks is integral
to Copas Turkey’s unrivalled eating
quality, providing both a truly tender
eating experience & an altogether
superior depth of flavour.
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Copas Turkeys - continued
Type of Cultural Capital
How You Make The Things
You Sell
 Quality
 Crafts and traditions
 Skill levels and training
 Technology: New and
exciting? Traditional and
reassuring?
 The machinery:
Unique/old/better/radical?
 The buildings
 Ingredients/Suppliers
 Collaborations
Your Customers
 Who buys/eats? When?
Why? Who are they
 How do they use your
products?
 Local vs international?
 Traditions and heritage
 Loyalty
 Collaborations
Description – Tell your story
 Copas Turkeys live longer than most. The
benefit is their dense meat & superior
fat cover. This natural fat layer not only
makes traditional dry plucking possible,
but it means Copas Turkeys don't need
to be basted, buttered or covered with
bacon to retain their succulence.
 Over 25 different breeds provide
beautifully finished adult birds in all
weight categories.
 Dry plucking by hand is slow & labour
intensive. However, because the turkey
is kept dry, they can be hung for an
extended period. Hanging is one of the
main reasons why Copas turkeys taste so
great.
 Traditional breeds from specialist British
hatcheries, grown at a natural pace,
maintaining a natural, compatible
diversity within the flocks.
 Fed on an oat-rich, nutritionallybalanced, natural cereal diet that’s
ethically sourced & completely free of
growth promoters or other nasties.
 Free Range Bronze & Free Range Organic
stroll freely around cherry orchards &
grass meadows taking in the fresh air as
soon as they’re old enough. Making
them truly free range!
 As a seasonal premium producer, Copas
operates within a niche sector supplying
independent retailers, with products
only available for one day of the year.
 Tom Copas - 'the turkey is the most
important part of the most important
meal of the year'. A special Christmas
dinner demands a special turkey.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Copas Turkeys - continued
Conclusion
Copas Turkeys have great BCC.
Their BCC is based on:
 Long (local) history and family involvement
 Traditional and sustainable rearing techniques
 Distinctive, superior product quality
Their BCC is distinctive, sustainable, and defendable.
Their BCC is brought to the fore in their packaging designs, promotional materials, and their web site.
Copas’ design specifically builds on their BCC with:
 Traditional typefaces reflecting their strong history and traditional
rearing practices
 A personal touch with Tom Copas’ signature on the box, reflecting
the huge role Tom and the family play in the business
 Bold product descriptions highlighting the distinctive processes that Copas use to
raise their turkeys
Chatham Island Food Co
Summary
A seventh generation Chatham Islander and founder of the Chatham Island Food Co, Delwyn Tuanui was born
with fishing in his blood. Located 800km off the coast of New Zealand in the middle of nowhere, the Chatham
Islands is a tiny archipelago where 'living on the edge' is part of daily life. There are no parking fines, no mobile
phones and no worries: life is shaped simply by the elements.
Del founded his business in 2011 to share his island's extraordinary produce with the world, including his
elusive export – the Chatham Island Blue Cod. Found only in the Chathams' nutrient-rich waters, where cold
southern and warm northern currents mix a rare carbon sink, this is no ordinary fish.
By telling the story visually and verbally, a compelling tale is articulated that builds awareness for the place,
sheer passion for the produce and new opportunities for the community. The Chatham Island Food Co. was
born.
By maximising their Business Cultural Capital through improved packaging and support material the business
delivered:
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130% increase in sales and 86% increase in profit.
110% increase in customer base.
Major presence at Australia's premier restaurants, from Sydney's Mr Wong to Melbourne's Circa.
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Chatham Island Food Co
Type of Cultural Capital
You and your team
 How did you come to work
for your business?
 Your background?
 Your Skills and training?
 What do you believe in?
 What causes do you
support?
 What are your aims?
Your Business
 How did it start and why?
 Where are you and why?
 The building’s history
 Your employees, where are
they from and how do they
get their skills?
 What is the business ethos?
The Things You Sell
 The history, heritage,
tradition, legends
 Links to
celebrations/events/beliefs
 Geographic difference
 Why is it named as it is?
 What is different about it?
 Flavours and taste?
