The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Shining the spotlight on Courier Country’s local food businesses
As entries continue to pour in for The Menu Food and Drink Awards, we take a closer look at two of the categories – the Farm to Fork Award and Local to Global Award
The first ever food and drink awards for Dundee, Angus, Perthshire and Fife will showcase and celebrate the amazing talent across Courier Country.
With 10 categories overall, the winners will be announced at a gala dinner at The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews on March 15 2018.
The Farm To Fork Award – Food and Drink
This award is sponsored by Angus Council and Perth & Kinross Council as part of the Tay Cities Deal.
Entries are welcome from producers of fruits, vegetables, eggs or meat. Judges are looking for individuals or businesses with the ability and vision to produce and market quality food and drink products in this region.
These are growers and producers who are passionate about what they do and who have the talent and skill to grow, develop and market an outstanding and commercially scalable food and drink product.
Councillor Ron Sturrock, Angus Council’s spokesperson for food and drink, stresses that it is an industry of great priority for Angus.
“The area is home to many successful and innovative food and drink businesses as well as iconic foods such as Forfar Bridies and Arbroath Smokies,” he says.
“The Tay Cities Deal has given us the ideal opportunity to work regionally with our colleagues in Perth & Kinross, Fife and Dundee to provide the best possible support for the sector.
“We are delighted to be sponsoring the Farm to Fork award category,” he continues.
“This award celebrates all our small, artisan producers who take great pride in what they do, and put so much time and effort into making high quality, world class products that we should all be extremely proud of.
“Local businesses should get their nominations in as soon as possible to get the recognition they deserve – there is so much to celebrate in this region and I am looking forward to finding out who the winners are in March.”
And Graham Glover, business development officer in Perth & Kinross Council’s food and drink sector and international trade theme, adds: “Visitors tell us that local food and drink plays a huge part in why they choose our region as a holiday destination – local produce and local products delivered by local people makes all the difference.
“You need to nominate your local Farm to Fork hero now to make sure they get the recognition their hard work deserves.
“And,” he continues, “only Courier Country’s Menu Awards can give recognition that adds value to local business from both visitors and local communities.”
Local to Global Brand of the Year Award
This award is sponsored by Fife Trade Partnership: Accessing New Markets, is a category tailored for a food, drink or hospitality business that has established a presence in international markets and continues to grow.
Encouraging people to enter this category, Pamela Stevenson, Fife trade partnership lead, explains: “Improving your trading opportunities outwith Fife, Scotland and overseas can improve your business prospects.
“The Fife Trade Partnership led by Fife Council Economic Development, and supported by Scottish Development International, Business Gateway Fife and Fife Chamber of Commerce, was launched in late 2015 as an integrated ‘one stop shop’ service to help businesses improve opportunities to get goods and services to market.
“The Menu Food and Drink Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate and recognise quality food and drink available across Fife and Tayside.”
Various top suppliers and producers across the region will be supplying the five-star awards ceremony.
One such supplier, Christian and Ingela Nissen of Highland Game, says: “Both these categories – Farm to Fork and Local to Global – are core to our ethos.
“We work closely with our suppliers, the Scottish Forestry Commission and private estates, to consistently provide the highest quality venison from ‘hill to plate’ to wholesalers, distributors and retailers in both domestic and export markets, making a direct connection between the Scottish Highlands and consumers, near and far.
“Highland Game is delighted to sponsor and supply our venison for awards dinner in March.
“We are thrilled that our local Scottish produce will be at the heart of this prestigious celebration.”
Whether you are a large or small business, now is the time to enter the awards.