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Taste Test For Top Products

Short List For Scottish Food And Drink Excellence Awards

More than 30 top Scottish products have been put to the test to win one of the food industry’s highest accolades – a 2007 Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Award.

The awards, now in their sixth year and organised jointly and co-sponsored by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society and Scottish Food and Drink in association with Scottish Enterprise, are regarded as the “Oscars” of the industry, enhancing a firm or product’s reputation and offering extensive marketing and promotion opportunities.

This year’s awards will be announced at a presentation dinner in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum on May 10, one of the main dates on the Scottish food and drink calendar.

Short listed products in the retail, food service and healthy eating categories from over 100 entries were assessed this week (April 3) by a panel of industry experts at the Tesco’s Product Assessment Centre in Perth.

Judges were Maggie McGinlay, Director, Food & Drink, Scottish Enterprise; Fiona Angus, Business Manager – Nutrition, Sensory & Consumer Science at Leatherhead Food International; Fiona McLelland, Deputy News Editor, The Grocer; Gillian Kynoch, Scottish Food & Health Co-ordinator; Wendy Barrie, Director, Scottish Food Guide; Anne Crawford, Group Food Service Manager, Aramarc and Sarah Mackie, Senior Buying Manager, Tesco Scotland.

The new environmental award and awards for brand development, direct marketing and international business of the year are currently being considered.

RHASS Awards Co-ordinator David Dunsmuir said: “Supreme quality is the name of the game in the Scottish food and drink industry and this year’s awards will reflect that standard across a wide range of products. Many innovative ideas have come forward and it is encouraging that many firms new to the awards have entered this year – evidence that winning is a real and valuable achievement.”

In addition to the RHASS and Scottish Food and Drink, the awards are also sponsored by The Grocer magazine, Scottish Development International and Healthy Living.

A list of short-listed products is attached.

5 April 2007
Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards 2007
Short-Listed Products

Retail - Soup, Preserve, Pickle and Sauce
Scottish Preserves, Blairgowrie – Range of Scottish Preserves
Gillies Fine Foods, Dingwall – Chilliheads – Chilli Jam
Henshelwoods Fine Foods, Rothesay -  Range of Pickles

Retail - Fish and Seafood
Johnson Seafarms, Shetland – No Catch – Just Cod
Isle of Shuna Shellfish, Shetland - Oak Smoked Mussels
Castle MacLellan Foods, Kirkcudbright – Luxury Mini Terrine Slices
Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group - Live Fresh Mussels

Retail - Meat  -  Red, White and Game
Malcolm Allan, Falkirk - Braveheart Steak Pie
Ramsay of Carluke - Range of Flavoured Pork Sausages
Hardiesmill, Gordon - Aberdeen Angus Bridie
Simon Howie Butchers, Dunning - Just for Kids Range of Children’s Food

Retail - Fruit or Vegetable (including vegetarian)
Albert Bartlett & Sons, Airdrie - Rooster Potatoes
Scott The Butcher, Huntly - Vegetarian Haggis
Castle MacLellan Foods - Organic Red Pepper and Chickpea Pate

Retail - Dairy, Confectionery and Snacking
Graham’s Dairies, Bridge of Allan – Organic Range of Milk, Cream and Butter
Connage Highland Dairy, Ardersier - Organic Milk Handmade Cheeses
The Natural Fruit and Vegetable Company – Ella’s Kitchen Smoothie Fruits
Mackie’s of Scotland - Iced Fruit Smoothies

Retail - Bakery and Cereal based
Dean’s of Huntly - Shortbread Assortment
Simmers of Edinburgh – Nairns Range of Flavoured Oat Biscuits

Retail - Drink – Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic
Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin – Benromach Organic Speyside Single Malt Whisky
The Natural Fruit and Vegetable Company - The Amazing Pomegranate
Baliol, Dalbeattie - Cream Cutie
Traditional Scottish Ales, Throsk – Organic Hand Brewed Traditional Ales

Food Service Product – Savoury
Trawlpac Seafoods, Aberdeen - Salmon and Monkfish Kebabs
Johnson Sea Farms - No Catch – Just Cod

Food Service Product – Sweet
Angus Soft Fruits, Arboath - AVA Strawberries
Dean’s of Huntly - Petit Deux Shortbread
Espresso Warehouse, Glasgow - Wooden Spoon Kitchen Classics Biscuit Range
Berry Scrumptious, near Fraserburgh - Hand Dipped Chocolate Strawberries

Healthy Eating – New Product
Kingdom Dairy Company, Cowdenbeath - SKYR Low Fat Dessert
Scottish Sea Farms, Stirling - Lochmuir Scottish Salmon
Simmers of Edinburgh  - Nairns Oat Bakes

Healthy Eating – Marketing Promotion
Paterson Arran, Livingston - Oatcakes
Albert Bartlett & Sons - Rooster Potatoes

International Business of the Year
Gourmet’s Choice, Portsoy – Fresh and Smoked Salmon Range
Gordon & MacPhail -  Benromach Organic Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Hjaltland Seafarms, Lerwick – Atlantic Farmed Salmon
Espresso Warehouse – Wooden Spoon Kitchen Classics Biscuit Range

Direct Marketing Development
Berry Scrumptious – Hand Dipped Chocolate Strawberries
Taste of Arran, Brodick – Range of Speciality Food and Drink

Brand Development
Simon Howie Butchers – Christmas Range of Chipoltas
Johnson Seafarms – No Catch – Just Cod
Albert Bartlett & Sons – Rooster Potatoes
Lactalis McClelland, Glasgow – Seriously Brand
Graham’s Daires -  Grahams The Family Dairy

Environmental Award
To be judged from all short listed products