News | Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards
The winners of this year’s Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards have been announced at the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness.
The Scottish Food & Drink awards celebrate excellence and achievement in the food and drink industry in the Highlands and Islands.
Guests at the dinner were entertained by speaker Tom Lewis of the award-winning Monachyle Mhor Hotel, Balquidder.
Hazel Gordon, chair of the Highland and Islands Food and Drink Forum, said: “The Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards aim to encourage high standards, collaboration and innovation across the area, and it’s great to again see this year’s awards highlighting businesses and individuals who have excelled in our industry.
"We also hope all the winners, who really have come from near and far, go on to further benefit from the profile their Awards bring with them.”
And the winners are....
Best Use of Local Food Award sponsored by John M Munro
The Storehouse, Ross-shire
The Storehouse restaurant and farm shop/deli is a local food retailer in the truest form, working with local farmers and producers to bring customers local produce 361 days a year.
Collaboration in Supply Chains Award sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink
The Edrington Group, Moray
The Edrington Group is Scotland's leading international premium spirits company, best known for producing The Famous Grouse, the best selling whisky in Scotland for the last 28 years. Edrington is controlled by a charitable trust, The Robertson Trust, which gave a record £8.4 million to a wide variety of charitable causes last year.
www.edringtongroup.com
Environment Award sponsored by Aquascot
Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK Ltd, Shetland
Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK Ltd is the leading salmon producer in Shetland, rearing over one third and processing 60 per cent of the islands’ total production. The farms are located in the wide open sea where strong tidal waters keep the environment in which the fish are reared fresh and clean, and as close to nature as you will get.
www.shetland-products.com
Healthier Food and Drink Award sponsored by Healthylivingaward and FINDS
Scottish Sea Farms for Lochmuir Salmon
Scottish Sea Farms salmon are grown in the pure waters of the west coast of Scotland and the northern isles of Shetland & Orkney, where the wild currents of the North Atlantic Ocean create ideal conditions for rearing a first-class quality product.
www.scottishseafarms.com
Individual Contribution sponsored by JBT Transport
Colin Milne, Sea Farms Manager, Wester Ross Fisheries, Ross-shire
Colin joined Wester Ross Fisheries in 1984 with no previous experience of fish farming; he progressed steadily to his current position of Sea Farms Manager, where he is responsible for two seawater sites with annual production capacity of 1500 tons.
www.wrs.co.uk
Innovation Award sponsored by Tio Limited (This is Organics)
REAL Food, Inverness
REAL Food (Real Education Active Lives), an integrated market garden and retail based social enterprise, started up two years ago in Inverness High School, in the heart of the city, to provide youngsters with opportunities for personal development, work experience, community involvement and engagement with the story of food by linking the enterprise activities to the curriculum.
http://real-ihs.blogspot.com
New Product Award sponsored by Falls of Shin and Balnagown
Really Garlicky Company for Really Garlicky Ciabatta, Nairn
Porcelain Garlic, which is really unique in the UK, is grown on the company's Scottish Highland Farm. A passion for real food has resulted in a delicious range of really garlicky goodies. One of Rick Stein’s Food Heroes, the Really Garlicky Company achieved SALSA accreditation in December 2007 and are also LEAF accredited.
www.reallygarlicky.co.uk
People Development Through Skills sponsored by Improve
Orkney Fishermens Society Ltd, Orkney
Orkney Fishermen’s Society was established as a co-operative in 1953 with the principal aim of exporting live lobsters. A small processing factory was opened in 1996 and this has developed into one of the largest and foremost specialist brown crab facilities in the UK.
www.ofsorkney.co.uk
Taste of Highlands and Islands Restaurant of the Year Award sponsored by the Press and Journal
Captain's Galley Scrabster, Caithness
The Captain's Galley is a seafood restaurant offering a unique imaginative experience. High quality locally sourced food and ethical and environmental policies have won the firm many accolades and customer loyalty.
www.captainsgalley.co.uk