Description – The Chatham Island Story
 Delwyn Tuanui, a seventh generation
Chatham Islander founded the Chatham
Island Food Co in 2011 in order to share
his island’s extraordinary produce,
particularly his elusive export – the
Chatham Island Blue Cod - with the rest of
the world.
 With fishing in his blood, Del was a oneman show selling fish, bucket in hand,
door to door, telling his story as he went.
 Del founded the business in 2011 to share
his island's extraordinary produce with
the world, including his elusive export –
the Chatham Island Blue Cod.
 The Chatham Islands are a tiny
archipelago with a total population of 600,
located 800km of the coast of New
Zealand, there’s no place like them.
 The rare surrounding waters provide food
for phytoplankton (the lifeblood of the
fish population) and a thriving marine
ecosystem, which is what makes its Blue
Cod vastly superior.
 Catching Blue Cod, however, is no easy
task. Navigating these waters takes a
natural understanding - hence Del
employs a handful of local fishermen to
get the job done. It's certainly not for your
average fisherman.
 The business is committed to sustainable
fishing practices.
 ‘Produce like nowhere else on Earth, from
nowhere else on Earth’ – Chatham Island
Blue Cod is unique in its provenance. It is
found only in the Chathams’ nutrient-rich
waters, where cold southern and warm
northern currents mix a rare carbon sink,
this is no ordinary fish…
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Chatham Island Food Co - continued
Type of Cultural Capital
How You Make The Things
You Sell
 Quality
 Crafts and traditions
 Skill levels and training
 Technology: New and
exciting? Traditional and
reassuring?
 The machinery:
Unique/old/better/radical?
 The buildings
 Ingredients/Suppliers
 Collaborations
Your Customers
 Who buys/eats? When?
Why? Who are they
 How do they use your
products?
 Local vs international?
 Traditions and heritage
 Loyalty
 Collaborations
Description – Tell your story
 Catching Chatham Island Blue Cod is no
easy task. It takes the skill and the
natural understanding of the rare
surrounding Chatham Island Waters.
Therefore only local fisherman can
successfully get the job done.
 Every catch is logged by date, time and
location, so that all Food Co. produce is
delivered fresh from ocean to plate
within just three days.
 Sustainable fishing processes are always
used.
 The Chatham Island Blue Cod now
appears on the menus of some of
Australia's best restaurants, including
Sydney's China Doll and Rockpool, and
Melbourne's Circa, Coda, Taxi and
Flower Drum, to name but a few.
 The majority of all restaurants now
highlight the fish on the menu as
'Chatham Island Blue Cod'.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Chatham Island Food Co – continued
Conclusion
The Chatham Island fish co. has great BCC.
Their BCC is based on:
• Their unique location
• Traditional and sustainable fishing techniques, which relies on a natural understanding of the unique
waters in which their product inhabits.
• Unique, superior product and great service
Their BCC is distinctive, sustainable, and defendable.
Every element of their branding echoes the idea of “food from the
edge”. The brand-mark tree, created by blowing flecks of charcoal
across paper, captures the elemental force of wind and instantly
makes a connection with the raw conditions.
The brilliant blue colour, which hints at the stormy, unpredictable weather, also links to the Chathams' mighty
Blue Cod.
Like a day in the life of the Chathams, every image conjures
the gritty reality, harsh terrain and undeniable beauty of
the place. Even the local's friendly characters are laid bare
through emotive, close-up portraits.
To emulate the Food Co's passion for sustainability,
business cards are printed on 100% cotton paper.
A series of easy tear-off postcards serve as both business
communication and a storytelling piece. The packing tape
also allows any box to be rebranded the Food Co., and
most importantly, tells a story about its origins:
1,415 hours of sun, 12-18 degrees, wild winds up to 100km per hour.
With community and authenticity right at the heart of the
story, the company has created an extraordinary identity for
an extraordinary place, with produce like nowhere else on
Earth.
Great Glen Charcuterie
Summary
Anja Baak and her husband Jan Jacob set up this unique business 10 years ago selling delicious charcuterie
products, created using wild Scottish venison.
Originating from the Netherlands, Anja and Jan Jacob embraced their new location of Roy Bridge, a little town
situated in the rugged Scottish Highlands. There they discovered the delicious and sustainable red meat venison. Experiments with cuts of the meat on a hand built smoker in the family’s garden soon lead to the
creation of ‘Great Glen Charcuterie’. The first company in the UK to produce wild venison.
