Eaten somewhere that deserves to be honoured for food and hospitality? Tell us about it.
There’s still time for you to nominate your favourites across 13 special categories in the Scotsman Food and Drink Awards
It’s the final week of nominations for the inaugural Scotsman Food and Drink Awards and the last chance for you to put forward your favourites for the chance to win one.
With this Friday being the deadline, there’s still time for you to pick out those you feel are deserving of recognition for their hard work.
To nominate, head to The Scotsman Food and Drink Awards website www.scotsmanfoodanddrinkawards.co.uk, choose the category you wish to submit your chosen person or company to, and give us your reasons why you believe we should choose them.
Each nominee, and your reason, will be read and judged by a panel comprising of Scotsman staff and representatives from Scotland’s food and drink industry, with the finalists being announced a few weeks later.
Scotsman Food and Drink section editor and awards judge Sean Murphy said: “With the deadline fast approaching, now is the time to head over to our website and get your entries in.
“We’ve had some fantastic businesses and individuals nominated so far. Myself and the rest of the judging panel are looking forward to the immensely difficult challenge of whittling the list down to just a few chosen finalists in each category.” Our Best Dining Experience award, which aims to highlight the very best culinary venues, has seen an array of eateries chosen for their excellent service, ingredients and dishes.
Ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants in the Capital like The Kitchin, where owner Tom Kitchin was particularly commended for his approachability and the staff applauded for their hospitality, to smaller street food-style venues in Glasgow like Kimchi Cult, which was chosen for its innovative food and excellent value, the nominations have shown the breadth and depth of the country’s excellent dining scene – though we would like to see more nominations from further afield like Aberdeen and the Borders.
The past few years has seen a rise in both craft beer and cider, as consumers seek out alternatives to the mass-produced drinks marketed by the large multinationals.
Our Best Craft Beer or Cider award will look to reward those smaller craft drinks makers who have impressed you, such as nominee Spey Valley Brewery, highlighted for their excellent beers, which can not only be found in Scotland but also across the border in England, as well as in Germany, Norway, Japan and the UAE. We are also looking to celebrate the places that have transformed the eating out experience, giving us a greater choice of vegetarian and vegan alternatives, offering the kind of cuisine those who prefer their meals meat-free can really enjoy without a compromise on flavour.
With both Glasgow and Edinburgh receiving awards over the past few years for their vegan friendliness, and places like Perth and Dundee expanding their vegetarian options, there’s never been a better time to celebrate the herbivore way of life.
Our most open category, and possibly the most thrilling, is the Your Hidden Gem award, which gives you the opportunity to point out to us those places that matter most you – any secret spots, creative locations or local favourites that have lain undiscovered by the general population and deserve to be praised.
One nominee is The Glendale Highland Market, which was picked out for its contribution to the “fragile and remote area of Glendale on the Isle of Skye” and the huge impact it has made on not just the local community but visitors to the island.
The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 1 November, at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange and in a departure from the usual sit-down meal, the Awards will have a Scottish Street food theme, giving finalists, guests and sponsors the opportunity to better connect on the night.