Winners line up to share the
Scotland’s food and drink finest joined judges and sponsors in a celebration that was a night to remember, says Sean Murphy
It was a night dedicated to the cream of the crop of Scotland’s food and drink scene, and one which saw the industry’s top chefs, restaurateurs, bloggers, businesses and individuals descend on the capital to enjoy Scotland’s newest awards event.
About 200 people arrived at Edinburgh Corn Exchange to watch as host Stephen Jardine, along with his fellow judges and several award sponsors revealed the winners of the first Scotsman Food and Drink Awards.
Kicking off proceedings, Frank O’donnell, editorial director of The Scotsman, reiterated the paper’s commitment to helping Scotland Food and Drink achieve it’s Vision 2030 goal to make the sector Scotland’s most valuable industry.
He said: “Everyone in Scotland must be proud of our food and drink offer, we’ve come a long way in the past 20 years but can we can go much, much further and I believe that Scotland’s media must play a vital role in that.
“It’s absolutely essential that all of our success is shouted about, that new ideas are nurtured and given exposure, and my commitment is that The Scotsman, the Edinburgh Evening News and Scotland on Sunday will do that where ever we can.”
The big winners in the first half of the night were Glasgow-based chef Nico Simeone, whose Finnieston favourite, Six by Nico, has quickly won acclaim for its constantly evolving tasting menu, saw him take home the Most Innovative Chef award.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s own Ondine scooped the Best Dining Experience and Boys Eat Scotland came out on top in the tightly contested Best Blogger category.
Donnie Montgomery, one half of the duo behind Boys Eat Scotland said: “It was an absolute thrill to win the most dedicated food blogger award.
“The awards are a fantastic showcase for the diverse and creative talents of Scotland’s chefs, hoteliers, bar-owners and food producers and it’s a pleasure to be able to share their foodie delights with our followers.”