The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Matter of taste: meet the Menu awards judges
With entries flying in and standards higher than ever, we meet seven people with the hard task of selecting the best of the best Courier Country has to offer
The heat is on. It’s time for the best in the food and drink industry to show what they’re made of. Entries are coming in for The Menu Food & Drink Awards, with the winners to be revealed at the awards dinner on March 12 2020.
These awards celebrate excellence, and as they go from strength to strength, so does the standard of entries. Deadline for entries is January 10, and the challenge is out there for all involved – you’ve got to be in it to win it. But who decides? Meet this year’s judging panel.
David Clegg
David was appointed editor of The Courier in October and lives with his wife and two young sons in Broughty Ferry.
“I can’t wait to join the judging panel for the first time in 2020,” he says.
“I have seen first-hand the passion that exists across the food and drink sector in Tayside, Fife, Perthshire and Angus, and I’m sure that this event will be a brilliant showcase for it.”
David believes that Courier Country is a treasure trove of riches when it comes to food, drink and hospitality, and he is looking forward to celebrating this success as the judges find out more about all the entrants from the awards’ 12 different categories.
“The awards are well-deserved recognition for the fantastic farmers, producers and suppliers across the region, including the distilleries, breweries and niche producers that make this one of the best places in the world to go on an exciting culinary adventure,” he adds.
“The competition will be so fierce – and the standard so high – that the judges are bound to have a terribly tough time choosing a shortlist.”
Gillian Lord
Gillian is features editor at The Courier, looking after all the magazines and supplements. Her long career as a journalist has included working as a food reviewer and editing publications similar to The Menu, and in her spare time, she is a keen cook.
Gillian is looking forward to being on the judging panel for the Menu Awards 2020, and says: “The awards bring the Courier Country foodie community together and acknowledge the exceptional talent and produce of our region.
“And the awards night itself is a great night out – the food is fabulous!
“I’m sure the awards are an incentive – they’re prestigious; everyone wants to be a winner.
“It’s fun to go into places and see the awards proudly displayed. They are also an acknowledgement of excellence and they throw a spotlight on the richly diverse industry,” she adds.
Gillian reckons that the judges will have a tough job choosing a shortlist.
“I have no doubt. Last year’s choices were very difficult and I can’t imagine this year being easier,” she says.
“As the amount of entries we get grows each year, it makes the choices harder. And there is truly a top level of talent to choose from.
“So enter now – everyone has an equal chance of winning, but you’ve got to be in it to win it.”
Martha Bryce
Martha has worked in food and drink for almost her whole life, growing up working at her family’s food business and doing her time behind a farmer’s market stall! She now runs Sound Bite PR, working with a huge variety of businesses. Mainly based in Scotland, she works with food and drink producers of all sizes, hotels, restaurants, bakers, shops, festivals and more. She also coordinates Food from Fife.
“I’ve been involved in the Menu Awards since their launch and they’ve always been a real celebration of food and drink in this area,” she says.
“I really believe that this area of Scotland punches above its weight in terms of quality and innovation in both the food and drink and food tourism.
“The judging process is a wonderful way to discover the stories behind the businesses that have entered.”
Martha believes the Menu Awards celebrate the strength and vibrancy of food and drink in the region.
“It’s something we should all be proud of and the awards encourage that,” she observes. “We’ve seen the number of entries really grow since the awards started, which is great. Choosing a shortlist is going to be a tough job with the calibre of entries growing every year.
“I’d urge businesses of all sizes to consider entering the awards. The entry process is an opportunity to draw out the stories you should be proud of.”
Owen Hazel
Originally from Edinburgh, Owen was introduced to the food and drink industry when on placement from high school almost 40 years ago.
He moved to Fife 25 years ago when he met and married his wife, Nicola, joining her in managing her 111-year-old family business Jannettas, an awardwinning gelateria in St Andrews, Fife. Now owning and running the business, they are passionate about continuing the family ethos of sourcing the finest local ingredients seasonally, wherever possible, ensuring they produce the best food and drink, and delivering the finest service to their local, national and international customers.
