Finalists announced for Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards 2024
Finalists in this year’s Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards (HIFAD), supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, have been announced after a fantastic response from “hugely diverse” food, drink and hospitality businesses from across the region.
Covering categories from Best Food & Drink Tourism Experience, Restaurant of the Year and Best Start Up, to Independent Retailer, Sustainability, and Supply Chain Business, the 2024 awards also recognise both an Ambassador of the Year, and a Young Ambassador of the Year.
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The judges, including representatives from Scotland Food & Drink, IQ International, Salmon Scotland, Wester Ross Fisheries and Food & Drink TechHUB, have had the very hard task of reading each and every entry to come up with this year’s exciting shortlist which they believe is a fair reflection of the enormous talent, quality and choice across food, drink and hospitality businesses in the Highlands and Islands.
Tickets for the awards ceremony, which takes place on Friday November 1 at venue partner, The Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness are now available to buy at hifoodanddrinkawards.com
Finalists for the Independent Retailer of the Year award
Brodie Countryfare, Forres
Simpsons Garden Centre, Inverness
Sound Butchers Ltd, Lerwick
Finalists for the Primary Producer award (sponsored by Salmon Scotland)
Island Larder, Lerwick
Miele's Gelateria, Inverness
Finalists for the Sustainability award (sponsored by Wester Ross Fisheries)
Islay Rum Company, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
Threaplands Ltd, Elgin
Finalists for the Supply Chain Business award
Aquascot Ltd, Alness, Ross-shire
Pro Fish Wholesaler & Retailer, Aviemore
Finalists for the Best Food & Drink Tourism Experience award
Eat Drink Hebrides, Outer Hebrides
Hebrides Cruises, Oban
Highland Food & Drink Trail, Inverness
Islay Sea Adventures, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
Kintyre Gin School, Torrisdale, Argyll
The Majestic Line (Scotland) Ltd, Dunoon, Argyll
The Malt Whisky Trail, Moray
Finalists for the Best Start Up award (sponsored by Be Personnel)
Brough Bakes, Orkney
Bute Yard Ltd, Isle of Bute
Crofter’s Kitchen Scourie, Lairg
La Balena, Stornoway
Loch Ness Ice Cream, Inverness
Tiny Fish Ltd, Oban
Finalists for the Best Eatery award (sponsored by Highland News & Media)
Café Cuil, Isle of Skye
IV10 Café Bar & Deli, Fortrose
One One Two Wine Bar & Eatery, Nairn
Puldagon Farm Shop & Restaurant, Puldagon, Wick
The Store Café Ltd, Thurso
XOKO Bakehouse & Cantina, Inverness
Finalists for the Restaurant of the Year award (sponsored by Highland Industrial Supplies)
Delilah’s, Lairg
Flavour, Isle of Harris
No 88 Ltd, Lerwick
Orrin Restaurant, Elgin
The Boatshed Restaurant, Stornoway
The Dipping Lugger, Ullapool
Finalists for the Best Street Food award
Croft & Cuan, Isle of South Uist
Crust, Isle of Lewis
Highland Slice, Aviemore
Lochmaddy Bay Prawns 2GO, North Uist
Finalists for the Young Ambassador of the Year (sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink)
Paige Dennis, Island Larder, Lerwick, Shetland
Caitlin Evans, The Lovat, Loch Ness
Shannon Foubister, Brough Bakes, Orkney
Alex Reid, Flavour, Isle of Harris
Elliot Sabor, Orrin Restaurant, Elgin
Finalists for the Best Drink
North Uist Distillery, Downpour Coast & Croft Gin, North Uist
Highland Liquor Company, Seven Croft’s Fishermen’s Strength Gin, Ullapool
Speyside Distillers, SPEY Trilogia, Kingussie
Islay Spirits Company, Islay Rum Geal, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
Islay Sprits Company, Islay Rum Peat Spiced, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
Islay Spirits Company, Islay Rum Barrel Aged 46% vol, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
Finalists for the Best Food (sponsored by Seafood Scotland)
Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company
Ritchies Aultbea from Mellon Charles (haggis)
Salar Smokehouse from South Uist
Finalists for Innovation award (sponsored by Food & Drink TechHUB)
126 Water for Whisky, Loch Ness
Braw Liquor Club, Isle of Bute
Hawthorne Dairy, Inverness
Loch Ness Ice Cream, Inverness
The Highland Cake Collab, Inverness
Finalists for Best Marketing
Great Glen Charcuterie, Roybridge
The Victorian Market, Inverness
Island Larder, Lerwick. Shetland
Jonathan Farmer from Wester Ross Fisheries, one of this year’s judges, said he had been delighted to see “so much innovation evident in the many high-quality entries in the awards.”
He said: “We are seeing highly individual, authentic eating experiences created from the very best of Scottish produce from our region.
“These influential awards live within that, looking for creativity, sustainability, and quality. They celebrate everything that’s good about Scottish cuisine,” he said.
Fellow judge, Tracy Cameron, head of membership & commercial at Scotland Food & Drink, offered advice to those aspiring to a career of food and drink in the Highlands and Islands.
She added: “Explore all your options, as there are so many roles, from manufacturing to working in hospitality, with a great mix seen across this region.
“I would always recommend that you try everything, get stuck in, and just see what’s out there that you would enjoy.”
Chair of the judging panel, Laura Robertson from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: “Once again we have seen a high number of entries into these awards, which are now in their 19th year.
“Each category is, highlights the committed individuals behind a food and drink brand, a start-up, a restaurant, a street food stall, a distillery, or an experience.
“Our thanks go to everyone who has entered this year, and to our judges for whittling down the entries to represent the very best within the food and drink industry in the Highlands & Islands.
“We look forward to our awards night ceremony which will once again be an opportunity to come together, to network, and to celebrate the fantastic food and drink offerings we have in our region.”
Ms Robertson added: “Nominations for the Ambassador of the Year award, sponsored by Saffery, are still open for public nomination until the end of August.
“This special award recognises the outstanding contribution in the Highlands and Islands food and drink industry, be they male or female, young or old.
“The award celebrates and pays tribute to the hard work, commitment, dedication, passion and innovation demonstrated within the sector.
“If you can think of anybody who fits this category please submit a 500-word entry to hifad@luxevents.co.uk explaining why.”
Tickets for the Awards Night can be purchased through the following link: fs25.formsite.com/hpX3bS/orskaekvzu/index.
Food and Drink businesses throughout the region are invited to follow the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards on social media, to keep up to date with the latest news and announcements. Find them on Instagram (@hifadawards) and Facebook.
For further information, please visit hifoodanddrinkawards.com.