The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Courier Country firms shine at food awards
Produce: Ceremony run in partnership with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
There was success for Courier Country businesses and rural leaders at the prestigious Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2018 last night.
The East Neuk-based St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company won the Dairy category for its St Andrews Farmhouse Cheddar.
Perthshire company Peel Tech Ltd was winner of the Innovation category while QMS chairman and former NFU Scotland president Jim Mclaren won the outstanding contribution award.
The annual awards took place with more than 740 guests in attendance at a glittering ceremony at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.
Twelve product-focused categories were judged by a thorough process, which included the scrutiny of packaging, quality of product and taste.
In the course of their assessment of the entries, the judges sampled 197 Scottish products ranging from cheese and chocolate, to ginger beer and gin.
The awards also highlighted business excellence, innovation and best practice across the Scottish food and drink industry.
Categories included Environmental Sustainability (won by The Bay Fish & Chips), Young Talent (won by Kirsty George of Luss Smokehouse), Innovation (won by Peel Tech Ltd) and Scottish Sourcing (won by The Whitehouse Restaurant).
Special recognition was awarded for Product of the Year (Isle of Harris Gin) and Business of the Year (Border
Biscuits).
The awards are organised by Scotland Food & Drink and run in partnership with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS).
James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Congratulations to all winners and finalists who have been selected from a record number of entries by our panel of more than 45 judges.
“Scotland is home to some of the most innovative producers and these awards give us the chance to celebrate just a few of them.
“We have a fantastic mix of established world-class businesses and a new generation of entrepreneurs coming through.
“Scottish food and drink is now a national success story. Our unique partnership of industry bodies and Scottish Government has driven that.
“However, it is the talent inside individual businesses that make our industry tick and who are putting Scotland on the global culinary map.”
RHASS chairman James Warnock added: “We at RHASS are very proud of our partnership with the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards.
“Like us, they recognise those businesses and individuals in Scotland who are leading the way with innovation, enterprise and quality, and they help the consumer go on the farm to fork journey with the producer.”
malexander@thecourier.co.uk