As the business has developed other unique products have been added to the range, along with the creation
of a brand that highlights their roots as a family business (Anja has a strong presence in social media where she
frequently draws on household goings on!) and celebrates the land in which provides their unique and healthy
product.
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Great Glen Charcuterie
Type of Cultural Capital
You and Your Team
 How did you come to work
for your business?
 Your background?
 Your skills and training?
 What do you believe in?
 What causes do you support?
 What are your aims?
Your Business
 How did it start and why?
 Where are you and why?
 The building’s history
 Your employees, where are
they from and how do they
get their skills?
 What is the business ethos?
Description – Tell Your Story
 Great Glen Game began in
2002, set up by Jan Jacob,
whilst working on a Scottish
estate.
 At first, producing
charcuterie was a hobby of
Jan Jacob’s, a side line to his
work, he would experiment
with meat using a hand built
smoker in the families
garden, but after praise from
dinner guests prompted Jan
Jacob to start a business.
 Originally from the
Netherlands, Jan Jacob
trained as a vet and worked
in farming and fish farming
before moving to the Scottish
Highlands with his wife, Anja
and their children. They had
always dreamed about going
abroad, to a country where
there was more space and
more freedom. When Jan
Jacob was offered a job as an
estate manager himself and
Anja knew this was an
opportunity not to be
missed!
 When Jan Jacob was working
as an estate manager he was
involved in the management
of Wild Deer. He loved the
venison and started
experimenting with the meat.
After sharing the meat with
friends who loved it they
encouraged him to start a
business.
 The old Butcher shop in Roy
Bridge had been empty for
years and he managed to get
a lease for the building. The
whole place was kitted out
with the right machinery and
production was started.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Great Glen Charcuterie – Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
The Things You Sell
 The history, heritage,
tradition, legends
 Links to
celebrations/events/beliefs
 Geographic difference
 Why is it named as it is?
 What is different about it?
 Flavours and taste?
How You Make The Things You
Sell
 Quality
 Crafts and traditions
 Skill levels and training
 Technology: New and
exciting? Traditional and
reassuring?
 The machinery:
Unique/old/better/radical?
 The buildings
 Ingredients/Suppliers
 Collaborations
Description – Tell Your Story
 The business is family run,
with Anja overseeing the
marketing and sales whilst
the older children help out at
trade and consumer shows.
 The family love living and
working in a rural, unspoiled
part of the world.
 The wild venison used is
sourced from Estates around
the family in the Scottish
Highlands.
 Deer management is very
important in the Scottish
Highlands and part of the
way of life and economy of
the area. The deer roam the
wild hills in Scotland, making
the meat very sustainable
and a very healthy alternative
to traditional pork based
charcuterie due to it being
low in fat and high in iron.
 Great Glen Game changed its
name to Great Glen
Charcuterie earlier this year.
When we started we were a
Game Dealer and this was
reflected in our name. In
2006 we stopped selling fresh
venison and focused only on
the production of
Charcuterie.
 Great Glen Charcuterie uses
the best meat available,
working with a local game
dealer who begins processing
the deer for them.
 The company uses modern
innovative techniques to
produce their charcuterie.
This is coupled with using
high quality meat, organic or
fair trade spices and salt to
create a truly unique and
sustainable product.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Great Glen Charcuterie – Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
Your Customers
 Who buys/eats? When?
Why? Who are they?
 How do they use your
products?
 Local vs heritage?
 Loyalty
 Collaborations
Description – Tell Your Story
 Great Glen Charcuterie is sold
all over the UK in
independent retailers such as
food halls, delicatessens and
farm shops and used by many
chefs.
 The charcuterie can be
enjoyed on their own as part
of a meal, in starters or as a
snack.
 There is a following of
consumers through social
media such as Twitter and
Facebook who talk about the
product to their friends and
share recipes and different
ways to eat these unique
products, Anja also regularly
shares her own recipes on
the company’s social media
and webpages.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Great Glen Charcuterie – Continued
Conclusion
Great Glen Charcuterie have a unique BCC which is sustainable and defendable.
