Winners Announced At Highlands And Islands Food & Drink Awards 2023 - Dunnet Bay Distillers Visitor Experience

4th November 2023

Highlands and Islands. With a total of 15 award categories recognising a range of diverse businesses from best products to food and drink experiences and outstanding retailers, the winners represent the cream of the crop.

From a stand out restaurant in Nairn and a distillery on North Uist; to a food centre in Lochcarron and a cheesemaker on Mull, the list of winners demonstrates the quality of food across the region. Winners include organisations as large as Shetland Island Council and as small as Inverness street food operator, Tagliotello

Chair of the judging panel, Elaine Jamieson, Head of Food and Drink and Life Sciences at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said:

"Congratulations to all the winners and finalists. These businesses truly represent the very best of Scotland's larder from the Highlands and Islands.

"This year we've had more entries than ever before, giving our judges a difficult job. The level of innovation, expertise and quality of our entries never ceases to amaze me and I feel incredibly grateful that the Highlands and Islands Food & Drink Awards gives us the opportunity to celebrate the amazing work that is being done within the sector."

Husband and wife and owners of Good Highland Food, Yvonne and Mike Crook, took home the prize for Ambassador of the Year. They added,

“We are incredibly grateful to have been named Ambassadors of the Year at the Highlands and Islands Food & Drink Awards and offer our congratulations to all of our fellow winners. We’ve worked in this industry for 20 years so we know first hand how passionate, innovative and resilient our colleagues are. We look forward to having the opportunity to promote our region and hopefully help to inspire the next generation of chefs, producers and restaurateurs."

2023 Winners
BEST DRINK sponsored by SPEY
North Uist Distillery - Downpour Scottish Dry Gin

BEST EATERY AWARD sponsored by HIGHLAND NEWS & MEDIA
No 88 Ltd

BEST FOOD & DRINK TOURISM EXPERIENCE sponsored by CALEDONIAN SLEEPER
Dunnet Bay Distillers Visitor Experience

BEST FOOD – RETAIL sponsored by SEAFOOD SCOTLAND
Island Bakery – Isle of Mull Cheese Biscuits Range

BEST STREET FOOD AWARD sponsored by Food and Drink TechHUB
Tagliotello

INDEPENDENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by AQUASCOT
Lochcarron Food Centre

BEST START UP sponsored by BE PERSONNEL
The Islay Spirits Company

PRIMARY PRODUCER AWARD sponsored by SALMON SCOTLAND
Bakkafrost Scotland – Native Hebridean

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR sponsored by WILLIAMSON FOODSERVICE
Sun Dancer Nairn

SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESS AWAD
Williamson Foodservice

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD sponsored by SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK
Windswept Brewing Co

YOUNG AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by BROOK STREET
Ciara Bow, Gledfield Distillery & Finlay MacDonald, Chocolates of Glenshiel

AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by Saffery
Mike & Yvonne Crook, Good Highland Food