The best of Courier Country’s hospitality sector was showcased at the second The Menu Food and Drink Awards last night.
Tayside and Fife’s top chefs, drinks producers, restaurant and bar owners were honoured with awards during a glamorous ceremony at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews.
Hundreds of guests gathered for the ceremony, which was fittingly complemented by a lavish gala dinner, with each of the five courses cooked up by a top local chef.
Canapes were provided by Praveen Kumar, chef owner of Tabla Indian Restaurant, while Paul Newman, chef owner at Thyme at Errichel Restaurant, whipped up Highland venison starters.
Robbie Penman, head chef, and Sharon Munro, executive chef at St Andrews Links, served up a fish course of seared Peterhead cod and East Neuk seafood chowder, before the main course of Scotch beef fillet, braised short rib and truffled polenta by Martin Hollis, executive chef at the Old Course Resort.
Last but not least, a dessert of Dundee cake mousse and petit fours were whipped up by Graham Paulley, head chef at the Apex Hotel, as well as Albert Close and students at Dundee and Angus College respectively.
Courier editor Catriona MacInnes said: “It is a fabulous opportunity to be able to celebrate the wonderful natural larder that we have in this part of Scotland and to salute the businesses and individuals who fly the foodie flag in Scotland.
“The awards were launched last year to allow us to recognise all that is good about the food and drink sector in Courier Country.
“In this second year of the awards it is fabulous to see such an amazing turnout and so many different businesses in one place.
“I would like to express my thanks to our sponsors, all those who took time to enter and the judges for ensuring that every entry was scrutinised and deliberated on as part of our process of deciding on tonight’s winners.”
Event host was Jak O’Donnel, chef/patron at The Sisters restaurant.
Sponsors included Food from Fife, Avian, Eden Mill, Sodexo and Highland Game.
The winners
Coffee Shop of the Year: AliBob Café
Street Vendor of the Year: Wild & Smoky, Piperdam
Best Craft Beer: 71 Brewing, Dundee
Farm to Fork: The Wright Root, Coupar Angus
Best Newcomer: The Crieff Food Company; Crieff
Best Craft Distiller: Tayport Distillery, Tayport
Cocktail Bar of the Year: The Adamson Bar, St Andrews
Pub of the Year: The Criterion, St Andrews
Chef of the Year: Alec Cruikshank – Fonab
Restaurant of the Year: 63 Tay Street, Perth
Brand Ambassador: Owen Hazel, Jannettas, St Andrews