Their BCC is based on:
A business ignited by genuine interest and built on family involvement
A unique product
The breath taking landscape in which the family live and work
The companies BCC lies in the how the business began and that it is family run. The uniqueness of their
product, and that it can only be sourced from the Scottish Highlands gives it a strong story of provenance
and one which Great Glen Charcuterie celebrate.
The company’s BCC is promoted via their website and all marketing materials, always including their unique
story and employee base! Anja is also very active on social media and as a result has generated a strong
following of charcuterie consumers who share recipes and different ways to enjoy this unique and healthy
product.
Gigha Halibut
Summary
On the island of Gigha, the unique species, Atlantic Halibut - hippoglossus hippoglossus is grown. Not to be
confused with Greenland Halibut, Mock Halibut or Chicken Halibut which are seen to be of inferior quality.
Produced on a community owned, self – sustaining island, Gigha Halibut’s unique methods in food production
reflect the same values in which their location is built upon. The business adopts a land – based system of
aquaculture where the water is pumped onto the land and into tanks. The system has no adverse effect on the
surrounding marine environment and is a system recommended by the Marine Conservation Society. They also
make use of the community based wind farm, making the island a net exporter of electricity, allowing the fish
farm to benefit from using this renewable energy source.
Gigha Halibuts smoked and fresh products have gained recognition from foodservice and the food industry.
They supply their fresh halibut to high end local restaurants and further down central Scotland. Their products
have secured them as finalists at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2013, seafood product of the
year at the 2013 Marine Aquaculture Awards and the New Product Award at the Highland and Islands Food
and Drink Awards 2013.
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Gigha Halibut
Type of Cultural Capital
You and your team
 How did you come to work
for your business?
 Your background?
 Your skills and training?
 What do you believe in?
 What causes do you support?
 What are your aims?
Your Business
 How did it start and why?
 Where are you and why?
 The building’s history
 Your employees, where are
they from and how do they
get their skills?
 What is the business ethos?
Description – The Gigha Halibut Story
 The main man behind Gigha Halibut is
Alastair Barge, whose father was a
pioneering Salmon farmer and Alastair
worked with him until they couldn’t
compete with the volumes other
salmon farmers were producing so
looked for something else.
 Having looked at a variety of species
Alastair finally selected halibut, it
required huge financial investment at
great risk with a long wait to see any
return on your investment (the fish
take 4 years to grow)
 However, Alastair managed to
persuade investors to back him and so
after many years of research Gigha
Halibut was born.
 We are very proud of our farm on the
beautiful island of Gigha, it’s a
wonderfully beautiful and clean place
for us to grow our fish and the fish
love the environment there too. We
aim to always support the community
owned island and its residents in every
way we can.
 Sustainability is at the heart of
everything we do, from using the
community wind farm on Gigha to the
organic diet we feed our fish. The
tanks create a very safe and clean
environment for our fish and remove
the need for antibiotics.
 Originally a family business farming
salmon until the market became so
huge it was difficult to compete with
the volume. The Barge family looked
for an alternative species and
favoured halibut due to its high yield,
premium quality and meaty flesh but
also because it was such an old species
that was becoming endangered and
needed conserving
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Gigha Halibut - Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
The Things You Sell
 The history, heritage,
tradition, legends
 Links to
celebrations/events/beliefs
 Geographic difference
 Why is it named as it is?
 What is different about it?
 Flavours and taste?
How You Make The Things You
Sell
 Quality
 Crafts and traditions
 Skill levels and training
 Technology: New and
exciting? Traditional and
reassuring?
 The machinery:
Unique/old/better/radical?
 The buildings
 Ingredients/Suppliers
 Collaborations
Description – The Gigha Halibut Story
 Our tag line is ‘Sustainable fish
from Gods Island’ as that is what
Gigha is known as, the Norse
translation of Gigha is Gods
Island
 We called our fish Gigha because
that is where they are farmed,
helping to make this small
community famous for an
outstanding product.
 The husbandry of our fish is
second to none and all of the
wonderful food they are fed, care
they receive and their ability to
move freely in fresh clean water
results in a truly exceptional
meaty fish.
