East Lothian Food & Drink Awards 2011: The Winners

The sixth annual East Lothian Food and Drinks Awards, an integral part of an ongoing initiative led by East Lothian Council to establish the area as the premier county in Scotland for local quality food, drink and hospitality, was held earlier this month.

To highlight the growing importance of the awards, the event - at the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa in North Berwick - was attended by Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, who presented the awards.

The event is part of an ongoing initiative led by East Lothian Council to establish the county as the leader in Scotland for quality food, drink and hospitality.

Awards were made in a number of categories including best meal in a hotel, bistro, pub, restaurant and café; best fine dining experience; best local supplier; local producer; and commendations for customer care.

Richard Lochhead presented the awards at a sell-out event attended by 160 people representing all levels of the local food business in East Lothian, from growers and suppliers to chefs and producers.

He said: "Scotland is a land of food and drink and East Lothian has some of the finest produce to offer.

"I would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners of the sixth Food and Drink Awards which are a recognition of their dedication and hard work."

"The food and drink industry is a real success story. In East Lothian alone, the food manufacturing sector produces a turnover of £103 million and contributes £39 million per year to the Scottish economy.

"Through celebrating success through awards such as this we can further boost the reputation of Scottish food and drink and continue to grow this vital sector."

East Lothian’s economic development spokesman, Cllr Stuart Mackinnon, added: "East Lothian’s local economy is heavily dependent on rural business and tourism.

"The Food and Drinks Awards recognise and highlight the invaluable connections of these industries.

"The county is a favoured destination for day trips, short stay and activity holidays. We are fortunate to have a beautiful natural environment that attracts visitors but their visit is greatly enhanced by the pleasures of top quality food and drink.

"I would like to add my own appreciation and congratulations to all taking part in these awards."

The high-profile event was sponsored by Image Scotland, PJ Design & East Lothian Life, Thistly Cross Cider, Queen Margaret University, EDF Energy, Glenkinchie Distillery and Brodies of Musselburgh.

This year’s winners are:

BEST HOTEL MEAL (Sponsored by PJ Design & East Lothian Life)

Winner - The Linton Hotel, East Linton

Runner-up - Macdonald Marine Hotel, North Berwick

Customer Care

 Macdonald Marine Hotel, North Berwick

BEST BISTRO MEAL (Sponsored by Queen Margaret University)

Winner - The Castle Inn, Dirleton

Runner-up - The Avenue Restaurant at The Victoria Inn, Haddington

Customer Care

The Castle Inn, Dirleton

BEST FINE DINING (Sponsored by Image Scotland)

Winner - La Potiniere, Gullane

Runner-up - Greywalls Hotel & Chez Roux, Muirfield

Customer Care

Greywalls Hotel & Chez Roux, Muirfield

BEST PUB MEAL (Sponsored by Thistly Cross Cider)

Winner - The Old Aberlady Inn, Aberlady

Runner-up - The Prestoungrange Gothenburg, Prestonpans

Runner-up - The Volunteer Arms, Dunbar

Customer Care

 The Prestoungrange Gothenburg, Prestonpans

BEST RESTAURANT MEAL

 Winner - The Creel Restaurant, Dunbar

Runner-up - The Lucky House Cantonese Restaurant, North Berwick

Customer Care

Shish Mahal, Musselburgh

BEST CAFÉ (Sponsored by Brodies of Musselburgh)

Winner - The Food Hamper, Dunbar

Runner-up - The Tea Room, Tranent

BEST LOCAL SUPPLIER (Sponsored by EDF Energy)

Winner - Andersons Quality Butcher, North Berwick and East Linton

BEST LOCAL PRODUCE RETAILER

Winner - Belhaven Smokehouse, Dunbar

More information

Find out more about East Lothian Food & Drink.

Looking to source produce in East Lothian? Use Scotland Food & Drink's Buyers' Guide.