Finalists for the 2024 Taste of Orkney Food and Drink Awards have been revealed, with over 30 islands businesses in the running for 12 different accolades.
Awards categories for the event, organised by Orkney Food and Drink and sponsored by NorthLink Ferries and Highland Park, cover everything from the best bar and takeaway meals to the finest bakery, fish, drink, and dairy products. There are also awards for the top café, best meal producer, local food retailer and peedie product.
The shortlist has been drawn up following months of public voting on the Orkney.com website.
Winners, chosen from the public vote, will be announced at a gala awards dinner being held in Kirkwall Grammar School on 5 October. The top business in each category will receive a prestigious Taste of Orkney Food and Drink Awards trophy.
Kerry Leask, project manager for Orkney Food and Drink, said: “Once again, the Orkney public and visitors to our islands have got behind our food and drink awards and voted in droves, with over 20,000 nominations received. Their support means a great deal to all the Orkney food and drink businesses who put so much passion and effort into their products and services. Our local food and drink sector is one of the finest in the country, both in terms of its quality and sheer range of products, and many of our businesses win awards at national level, but it’s nice to have this opportunity to celebrate their efforts locally with accolades based on so much positive customer feedback.”
Kerry added: “We’d like to say a special thanks to our regular event sponsors, Serco NorthLink Ferries and Highland Park, with their generous support vital in helping ensure the awards night is a real highlight of the year for our hard-working food and drink businesses.”
Magnus Dixon, E-Marketing Manager for Serco NorthLink Ferries said: “At NorthLink we love nothing more than to champion local food and drink and we are committed to using home-grown goods wherever possible. The bars, restaurants and shops on our ships heavily feature produce from Orkney, Shetland and Aberdeen - and we hope sampling these onboard will whet our passengers’ appetites to discover more when they land on the island!
“Whilst Orkney is just a peedie place, its rich larder has an excellent reputation with some of the finest food and drink you will find anywhere. There are multiple fantastic producers right across the Orkney Islands and it has been our absolute pleasure to support these awards once again. We can’t wait to sample the winners’ goods ourselves!”
Graham Bruce, Visits and Retail Operations Manager at Highland Park Distillery, said: “At Highland Park we are passionate about our home, and the world class range of food and drink produced in Orkney. The Orkney Food and Drink awards is an opportunity for us to collectively celebrate the passion and craft of the businesses who champion this thriving industry. We are extremely proud to be one of the sponsors.”
Finalists for the 2024 Taste of Orkney Food and Drink Awards
Best a-la-carte MealSponsored by: Sheila Fleet Kirk Gallery & Café The Foveran Restaurant Merkister Hotel Twenty One | Best Bar MealSponsored by: Orkney Crab Helgi's Merkister Hotel Twenty One |
Best Café or TearoomSponsored by: Deerness Distillery Archive Coffee Birsay Bay Tearoom Sheila Fleet Kirk Gallery & Café | Best Takeaway MealSponsored by: Rendall's Bakery Mrs Chips Loki Seafood Shack Orkney Street Food - Beiting & Brew |
Best Local Food RetailerSponsored by: Orkney Gin Company The Brig Larder E Flett Butcher Ltd William Shearer | Best Kids’ MealSponsored by: Stockan's Oatcakes Archive Coffee Birsay Bay Tearoom Wellpark Garden Centre Cafe |
Best Meat ProducerSponsored by: Loki Seafood Shack Donaldsons Of Orkney E Flett Butcher Ltd Williamson Butchers | Best Fish ProducerSponsored by: Highland Park Cooke Aquaculture Scotland Jollys of Orkney Pierowall Fish Ltd |
Best Dairy ProducerSponsored by: The Foveran Restaurant Grimbister Farm Cheese Orkney Cheese Company Ltd The Orkney Dairy | Best Bakery ProducerSponsored by: The Island Smokery Argo's Bakery Rendall's Bakery The Westray Bakehouse |
Best Drink ProducerSponsored by: Kirkness & Gorie Deerness Distillery Ltd The Orkney Distillery Orkney Gin Company | Best Peedie ProducerSponsored by: Eviedale Bakehouse The Orkney Dairy Callum's Cakes Orkney Burnside Cheese |