 Halibut farming is a labour of
love, it is an extremely difficult
fish to produce, it’s very
challenging and can be soul
destroying at times but the fact
that we know we are allowing
people to eat Halibut of
exceptional quality with a clear
conscience as we help to
maintain the precious
endangered stocks makes it all
worthwhile.
 The land based tanks on Gigha
were perfect for our fish, we
pump fresh Atlantic water into
the tanks at 1400 litres per
second. We are able to look after
the fish individually as our tanks
are not overcrowded and the fish
love and thrive in this
environment.
 Our farming methods are
traditional with the only
exception being the land based
tanks.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Gigha Halibut – Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
Your Customers
 Who buys/eats? When?
Why? Who are they?
 How do they use your
products?
 Local vs International?
 Traditions and heritage?
 Loyalty
 Collaborations
Description – The Gigha Halibut Story
 Our Smoker is a family run business
in its third generation of traditional
smoking, their artisanal skills
combined with the aroma of the
whisky barrel smoke and our
beautiful fish results in an amazing
new delicacy for our Smoked Gigha
Halibut
 Our fish, fresh and smoked are
loved by the world’s top chefs.
They know that having our fish on
their menu shows that they buy
only the best quality produce for
their discerning customers
 Currently only available online and
in a few small specialist shops we
plan to expand our distribution of
our smoked fish over the next year.
We had to build on our reputation
for great quality to be able to gain
the credibility for the new smoked
product, so now, with a few
awards under our belts, our very
happy fish and 2 outstanding
products we aim to continue to
supply the best halibut you can
buy, fresh and smoked, but we will
always be fairly exclusive as we
don’t want to get so big we lose
our sustainable and artisanal
values.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Gigha Halibut – Continued
Conclusion
Gigha Halibut has a strong BCC
Their BCC is based on:
-
The reason behind its inception
The unique location and product
Their sustainability ethos and traditional methods they use
Gigha Halibut’s BCC lies heavily in the company’s sustainability ethos and the specific methods and
processes they use. This is continually referred to in their branding.
The company’s name and tag line celebrates the halibut’s origins and the islands history. Their packaging,
albeit simple details the story behind the product and encourages consumers to visit their beautiful island.
It is Gigha’s website in particular that effectively uses their island to promote their product. With the
stunning images of the islands landscape, to their features on using the islands wind farm that make the
production of Gigha Halibut possible.
Gigha Halibut’s strong sustainability ethos, the specific methods and processes they use to farm their fish
and their continual references of their beautiful island allows the company to produce a brand of halibut
like no other, easily identified by its provenance and the strong island community behind it.
Isle of Skye Brewing Co.
Summary
‘One evening in 1992, some schoolteacher friends met in a local pub – and conversation turned to the lack of
good beer on Skye. Someone jokingly suggested that setting up a brewery would be the only way to remedy
the situation.
At the time there were just six small independent breweries in Scotland – and none on Skye. Could it really
work?
It could, and it did.’
Isle of Skye Brewery was the first commercial brewery on the Isle of Skye and Western Isles and is one of only
3 craft breweries in Scotland with an original founder/owner still on board. The brewery’s head brewer was
also the first female brewer (Brewster) of modern times and one of the first in the UK.
Isle of Skye Brewing Co. has an exceptional back story and is a company that continues to grow. One of the
strongest roots of their success is their eye catching branding and how it portrays the location of Skye.
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Isle of Skye Brewing Co.
Type of Cultural Capital
You and your team
 How did you come to work
for your business?
 Your background?
 Your Skills and training?
 What do you believe in?
 What causes do you support?
 What are your aims?
Description – Tell your Story
 Angus MacRuary, Head of
Business Studies and
Economics at Portree High
School founded Isle of Skye
Brewery, with a teacher
colleague, in 1994.Production
commenced in 1995 in a
purpose-built brewery on the
waterfront at Uig, adjacent to
the pier where the ferry
leaves for the Outer
Hebrides.
 In 1996, Angus acquired his
partner's share of the
business and, in 1998 left
teaching in order to focus
entirely on the brewery.
