The fifth Scottish Restaurant Awards took place last night in the Glasgow Science Centre. Jointly sponsored by 5pm.co.uk and Business Insider, the awards are the most prestigious in the calendar of Scotland’s restaurant sector.
We’ll have a full report later today but here are the all important winners along with excerpts from the awards ceremony which give some insight into how the judges arrived at their decision.
Scottish Restaurant of the Year Award and the Most Innovative Restaurant of the Year Award
Castle Terrace
The Scottish Restaurant of the Year Award and the Most Innovative Restaurant of the Year Award were both won by the very deserving Castle Terrace in Edinburgh.
Chef patron Dominic Jack spent many years training in some of France’s top kitchens before returning to his native Scotland and teaming up with his old friend Tom Kitchin to open Castle Terrace. All of that experience shows in every dish that comes out of Jack’s kitchen. Beautifully presented, inventive and showing a deft command of flavour combinations, Jack’s food is among the very best in Scotland. Castle Terrace was awarded Newcomer of the Year at last year’s awards and they have more than fulfilled that promise. The judging panel reckon that Castle Terrace and Dominic Jack still have plenty of potential to achieve even more.
Chef of the Year
Jeff Bland
Although born in Yorkshire, Jeff Bland has spent most of his working life in Scotland with stints at the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh, Gleneagles in Perthshire and Cameron House on Loch Lomond. However, it’s at his current position as Executive Chef in the Balmoral Hotel that he has made most impact.
Jeff joined the Balmoral in 1997 and is currently responsible for a team of 36 chefs, spread over four restaurants and bars. The hotel’s flagship restaurant is Number One, which has retained its Michelin star for the last decade.
From Perthshire girolles to Mull scallops, Scottish produce is at the heart of Jeff’s menus and he has travelled the world telling other people just how good the food we produce in this country is. As well as being an ambassador for Scottish produce, Jeff has done a huge amount in terms of training, teaching and mentoring other chefs who have passed through his kitchens and then gone on to great things.
Best Italian
Cucina at Hotel Missoni
A finalist in the last three awards, Cucina scooped the Best Italian Restaurant last year and they have done it again this time around. Scotland has many popular restaurants offering Anglo-Italian pasta and pizza. At Cucina, head chef Mattia Camorani offers the real deal: fresh, seasonal ingredients cooked simply but with an Italian flair that is as bold as Cucina’s decor.
Best Indian
Mithas
The Mohammed family who own Mithas have run the much loved Khushi’s restaurants in Edinburgh for decades but this recently launched venture is unlike anything they have done before. Their aim is to reinvent the public’s perception of Indian cooking by offering a fine dining experience complete with subtle spicing, innovative presentation and eye-catching interiors.
Best Oriental
Opium
Taking his cue from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, Hong Kong trained chef Kwan Yu Lee produces beautiful dim sum along with thoughtful modern twists on South East Asian classics. It is a great time for Scottish fans of food from China and its neighbouring countries with many restaurants, both new and old, coming up with fresh and exciting ideas. Glasgow’s Opium is helping to lead the pack.
Best Takeaway
The Wee Hurrie
Owned and run by the fishmongers MacCallum’s of Troon, The Wee Hurrie is a gem. The tiny chippie on the harbour sells everything from mushy peas to monkfish via scallops and lobster. Sparkling fresh fish cooked with care make The Wee Hurrie a king among chippies. Why can’t they all be like this?
Family Friendly
Cruize
This is a stylish, modern and contemporary brassiere that offers eclectic dining for all the family in the Auchrannie Resort on the Isle of Arran. As well as a kids’ evening buffet, there is a children’s menu available. A soft play games area, Internet and free WiFi all help keep the kids entertained. Many restaurants pay lip service to being child friendly. Cruize pulls out all the stops.
Best Pub Grub
Cock & Bull
An atmospheric, intimate inn located twelve miles from Aberdeen, the Cock and Bull rightly prides itself on serving honest food with everything made on the premises from local ingredients. With its cosy nooks and low beamed ceiling, this well loved gastropub combines a friendly, casual ambience with delicious dishes such as the home-cured corned beef hash or the confit belly of Ingram’s pork served with a prune and Armagnac puree.
Best Hotel Restaurant
Chez Roux at Greywalls
Uniquely situated on the edge of Muirfield championship golf course and with stunning views over looking the famous greens of the 9th and 18th holes, Chez Roux at Greywalls has earned itself a glowing reputation as a golfers paradise. With a fantastic menu developed by Albert Roux, its reputation for the excellence of its classical French cuisine and impeccable service is just as strong.
Best Customer Service
The Scottish Café & Restaurant
As the name implies, Scottish produce is key at this stylish restaurant and cafe and its menu reads like a Who’s Who of Scotland’s artisan producers. Part of the National Galleries complex, it is run by the acclaimed team from Centotre. Its staff are not only fantastically well trained but they are also completely on top of their product knowledge and they demonstrate a genuine sense of hospitality. The Scottish Café & Restaurant serves large numbers of international visitors as well as locals. It is heartening to know that they all receive a warm welcome along with a real taste of Scotland.
Best Rural Restaurant of the Year
Gordon’s Restaurant
This is a family run-business, founded by husband and wife Gordon and Maria Watson with their son Garry. Gordon and Garry work in the kitchen while Maria looks after front of house at the Inverkeilor restaurant. The 24 seat dining room is atmospherically rustic while the menus use seasonal Scottish produce to create classic dishes with a modern twist. Michelin stars, celebrity chefs and big city centre chain restaurants make a lot of noise and attract a lot of headlines but businesses such as Gordon’s quietly but confidently provide fantastic food without making a big song and dance about it.
Best Seafood Restaurant
Café Fish
Housed in a handsome Georgian building in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, this 76 cover restaurant and wine bar is all about sparklingly fresh seafood, cooked simply and served at an affordable price. Owner Richard Muir is passionate about sustainability and offers predominately Scottish sourced fish. It’s not a complicated formula but it’s an effective one. Muir’s plans to expand into the English market with further branches of Cafe Fish are well underway.
The Best Newcomer of the Year
Kanpai Sushi
The owners of Kanpai Sushi, who also run the existing Sushiya in Edinburgh, have now created a new venue which evokes the best of contemporary Tokyo design. While sushi and sashimi are by no means all they do, the heart of their menu relies on fantastically fresh fish from Eddie’s seafood market. Stylish, precise and beautifully presented, the food at Kanpai Sushi marks a new level of achievement for Japanese cooking in Scotland.