Two island businesses shortlisted in food awards
THE THREE Chimneys restaurant by Dunvegan, on the Isle of Skye, and Ninth Wave at Bruach Mhor, Fionnphort, Isle of Mull, have been shortlisted for the 2017 Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition.
The award, presented by Seafish and The Caterer, is designed to find the best restaurants cooking and serving delicious seafood dishes.
Launched in 2015, the competition assesses restaurants on the quality of the seafood dishes they serve, their responsible sourcing policies and their knowledge of fish and shellfish species both front and back of house.
Progressing to the next round of the competition, these top 10 restaurants will be visited during July and August by a mystery judge.
The 10 will be whittled down to a top five which will be further appraised by the judging panel in early September, with the overall national winner announced at a presentation in London later in September.
Along with a bespoke trophy for their restaurant, three members of the team from the winning restaurant will be invited on an all- expense paid study trip to Brixham, Devon, to further hone their knowledge regarding the catching, processing and supply of seafood.
‘ This trip will also provide an opportunity for the team to meet key industry players and experience some of the world’s freshest and tastiest seafood.
Andy Gray, trade marketing manager for Seafish, said: ‘ The Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase the wide range of restaurants, pubs and cafés that are excelling in providing customers with top- quality fish and shellfish dining experiences.’
Alex Aitken, chef-patron of The Jetty in Christchurch, Dorset, the 2016 winner, said: ‘ Winning the Seafood Restaurant of the Year award in recognition of the quality of the food we serve and also for the care taken in responsibly sourcing the fish and shellfish we use, meant a lot to the whole team – especially as the competition is judged and decided by our peers and industry experts.’