“I’m very excited to be part of the judging panel,” smiles Owen. “It’s a great honour – particularly in a region that is teeming with such amazing food and drink producers.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to get to know better the vast array of awardwinning food and drink producers within Courier Country. I can’t wait.”
Owen hopes the awards will shine a light not only on the region’s finest businesses but also those within them who work tirelessly and passionately to produce and serve the finest quality.
“It’s an opportunity to recognise and celebrate those that contribute to a thriving and ever growing sector,” he comments. “We may be a small region, but we are brimming over with some of the finest talent, as well as food and drink producers.
“Trying to decide on a shortlist won’t be easy, I’m sure, but I look forward to the challenge and getting to know and learn from them too.”
Owen believes mentoring our future generation is key to the continued success and sustainability of the food and drink industry.
“I hope these awards inspire and encourage more businesses, schools and pupils to get involved and consider their futures within a sector that offers so many opportunities,” he adds.
Murray Chalmers
Murray lives in Fife, although he regularly travels far and wide running a PR company, representing many wellknown musicians and artists.
For most of 2019, he has been The Menu’s restaurant critic, which gives him a chance to indulge three of his passions – writing, food and architecture/design. He also wrote a weekly column for The Courier during the latest series of The Great British Bake Off.
“I’m really looking forward to being on the judging panel,” he reveals.
“One of the best things about discovering new places and revisiting old ones is being able to share that information and enthusiasm with other people. And there are so many great places to get excited about.
“I think this is a very good time for food and restaurants in Courier Country,” he continues. “There’s a sense of excitement that is very captivating, and also the feeling that this is just the beginning. There is so much more to be done and so many ideas and dreams to be realised and rewarded.”
Murray hopes the awards will highlight anyone who is playing a part, from big to small.
“Obviously winning is great, but really the awards are a beacon to everyone doing something worthwhile – food and drink producers and suppliers, caféowners, cooks, restaurateurs, foragers, waiting staff, entrepreneurs... Anyone who is inspired to help move the local food scene forwards,” he says.
“It’s great that new businesses are given attention, but also very good to remember the people who were a force for positivity and change when things were tougher. Those people paved the way for what we have now.
“I also think it’s very important to be honest. I’m looking forward to some very robust discussions on the judging panel!” he says.
“And then out of those discussions will hopefully come a consensus.
“Judging should be firm but fair – only the best should win.”
Jamie Scott
Jamie Scott is the owner of The Newport Restaurant and the Newport Bakery, and was also the 2014 winner of MasterChef: the Professionals. He believes in using seasonal Scottish produce to the best of his ability, cooking modern dishes with a huge nod to classical technique.
With a team of 30-plus staff between his two Newport businesses and a further 20 staff at his other ventures in Dundee and Aberdeen, Jamie lives in Newport-on-Tay and is married to “my beautiful, hard-working wife Kelly” and is father to two-year-old twin girls, Zara and Quinn.
“I am very much looking forward to being on the panel for this year’s awards, as they are identifying the best of our region. It is such a nice privilege to be able to judge the competitors,” says Jamie, who cooked a course at the inaugural Menu Awards in 2018, and also writes a monthly column for The Menu supplement.
“I really hope the awards highlight just how hard-working the hospitality industry is and how much it needs to be appreciated for it to continue to grow and develop,” he adds.
“I think the industry is going from strength to strength every year, with existing businesses growing and new ideas and ventures popping up all the time. I’m sure that will be highlighted in the quality of this year’s entries.”
Darren Wilson
Darren Wilson, managing director of SteamPunk, headline sponsor the awards for 2020, knows the requirements for a good restaurant and retail business from a unique perspective. The Scottish joinery and interior fit out company has worked with many successful restaurants, bakeries and food-related businesses across Courier Country.
Describing himself as a seasoned contracts manager, installation manager, foreman, joiner, carpenter, floor sweeper, tea maker and business owner, Darren says SteamPunk “are proud to be the title sponsor of these prestigious awards”.
He adds: “Our region has serious talent across the board and these awards provide a platform of high exposure to entrants.”
A family-orentated father of three sons, Darren says: “My recent passion has been the unification of new with old, fusing innovative concepts and designs.”
As a judge, he’ll be “looking to identify originality, innovation and enthusiasm. Good luck to all.”