Herald Food Hero deadline for nominations gets closer

THE search for the Herald Food Hero has attracted an impressive number of nominations from readers so far, with only a few days to go until the deadline.

They range from restaurateurs, chefs and caterers to community bakers, local food campaigners, artisan food producers and organic farmers. The wide geographical range of nominations from readers spans the Western Isles, the Hebrides and the Highlands; the Borders, East Lothian, Edinburgh; Fife, Perthshire and Tayside; and Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

The Herald Food Hero is a brand new category in the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards, which take place on May 27 at a glittering ceremony in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, hosted by Kaye Adams and attended by more than 700 industry representatives.

Organised by Scotland Food & Drink in partnership with The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, the awards recognise excellence across 19 categories. For the first time, in recognition of the Year of Food and Drink 2015, Herald readers can become involved in the awards by nominating their own food hero. Your Herald Food Hero may be a Michelin starred chef, an artisan food producer, your local gastro-pub owner, boutique beer brewer, distiller, farmer, or cheesemaker. If you think they have made the biggest impact on the Scottish food and drink scene, then this is your chance to help them shine.

Your nominations, including the reason you have chosen them, will be read by representatives from The Herald and Scotland Food & Drink. Finalists will be announced in the week beginning April 6. The winner will be invited to the awards ceremony as a guest of The Herald.

Readers are invited to place their nominations, with reasons, using our special e-mail address of foodhero@ theherald.co.uk. The deadline for nominations is noon on Friday, February 27, 2015.