Nineteen Scottish food and drink businesses and individuals have been selected from a record breaking 239 entries and a shortlist of 50 businesses to take the titles at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2015.
The finalists represented a broad spectrum of Scotland’s food and drink: from small companies like Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company and Charlotte Flower Chocolates through to industry giants including foodservice company Entier Ltd and AG Barr Plc. Produce traditionally associated with Scotland like whisky, fish and dairy was recognised alongside new, innovative products like charcuterie and chocolate flavoured with foraged meadowsweet.
Outstanding Contribution
Siblings Jo and James Macsween of Macsween Haggis were jointly awarded a surprise Outstanding Contribution to Food & Drink accolade on the night. The award was presented in recognition of the company’s growth which is primarily driven by their vision and dedication to creating new consumers through innovative product development and social media marketing.
The winners were announced by broadcaster Kaye Adams at a ceremony at Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland on 27 May. Dubbed the Scottish food and drink ‘Oscars’, the ceremony sold out in record time and was bigger than ever before with more than 800 guests attending on the night. Attendees were treated to a drinks reception and delicious dinner, showcasing the very best of Scotland’s larder.
The awards are organised by Scotland Food & Drink in partnership with The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS). The title sponsor is Asda and the awards are supported by Think Local.
Winners of the 2015 Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards
| Category | Name of Business | Name of Product / Representative | Region |
| Soup, Preserves & Accompaniments(Sponsored by Asda) | Isle of Skye Sea Salt Co | 150g Fine Grain | Highlands |
| Bakery & Cereal Based(Sponsored by Asda) | Golspie Mill | Rustic Bites- wholemeal Highland Bites,Rustic Bites- Cranachan | Highlands |
| Dairy(sponsored by Asda) | Katy Rodger’s Artisan Dairy | Knockraich CrowdieKnockraich Crème Fraiche | Stirlingshire |
| Confectionery & Snacking(sponsored by Asda) | Charlotte Flower Chocolates | Wild flavoured single origin chocolate thins | Perthshire |
| Non-Alcoholic Drink(sponsored by Asda) | AG Barr PLC | BARR’s Originals | Lanarkshire |
| Alcoholic Drink (sponsored by Shepherd and Wedderburn) | Ian Macleod Distillers | Glengoyne 25 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky | West Lothian (Stirlingshire) |
| Fish & Seafood(sponsored by The Crown Estate) | The Argyll Smokery | Smoked Fish Pates (Kiln Roasted, Smoked Salmon, Smoked Trout) | Argyll |
| Meat (sponsored by The Grocer) | Peelham Farm Produce | Peelham Charcuterie | Borders |
| Foodservice Product of the Year(sponsored by Sodexo) | Katy Roger’s Artisan Dairy | Knockraich Crowdie & Crème Fraiche | Stirlingshire |
| Commitment to Health(sponsored by Rowett Institute) | Entier Ltd | Aberdeenshire | |
| Brand Success of the Year(sponsored by Palletforce) | Ian Macleod Distillers | West Lothian (Moray) | |
| Export Business of the Year(sponsored by Perth Food and Drink Park) | The Scottish Salmon Company | Edinburgh | |
| Innovation(sponsored Queen Margaret University) | Bruichladdich Distillery & The Agronomy Institute of UHI | Islay | |
| Investing in People(sponsored by Skills Development Scotland) | Dawnfresh Seafoods Ltd | Lanarkshire | |
| Success Through Partnership(sponsored by SAOS) | Highland Game Ltd | Angus | |
| Environmental Sustainability(sponsored by Resource Efficient Scotland) | Dawnfresh Seafoods Ltd | Lanarkshire | |
| Scottish Sourcing (sponsored by Taste Our Best, VisitScotland) | Born in the Borders | Borders | |
| Scottish Food & Drink Entrepreneur(sponsored by Johnston Carmichael) | James Watt | BrewDog | Aberdeenshire |
| Young Talent(sponsored by Scottish Food and Drink Federation – A Future in Food) | Jamie Hutcheon | Cocoa Ooze | Aberdeenshire |
| Product of the Year (sponsored by RHASS) |
Charlotte Flower Chocolates | Meadowsweet flavoured single origin chocolate thins | Perthshire |
| Business of the Year (sponsored by Clydesdale Bank) |
The Scottish Salmon Company | Edinburgh | |
| Outstanding Contribution to Food & Drink (sponsored by Scottish Government) | Jo & James Macsween | Macsween | Edinburgh |
| Food Hero (sponsored by The Herald) |
Iain R. Spink | Original Smokies from Arbroath Ltd | Angus |
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