INVERCLYDE MSP Stuart McMillan showed his support for local businesses by paying a visit to a popular Greenock eatery as part of Scotland Loves Local week.

The SNP politician was delighted to meet with Ben Egan of 17Ngon and find out more about the work the Greenock chef was doing to serve up tasty meals for Inverclyde locals.

The visit tied in with Scotland Loves Local week 2024, an annual campaign which highlights the importance of local businesses and enterprises.

Commenting on the visit, Mr McMillan said: “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy – but they can only thrive if local people get out and support them.

Stuart McMillan visited Ben Egan at 17Ngon. (Image: George Munro)

“That’s why I am always keen to support the Scotland Loves Local campaign which is putting localism at the heart of a stronger, greener, fairer Scotland.

“West Blackhall Street and the surrounding streets in Greenock town centre are currently subject to regeneration works that are creating unavoidable access issues for businesses and customers alike.

“These works will make the town centre a more attractive place to visit, but until we get to that stage, businesses have had to persevere with the disruption.

“I’m therefore grateful to Bird Chicken Shop and 17Ngon for their investment in Inverclyde.

"They are helping make the town centre become more of a destination for local people and visitors – and the response from customers appears to be overwhelmingly positive.

“I hope they will continue to serve up delicious, high-quality food for people to enjoy for years to come, and I would encourage my constituents to give both restaurants a try if they haven’t already.”

Ben Egan welcomed Stuart McMillan MSP to the Argyle Street business. (Image: George Munro)

Ben added: “It was great to have Stuart in this week.

“I’ve been blown away by the support from the local community.

“The demand has been hard to keep up with at times, and initially we were only open during the day, but since customers kept asking about later opening times, I’ve started opening on the occasional Friday evening.

“This has been so positive and I’m so grateful to customers for continuing to support this venture, especially with all the works going on outside the shop in recent months.

“We don’t offer deliveries, so customers must come in to eat or collect their food, but thankfully they haven’t been put them off from doing so.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve up dishes from a range of different Asian cuisines, and in the process hopefully expanding people’s palates by helping them experience something new.”