Food and drink
The food and drink industry is a major contributor to the Scottish economy, producing a wide range of products and exports around the world.
The impact you could make
- Contribute to the food production and help feed the nation.
- Be part of new product development as trends in food and drink are growing and changing.
- Develop more innovative and automated technologies to meet the future challenges of food security and climate change.
The opportunities within food and drink
There are many ways you can get a career in the food and drink industry, as well as many different jobs in the industry. No matter what your skills or interests are – you're likely to find a job that suits you.
Employment
There are 85,500 people currently working in the food and drink industry in Scotland.
Job availability
From 2022 to 2025, an estimated 12,000 people will be required to fill job openings in the sector.
Job diversity
There are 1,118 Modern Apprentices in Scotland training in the food and drink industries.
I developed my love of cooking when my home economics teacher told me that I should enter the Future Chef competition.
My favourite job in the kitchen is working with fish, I enjoy filleting and portioning all the different species and everything and they're coming straight from local waters which makes it even more special.
Finn
Junior Chef, Skibo Castle
Explore food and drink jobs
We’ve pulled out some of the popular food and drink jobs for you to explore.
Some things you may not know about food and drink
Sales of Scottish brands in the UK have risen over 40% and the industry is worth a whopping £15 billion!
After whisky, seafood is Scotland's second largest export, sold to over 100 countries.
Scottish food and drink products are exported to over 100 countries around the world, including iconic brands such as Tunnocks Tea Cakes and Scotch Whisky.
* foodanddrink.scot
What subjects to take
We’ve pulled together some examples of subjects that could be useful for getting into a career in food and drink.
- Biology
- Geography
- Business FA
- Environmental Science
- English
- Food and drink FA
For most jobs, you might not need specific subjects. If your school does not provide all of these subjects or you're just unsure — do not worry. There are many more subjects you can explore by using the Option Choices tool or speaking to your careers adviser in your school.
What routes you can take
There are different options you can choose from after school. We’ve pulled together some of them to help you decide which is best for you.
Food and drink industry partners
Discover some of the financial services partners and find out how they’re contributing to the industry.
Scotland food and drink
Food and drink Scotland help nurture, support and champion the people and products of Scotland's food and drink industry.
Food and Drink Federation Scotland
FDF Scotland represent the largest manufacturing sector in Scotland and promote the diverse range of careers in the industry.
Tasty careers
Visit tasty careers to find out more about a specific career, hear from people already in the industry or are looking for a job.
Lantra
Lantra develop training and qualifications in a wide range of areas such as forestry, agriculture and landscape – plus more.