 Initially brewing was
undertaken by Angus's
partner but, after his
departure, Pam Jones (now
Pam MacRuary), who had
been assisting, took over full
responsibility for brewing
duties. This made Pam, a
trained chef, Scotland's first
female brewer (Brewster) of
modern times and one of the
first in the UK. Pam was
taught initially through the
employment of a brewing
consultant but with her flair
and natural talent for
brewing quickly developed
into one of the top brewers
in the country. Angus, with
his background in business
education, was responsible
for admin, finance, marketing
and sales in the early days,
with some of these moving to
new staff as the business
developed.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Isle of Skye Brewing Co. - Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
Your Business
 How did it start and why?
 Where are you and why?
 The building’s history
 Your employees, where are
they from and how do they
get their skills?
 What is the business ethos?
Description – Tell your Story
 One evening in 1992, some
schoolteacher friends met in
a local pub in Portree – and
conversation turned to the
lack of good quality "real ale"
on Skye. One jokingly
suggested that the setting up
of a brewery would be the
only way to remedy the
situation. At the time there
were just six small
independent breweries in
Scotland – and none on Skye.
Could it really work? It could,
and it did. Three years after
that night, 2 of those
teachers were ready to brew
their first ale – Red Cuillin. It
was such a success it is still
brewed to the same recipe
today. Twenty years on, with
Skye Brewery now one of the
oldest of the new wave of
craft breweries in the
country, this beer remains
the brewery's best seller.
 If you’ve visited Skye, you’ll
know the imposing grandeur
of the landscape – walls of
rock meet with ever-changing
light and shade. The brewery
is set in the heart of this
dramatic scenery, right next
to the pier at Uig. And while
this is the gateway to the
Western Isles, it could just as
easily be the ends of the
earth.
 Skye Brewery has always
been part of the local
community on Skye, and Uig
in particular. Staff are
recruited locally and are all
trained in-house by Angus
and Pam. It is now one of the
major employers in an area
where employment
opportunities are limited.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Isle of Skye Brewing Co. – Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
The Things You Sell
 The history, heritage,
tradition, legends
 Links to
celebrations/events/beliefs
 Geographic difference
 Why is it named as it is?
 What is different about it?
 Flavours and taste?
Description – Tell your Story
 The brewery was the first
commercial brewery on the
Isle of Skye and Western Isles
and is one of only 3 craft
breweries in Scotland with an
original founder/owner still
on board.
 The Brewery has 4 ales in its
‘core’ range, each one
created to a traditional
recipe, sometimes using
handpicked ingredients
sourced on the island
(including the brewery’s own
milled grains). Paying tribute
to the dramatic mountain
scenery of Skye, the 4 core
ales were originally named
after the mountains; their
descriptions also suggesting
similar attributes to the
spectacular Skye landscape.
And while the business have
recently rebranded, the
mountain imagery is still
present on each piece of IOS
Brewery branding.
 The brewery also create a
number of limited addition
ales, their origins all based on
legends and historical events
which took place on the
island.
 When people think of "the
Isle of Skye" they think of
that rugged scenery but they
also associate fresh clean air
and water with it. This is
something that the brewery
capitalises on it its marketing.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Isle of Skye Brewing Co. – Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
How You Make The Things You
Sell
 Quality
 Crafts and traditions
 Skill levels and training
 Technology: New and
exciting? Traditional and
reassuring?
 The machinery:
Unique/old/better/radical?
 The buildings
 Ingredients/Suppliers
 Collaborations
Description – Tell Your Story
 Being located within a Gaelicspeaking community, the
language is also seen as an
important part of the
brewery's culture. This is
reflected in part of the
company's name - "Leann an
Eilein" - "Island Ales" or "Ales
from The Island". Several
beers are branded with Gaelic
names, such as "Tarasgeir"
and "Eilean-Or".
 "Quality" is a much-used word
but it is at the heart of Skye
Brewery. Many breweries are
content to use the cheapest of
ingredients and to adopt
techniques to make the
brewing process as easy as
possible. This is anathema to
Skye Brewery, which uses
whole grain malted barley and
mills it at the brewery
immediately prior to brewing.
This allows it to be sourced
locally (Inverness), unlike
other breweries who need to
obtain their barley from
England in a ready-milled
form. Skye Brewery also uses
its own unique culture of live
yeast, unlike others who go
for the ease of dried yeast.
Oats and honey are also
sourced locally and the
brewery staff themselves pick
rowanberries, and a Skye
grower provides blaeberries in
season for speciality beers.
