Caledonian MacBrayne has become the first ferry company to take Visit Scotland’s culinary seal of approval.
Seven of the ferry operator’s Mariners restaurants have received their Taste Our Best accreditation, which ensures customers eat quality ingredients of Scottish provenance and the freshest seasonal produce.
The ships which have achieved the award include the Isle of Lewis, Hebrides, Caledonian Isles, Finlaggan, Hebridean Isles, Isle of Arran and Lord of the Isles.
Another two are in the process of being assessed and, once in service, the MV Loch Seaforth will also be appraised by the judges.
The ship’s restaurants were assessed separately and all are individually certified, with each undergoing rigorous testing to ensure the high standards were met.
CalMac uses 67 suppliers across its restaurants, coffee shops, bars and on-board shops. Of those, 62 are from Scotland and 44 of those are on the islands – whether it be local papers, tablet, real ale, chocolate or books.
More than 50% of the Mariners menu is Scottish, offering the likes of Barra-landed Haddock, smoked salmon from Argyll Smokery in Dunoon, along with burgers sourced from meat from around Argyll including the famous CalMac’n’Cheese.
Lighter bites include cakes from Cobbs Bakery, Loch Ness and freshly made sandwiches from local suppliers, as well as locally produced ales, lager and whiskies.
Other restaurants with the Visit Scotland accreditation include The Three Chimneys in Skye, Martin Wishart at both Edinburgh and Loch Lomond, and The Ubiquitous Chip in Glasgow.
Kurt Hart, CalMac’s retail operations manager, said: “We have worked hard to put together a menu which not only satisfies our hungry customers, but which is value for money and promotes good Scottish produce.
“Many of our suppliers are from the islands we serve – items like Stornoway black pudding, Arran ice cream and Barra-landed haddock – putting us, once more, at the heart of these rural communities. We are glad to both support these local businesses, as well as promote their goods to our customers.”
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland said: “It’s great to see Calmac going that extra mile to provide good quality food using exceptional Scottish produce, and we are delighted to be awarding the Taste Our Best accreditation to so many restaurants on board the ferries.”