SEAFOOD SCOTLAND TO SHOWCASE YEAR OF THE CHEF AT SEAFOOD EXPO GLOBAL

Seafood Scotland to Showcase Year of the Chef at Seafood Expo Global

Seafood Scotland will once again lead the Scotland Pavilion, marking the organisation’s 32nd year coordinating Scotland’s presence at the world’s largest seafood trade event. The pavilion is delivered in collaboration with Scottish Development International (SDI) and will highlight the strength and diversity of Scotland’s seafood sector to international buyers.

This year, 11 Scottish seafood companies will exhibit within the Scotland Pavilion, representing the full sea-to-plate supply chain, from producers and processors to exporters supplying markets across Europe and beyond.

A centrepiece of the pavilion will be a theatre-style live kitchen and seafood bar, designed to showcase premium Scottish seafood to visiting buyers, media and foodservice professionals. Demonstrations and tastings throughout the show will highlight the quality, provenance and versatility of Scotland’s seafood offering.

For 2026, Seafood Scotland has adopted the theme “Year of the Chef”, putting culinary expertise at the heart of the pavilion’s activity. The programme will feature leading chefs demonstrating how Scottish seafood can be used across a range of cuisines and dining formats.

Among the chefs appearing during the event are Gary Maclean, Scotland’s National Chef and winner of MasterChef: The Professionals, and Emilien Rouable, who serves as Seafood Scotland’s ambassador in France. The pavilion kitchen will be run throughout the exhibition by catering partner Wilde Thyme, led by executive chef Andrew Hamer.

SEG remains one of the most important international trade platforms for Scotland’s seafood sector, providing an opportunity for businesses to reconnect with long-standing European customers while also building new commercial partnerships.

During the show, Seafood Scotland will also host a series of networking events with international partners, including Mercabarna, Barcelona’s central food market and home to the Mercat Central del Peix fish market. These collaborations help strengthen Scotland’s trade links with Spain and the wider European seafood market.

Marie-Anne Omnes, Head of Trade Marketing – Europe at Seafood Scotland, said: “For Scottish seafood businesses, attending SEG is about strengthening relationships with European buyers and demonstrating the value of our products in a competitive global market. The ‘Year of the Chef’ theme allows us to showcase the quality and versatility of Scotland’s premium seafood in the most powerful way possible – through the chefs who use it every day.

“Alongside that, partnerships such as our work with the Central Fish Market, Mercat Central del Peix, and education centre at Mercabarna, Barcelona help reinforce Scotland’s long-term presence in key European seafood hubs.” she added.

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