I must admit I’d never encountered the term “Yoghurt Occasions” before I met Andrew Niven, Strategic Market Intelligence Manager at The Knowledge Bank (which I’ll abbreviate to TKB), over a lunch at Glasgow’s Stravaigin restaurant (a bespoke on-trend/retro Scottish menu devised by head chef James Macrae). Andrew was joined by two colleagues and a group of food writers to explain what TKB, which launched just over two years ago, is about.
When he mentioned Yoghurt Occasions my ears pricked up because it’s a foodie phrase I’d never heard before. It turns out that it’s been coined as a result of the myriad of different kinds of yoghurt becoming available to buy for different uses, from big pots spoonable onto curries to flavoured drinkables mostly by younger on-the-hoof consumers, and even to dairy-free “suck bags” for children in prams.
Yoghurt (or “yog” as some brands have come to name theirs) comes in at least a dozen different categories from live and bio to fermented to plain Greek, to full-, low- and non-fat, to non-dairy Greek-style and lactose-free made with coconut or almonds; goat’s milk; keffir; and cereal- or fruit- or puree-topped, to mention a few that I spied in my local supermarket immediately after our lunch. In fact, the yoghurt section of almost every supermarket has expanded dramatically in recent months. How far we have come since the early pioneering days of Ski.
Most brands are now speaking to the increasing demand for products that enhance gut health and support the immune system - echoing Ski’s 1967 advertisements promoting the health and fitness benefits of their new milk-based fruit range. Sugar is still a factor. TKB’s intelligence suggest that “to treat myself” remains the number one motive for buying spoonable yoghurts, although consumers are now increasingly buying it to manage their health needs.
Hence the “yoghurt occasions” that Scotland-based producers, suppliers and retailers might take more heed of. Rora Dairies in Peterhead, and Katie Rodger in Balfron are already noticeable in many multiples but there must be more opportunities for others. That said, it’s a highly competitive market where innovation is key, so producers must offer a good point of difference.
Such fascinating intelligence caught my attention and highlighted for me the work being done by The Knowledge Bank. Based in Edinburgh, it’s part of Scotland Food and Drink Partnership and is funded by the Scottish Government’s Covid Recovery Fund. It describes itself is a repository of knowledge and insights into the Scottish food and drink sector that is free, and enhanced by regular Webinars. As I understand it, it’s unique in the world.
Launched in 2020 - quietly, as it turned out, being just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit - over 400 Scottish businesses have signed up and The Knowledge Bank is looking to make as many people as possible involved in the Scottish food and drink industry aware of its existence - and accessibility.
The Knowledge Bank works with Scotland’s producers, scientists, food service, supermarkets and retailers, suppliers and others on insights into future food trends and flavours - such as Conscience Cuisine, defined by ideology rather than geography, followed by incoming Retro and “ugly delicious” to create joyful dining experiences. These are in addition to a host of other important subjects such as the the all-day Breakfast and the emerging increased demand for chocolate to be part of it (going hand-in-hand with the Health & Wellbeing trend); the opportunities and challenges of growing new crops such as rye, soy and tea in the arable-poor Scottish terroir, as well as ancient indigenous grains and pulses such as beremeal ahead of future drought conditions and to reduce reliance on imported corn and wheat; embracing new precision fermenting technology; the era of Amazon, Just Eat and Deliveroo; and Gen-Z’s renewed interest in making meals to recipes that may not adhere to anything that older generations are familiar with (the “ugly delicious”). All present both challenges and opportunities.
The perception of the Scottish diet in England - where most supermarkets’ HQs are based - has changed quite considerably in recent years thanks to the efforts of our progressive home-grown chefs, the marketing efforts of such bodies as Seafood Scotland and Quality Meat Scotland, and consumer demand for local sourcing, traceability, provenance, seasonality, sustainability, welfare and so on.
Crucially, TKB also helps the sector to better understand Scotland and Scottish tastes - free advice one particularly upmarket supermarket could benefit from in my view.
Mental health are growing areas of interest for the sector, and I reckon TKB’s current research into Cognitive Health - foods that might delay the onset of such diseases as dementia and Alzheimer’s - may well turn out to be of vital importance globally. I’m sure we’ll all benefit from it sooner or later.
@theknowledgebank.scot