Highlands and Islands scoop food and drink awards

A third of the winning categories, at this year's Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards, were scooped up by companies from the Highlands and Islands.

Now in their sixth year, the awards are a celebration of the highly successful Scottish food and drink industry, and an opportunity to recognise food and drink companies that are leading the way in innovation, enterprise and quality.

Mark Georgeson, HIE's senior food and drink development manager, said: "Five out of the 16 winners are from this part of the world - it's a fantastic result for the Highlands and Islands. The superb range of entries demonstrated the wealth of fresh natural produce that we have to offer, but it also showed that we can add value locally, and still compete in a global market".

Island winners were to the fore with Shetland winners; Johnson Sustainable Seafoods, for their innovative 'No catch...just cod', with Hjaltland Seafarms picking up Scottish Development International's International Business of the Year award .

Taste of Arran, which markets a range of speciality food and drink including ice cream, cheeses, oatcakes, ale and whisky, won The Direct Marketing Development, sponsored by the Royal Highland Agricultural Show Society HASS

Alastair Dobson, director of Taste of Arran, said: "We are totally committed to telling the world about the quality of food and drink that we produce on this beautiful Scottish island. The recognition of our efforts to spread the word, that Arran is a great place to taste the finest of food anddrink, is a most welcome accolade. It reinforces the message that the Highlands and Islands has a great story to tell."

Two Moray companies were also among the winners. Gordon & MacPhail won the Supreme Award for their Benromach Organic Speyside single malt scotch whisky.

The award-winning single malt whisky, bottled at 43%, is hand made by just two men at Speyside's smallest working distillery at Forres, operated by Gordon & MacPhail of Elgin.

Ice cream manufacturer Mackie's of Scotland won the newly created Environmental Award, in recognition of their ongoing commitment to green production methods. Mackie's ice cream packaging carries a windmill icon showing that it is made with renewable energy.

The Awards are organised jointly and co-sponsored by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) and Scottish Food and Drink, in association with Scottish Enterprise.

Other sponsors include The Grocer magazine, Scottish Development International and the Scottish Executive's healthyliving campaign.