Nominate your favourite hidden gem in the 2024 Scran Awards
◆ Rosalind Erskine takes a look at two of the ‘off the beaten track’ establishments which are up for this years award
One of our Scran Awards for 2024 will celebrate and showcase those businesses who are off the beaten track — and you can decide the winner.
There are 18 categories in the 2024 Scran awards to recognise Scotland’s flourishing dining, drinking and hospitality sector and we want to hear about the individuals, establishments and products that make the Scottish food and drink sector what it is.
Categories include Scottish Restaurant of the year, Best gastro pub, Scottish Chef of the year and Best Whisky. All finalists will be invited to attend a special awards ceremony on Monday 17 June at Platform in Glasgow. Guests will enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, meal and of course the awards themselves.
One of the awards will be decided by our readers, once again. The Hidden Gem award celebrates hospitality businesses in Scotland that are off the beaten track, impact the wider community and offer something different to guests. Two of our nominees so far are: Crossbill Gin School, Glasgow and Killiecrankie House in Perthshire. Crossbill Gin School — “neatly hidden away in a corner of the Barras Art and Design building, close to the Iconic Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow’s East End” is a local small business devoted to crafting high quality, intimate/personal gin experiences that captivate gin fans and novices alike. Crossbill Distilling is an established distiller with experience dating back to 2006. Gin production began in 2012 in Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. In 2017 the business relocated to Glasgow, where they distil a range of awardwinning, handcrafted Scottish Gins.
Winner of our Restaurant of the Year category in 2023, Killiecrankie House, is a nominee in this year’s Hidden Gem category. A former gentleman’s residence built in 1840, the house is set in four acres of gardens in the heart of Perthshire’s countryside. This intimate restaurant with rooms, has been firmly catapulted into the 21st century by current owners Tom and Matilda Tsappis, who took over the reins in 2021. The couple formerly in finance and marketing, significantly changed tack in 2018, establishing a supper club Elia in London. That all changed during the pandemic, in the aftermath they seriously re-evaluated their lives and made the bold move to Scotland, where Matilda spent most of her formative years. The focus at Killiecrankie House is very much on celebrating the finest of Scottish produce, in an innovative and unique way.
To find out more about the Scran Awards, nominate and buy tickets, head to www.scranawards.co.uk. Thanks to our sponsors: Scotland Food and Drink, headline sponsor and sponsor of New Product of the Year; Nespresso, sponsor of the Sustainability Award; and Chefworks, Sponsor of Scottish Chef of the Year.