EAST Lothian’s excellence in the food and drink sector is very apparent, enjoying a great reputation across the UK and beyond.

As the local constituency MP, I will always look for opportunities to help celebrate and promote our outstanding local producers and their goods.

One such opportunity arose in Whitehall last week as John Gilmour Butchers held an event at the Scotland Office to announce its launch into the London foodservice and hospitality market.

I was pleased to join about 100 other guests from the culinary, hospitality and political sectors, including other Scottish MPs, at the launch.

It included a masterclass in quality assured Scotch beef butchery and dishes provided by Gilmour’s.

It was evident that the guests were highly impressed by the quality produce Gilmour’s has to offer and I hope the launch will help the business make inroads into the London market.

They are already an important local business and employer bringing significant benefits to East Lothian’s economy and local jobs, and I look forward to continuing to support them and their expansion plans.

After returning to the constituency last week, one of my first actions was meeting with Emma Jackson, the founder of mental health café charity Keep the Heid.

The café model provides a safe space, facilitated by a mental health professional, for participants to talk about their mental health and share any worries or concerns for a couple of hours in the evening.

Emma started the first café in Haddington in 2021 to help fill what she identified as a gap for people looking for peer support with their mental health.

She then expanded the service into Tranent and North Berwick, before securing charitable status earlier this year.

I welcome Keep the Heid’s important work and Emma’s outstanding commitment to it.

The cafés are clearly benefiting those who use the service, while also proving to be a model that others are interested in replicating.