 Although on a mains water
supply, this comes from the
world-famous "Fairy Glen"
across the bay from the
brewery
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Isle of Skye Brewing Co. – Continued
Type of Cultural Capital
Your Customers
 Who buys/eats? When?
Why? Who are they
 How do they use your
products?
 Local vs international?
 Traditions and heritage
 Loyalty
 Collaborations
Description – Tell your Story
 Isle of Skye beer on draught
is available in a large number
of outlets up and down the
UK, while their bottles can be
found a numerous specialist
beer shops as well as in
supermarkets such as CWS
and Booths.
 Traditionally, export markets
have been for bottled beers
but Skye Brewery is looking
into the exporting of kegged
products which, unlike "real
ale", have a shelf-life and
format more suited to
overseas markets.
 Although actively seeking to
expand into new markets,
Skye Brewery will never
forget its heartland - the
Highlands and Islands of
Scotland and Skye in
particular. The brewery is
pleased to have retained and
to still supply 90% of the
customers it first supplied
back in 1995. This it puts
down to its commitment not
only to producing the highest
quality of beers, but in
providing customers with the
highest quality of service.
Personal relationships are
seen as very important and
Skye Brewery regards many
customers as friends. The
same ethos applies to the
relationships that have been
built up over many years with
its suppliers.
Impact
High
Medium
Low
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist – Isle of Skye Brewing Company – Continued
Conclusion
Isle of Skye Brewing Co. has strong BCC
Their BCC is based on:
-
The business inception
The people behind the business
The ingredients used to create their product and the unique
location in which the brewery is based.
The creation of the Isle of Skye Brewing Co is unique and a great back
story to the brewery. The brewery’s website aims to tell stories; the story
of the brewery, its people and the story of Skye. Even including a timeline detailing the islands history.
Throughout the marketing of IOS Brewing Co’s ales the unique location and heritage of Skye is captured; the mountain
imagery on the bottle labels, the core range originally being named after the islands mountains and the Gaelic-language
used in part of the company’s name and branded beers – Isle of Skye Brewing Co consistently pay tribute to their heritage.
Even after undergoing an award winning rebranding the packaging still remains faithful to the businesses backdrop along
with their rapid growth and successes, they continue their loyalty to promoting the beautiful Isle of Skye via their products
and business ethos.
Business Cultural Capital Check-list
The definition of culture in this context is broad and incorporates things like provenance, tradition, heritage,
authenticity, geography, Gaelic, crafts and skills and original stories and history. These can be used to improve
the consumer experience, increase sales and to promote the business in a sustainable way.
How do I know if I’ve got it, and what do I do with it, once I have it?
The first thing to do is to run through the checklist we’ve created below. It’s unlikely that you’ll have a great
story to tell under every heading. Try and identify which are the strongest elements of your Business Cultural
Capital (BCC) and build on those. If you feel that any areas of your BCC are weak or undermine your strengths
then you may need to deal with that first.
The Checklist
Use the checklist below to see where your Business Cultural Capital is hidden. When filling it in, imagine you’re
telling the story of your business.
The best BCC tells a story in way that makes consumers want to be part of it: They want to buy the products,
and support the people involved.
You can then do your own assessment as to which elements of your BCC are high impact (ticking the relevant
column on the right). For each element on the checklist think about the following:





Does this make us different from the competition?
Does this add value to our proposition?
Is this something that I can defend (against scrutiny and vs competitors)
Does this open up new opportunities for us (products, markets, customers, and partners)?
Is this easy to build on or will it take lots of investment to bring it to life?
The more strongly you can answer “yes” to these questions, the higher-impact that element of your BCC is
likely to be. Once you’ve completed the checklist and are clear on your areas of strong BCC you can decide
how to use it. Things to think about are:
Products: Do they maximise our BCC? Is it reflected in the products themselves, the ingredients and flavours;
the packaging and usage instructions? Could you go for PGI status?
Price: Does the price positioning in the market reflect the strength of your offering vs the competition?
Communication: How well do your packaging, advertising, and promotion build on your BCC (check out the
case studies for great examples)? Can you build relationships or collaborate with other businesses or
organisations with similar BCCs?
Place: Where are your products sold? Are there any new channels or customers who are interested in your
BCC story: Speciality? Tourism? What are the opportunities to grow your business?
