The Highlands and Islands have again emerged with a batch of top honours in the latest EatScotland awards.
Airds Hotel and Restaurant in Argyll and The Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye have both traded in their EatScotland Silver Awards for the premier EatScotland Gold Awards, two of only six restaurants in Scotland to gain this new top food accolade.
The EatScotland Gold Awards recognise the outstanding eating experience that the winning businesses offer customers. National tourism organisation VisitScotland has devised the awards to raise the bar in Scotland’s eating out scene and boost perceptions of Scottish cuisine worldwide.
And it is a similar story among the seven other Scottish restaurants that have been awarded EatScotland Individual Excellence Awards, in recognition of the unique and memorable experiences they offer customers. Of the winners, four are in the HIE network area, namely:
• Brodie Countryfare near Forres, Moray – Self Service Restaurant Excellence Award
• Coast, Oban - Small Team Excellence Award
• Doune Knoydart – Destination Dining Excellence Award
• Kilcamb Lodge Hotel, Argyll – Romantic Restaurant Excellence Award
Peter Lederer, chair of VisitScotland, said the awards mark a step forward for the Scottish food and drink industry: "Food and drink is at the heart of all 17 million visitors’ experience in Scotland each year. The awards mark out our most innovative and quality driven establishments providing the recognition they deserve, be they the local tearoom or internationally recognised restaurant. At the same time we hope the awards will provide an incentive across the industry to strive to improve visitors’ experiences in Scotland.”
Presenting the award EatScotland Director and award-winning chef Kevin MacGillivray said: “EatScotland provides evidence to the world that Scotland is not just a great place to visit but also a fabulous place to eat. If you want to prove it to yourself, try eating at any one of these winners and you’ll know that you’ve had a world class eating experience.”
The EatScotland food quality assurance scheme assesses hundreds of Scottish restaurants, cafes, pubs and take-aways on the quality of their cuisine, innovation and use of fresh, local ingredients, as well as décor, cleanliness and service.
EatScotland is one of the newest of the VisitScotland quality assurance schemes and www.eatscotland.com is the supporting web site which gives a comprehensive guide to eating and drinking in Scotland. The website receives around 30,000 visitors each month.
Businesses that are interested in joining the EatScotland quality assurance scheme should email EatScotland Membership Enquiries or call 0131 335 6608.
