North-east food and drink innovation was celebrated in style at a prestigious awards ceremony and dinner in Aberdeen last night.
The 2014 Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards at the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa were attended by more than 180 people representing the region’s rich and diverse larder.
JG Ross (Bakers) notched up a hat-trick of honours, including one for investment in skills development and another for the best new foodservice product from a business with more than 25 employees.
Graeme Ross, a director at the Inverurie firm, was named Grampian food and drink entrepreneur of the year.
There were double successes for Rosehearty’s Berry Scrumptious and Aberdeen-based Pulsetta Foods.
Berry Scrumptious won the prize for the most successful product to emerge from the 2013 Awards, its gourmet berry fudge, and the accolade for best new retail product – Summerhouse Drinks – from a business with up to 25 employees.
Pulsetta Foods came away with the honour for best new foodservice product from firms with up to 25 employees and also an award for best young business.
A trio of judges spent part of yesterday sampling 33 products from 17 companies who were short-listed for some of the competition categories earlier this month. A total of 25 firms reached the final across all categories.
Judging panel chairman Andrew Kenny, category director for Asda Stores, told the Press and Journal the standard was high and it was hard to pick the winners.
“I feel like one of the dragons on Dragons’ Den,” he said as he joined Ochil Foods’ marketing and sales director Jeremy Dixon and Donald Reid, food and drink editor at The List, for a tasting session to sort the best from the rest.
Mr Kenny said he already had his eye on several products he would like to see on Asda’s shelves, adding: “There are certainly some I want my buying team to pick up and take forward.
“It has been fantastic to see the drive, passion and energy behind some great products in the local area.
“There’s definite potential to support local producers in the future and list the unique and innovative products in Asda stores for our customers to enjoy.”
The annual awards provide an arena for the area’s food and drink producers to have their new products displayed to leading names in the industry.
Previous winners have gone on to enjoy considerable success with products that were new to the market.
As well as Berry Scrumptious, the 2014 successes include Allarburn Farm Shop, named local independent retailer of the year, and “above and beyond” winner Calum Richardson of The Bay Fish and Chips.
Chalmers Bakery was judged to have demonstrated the greatest commitment to healthy eating in 2013, thanks to its Mediterranean pie, while Associated Seafoods’ crab range was named best new retail product from a business with more than 25 employees.
One of the awards – the judges’ choice – went to Moray, with Forres-based Speyside Craft Brewery taking the gong.