Being invited to sit down with the First Minister of Scotland to talk about food, hospitality, and community was a genuine privilege.

Conversations like these matter. The food industry in Scotland is one of the country's quiet engines — employing tens of thousands, championing local produce, telling the story of Scotland to anyone who sits down at a table.

I left feeling that the cooking we do, the people we train, and the suppliers we champion are seen and valued at the highest level of public life. That is not a small thing.