Who are the top 100 Scotland food and drink companies?

Diageo

The whisky industry adds an estimated £5.3 billion to the Scottish economy and accounts for roughly 72% of all Scottish food and drink exports - and around 23% of Scotland's total international goods exports.

It supports around 66,000 jobs in the uk - with over 40,000 of these in Scotland - and demand is such that Scottish producers export to more than 160 global markets, reportedly shipping about 43 bottles overseas every second.

Our national spirit is synonymous with quality and heritage, and in recent years has been at the heart of global trade tariff wars.

Given its importance it’s little wonder that the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) have strict controls to ensure quality, with a legal requirement that whisky be distilled and matured in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum of three years, to protect its designation and quality.

While many of the world’s best-selling whiskies can trace their heritage back centuries, there are new distilleries opening up to ensure a bright future for the industry.

And while whisky grabs all the attention, it is just one part of a drinks industry in Scotland that employs thousands and enhances the country’s UK and global reputation for quality.

Diageo sits as one of the biggest companies in the country, and while it is behind the success of some of our most iconic whiskies, it also produces Guinness, Smirnoff vodka, Gordon’s gin and Christmas favourite Baileys.

CVH Spirits are another company looking after some of Scotland’s most iconic whisky brands, both at home and to 60 global markets

Whisky might be ‘the water of life’ but it is nothing without a pure natural water supply - something Scotland enjoys in abundance.

In Highland Spring, Scotland has a water business that has both protected the purity of a Scottish water source and turned it into a thriving industry employing hundreds of staff and earning accolades for its agricultural protection.

The country should rightly be raising a glass to the success of these companies, who continue to ensure our national drink, and the drinking needs of our nation, are expertly served.

Diageo

Diageo was founded in 1997,although some of the iconic Scottish brands it owns date back as far as the 17th century. It has over 200 brands, including Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Gordons, Lagavulin, Talisker and Mortlach, which are sold in over 180 countries worldwide. Diageo Scotland Limited, manages its extensive whisky operations from Edinburgh, while the company has over 60 operational sites across Scotland, including iconic malt and grain distilleries like Cameronbridge and the Johnnie Walker Princes Street experience in Edinburgh. Its latest results, released in August, showed global sales of almost £17 billion, operating profit of £2.7bn and a net profit of £1.7bn.

Highland Spring

One of the UK’s largest suppliers of natural source water, bottling over 550 million litres a year and employing more than 400 people.

The company was formed in 1979 by the same family that owns it today, with protections brought in for the land in the Ochil Hills in Auchterarder to prevent farming and ensure the purity of the natural source spring water. In 2021 the company was awarded organic accreditation by the Soil Association.

Over the years they have brought in sparkling and flavoured varieties and become the official water supplier to Scottish Rugby. The last reported figures in December 2024 showed a turnover of £148.2m and pre tax profits of £7.6m.

CVH Spirits

Glasgow-based CVH Spirits describe themselves as proud custodians of some of Scotland’s most iconic distilleries and whisky brands, and their portfolio includes renowned single malts Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory, and Ledaig alongside celebrated blended Scotch whiskies Black Bottle and Scottish Leader. Their 300 staff handle more than 60 global markets, and offer end-to-end bottling, blending and packaging from their advanced facility in East Kilbride, handling single malts, blends, rum, gin, and vodka from their fully-certified site. They also serve as a UK distributor for spirits such as Angostura bitters and rums and Satryna tequila, all of which helped drive turnover of more than £80m turnover in the year to June 2025

Glasgow Whisky Co.

Glasgow Whisky was launched by Graham Taylor and Stuart Hendry in 2007. The two men have over seventy years service in the industry between them and in 2015 we were joined by Rory Taylor. The company has developed a strong position in the shipment of bulk Scotch Whisky around the world, for clients who do their own blending and bottling. They can ship in road tankers, container tanks, 1,000 litre Individual Bulk Containers and 220 litre plastic drums, as well as providing advice on both blending and bottling to companies based outside the United Kingdom.

Heineken UK Ltd.

Heineken UK are the nation’s leading beer, cider and pub company and encompasses brands from Inch’s to Birra Moretti and many more. More than 90% of the beers they sell in the UK are brewed here and around 30% of the nation’s apples go into their ciders. Edinburgh is home to the company’s largest site, with almost 600 staff, and as well as brewing, the company has 2,350 pubs in its portfolio, with the Star Pubs business focused on putting pubs at the centre of community life and providing training and jobs for thousands of ambitious people.