The Business Cultural Capital Checklist
Type of Cultural Capital
You and your team
 How did you come to work for
your business?
 Your background?
 Your Skills and training?
 What do you believe in?
 What causes do you support?
 What are your aims?
Your Business
 How did it start and why?
 Where are you and why?
 The building’s history
 Your employees, where are
they from and how do they get
their skills?
 What is the business ethos?
The Things You Sell
 The history, heritage,
tradition, legends
 Links to
celebrations/events/beliefs
 Geographic difference
 Why is it named as it is?
 What is different about it?
 Flavours and taste?
How You Make The Things You
Sell
 Quality
 Crafts and traditions
 Skill levels and training
 Technology: New and exciting?
Traditional and reassuring?
 The machinery:
Unique/old/better/radical?
 The buildings
 Ingredients/Suppliers
 Collaborations
Your Customers
 Who buys/eats? When? Why?
Who are they
 How do they use your
products?
 Local vs international?
 Traditions and heritage
 Loyalty
 Collaborations
Description – Tell your story
What is it about you and your team that help
define the business? Why are you so passionate
about it? What motivates you? What links you to
the business, the environment and the
community?
Think about how the business is shaped by the
local/national environment and culture. What
makes it different to other businesses?
How has history shaped the business: key events?
Key people? Traditions? Heritage? Geography?
The story of your products: Why are they like they
are? What makes them different from products
from other areas/countries?
What links them to your region and community?
What is it about the way you do things that makes
you different? Unique processes/recipes?
Ancient or radical production kit?
Is the location critical?
Is ingredient supply critical? Relationships with
suppliers?
How does this link to the wider community?
Why do people buy your stuff? Why do they keep
coming back? Do your products always get used
with something else? An indispensable
ingredient/element in a meal or at an event?
How might consuming your product help define a
person or community?
Used by local retailers? Local Foodservice?
Organisations?
Impact
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
Getting Help with Building your BCC
The following organisations can provide advice and help in developing your plans to build your Business
Cultural Capital.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the Scottish Government's economic and community development
agency for the north and west of Scotland. HIE's purpose is to generate sustainable economic growth across
the Highlands and Islands.
Or contact Ewan Macauly: ewen.macaulay@hient.co.uk
Scotland Food & Drink, established in 2007, is a not-for-profit organisation that was created to guide food and
drink companies of all sizes towards increased profitability.
Scotland Food & Drink is a unique leadership organisation - supported by the Scottish Government - tasked
with growing the value of Scotland's food and drink sector, making it more profitable and delivering greater
global success in a challenging and competitive market.
Plunkett Scotland develops a range of community ownership services for Scotland and in recognition of the
distinctive social, legal and economic landscape north of the Border. Plunkett Scotland encourages community
ownership to address a wide range of issues in addition to local retailing such as cafés, libraries, pubs, and fuel
pumps.
Tourism Intelligence Scotland (TIS) is delivered in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands
Enterprise, VisitScotland and the Scottish Tourism Alliance.
TIS offer free access to a range of useful insights and provide practical hints and tips on how to use this market
intelligence to get ahead, stay competitive and prosper.
The Scottish Association of Farmers’ Markets represents more than 50 Farmers’ Markets in Scotland
Working closely with rural crafts and other food producers, farmers have brought fresh, local produce into city,
towns and villages, offering consumers an alternative shopping experience. Farmers’ Markets are now a major
attraction on the High Street.
SAOS (Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society) strengthens the profitability, competitiveness and
sustainability of Scotland’s farming, food and drink, and related rural industries and communities through the
development of co-operation and joint ventures.
Food & Health Innovation Service directly supports Scottish food and drink companies seeking to exploit the
market for healthy food and drink products.
The Community Food Fund is financed by The Scottish Government and has been created to promote local
food and drink, supporting development of food trails and networks and establishing local food and drink
events.
Think Local will help champion local food, by supporting projects and events across Scotland. Think Local is
about bringing together various elements of the food and drink sector, allowing them to direct their efforts to
best advantage those working in the industry.
VisitScotland work to ensure that our visitors experience the very best of Scotland, and that the country makes
the most of its outstanding tourism assets and realises its potential.