Scottish Chef of the Year
Michelin-starred chef Jeff Bland has won the coveted Drambuie Scottish Chef of the Year title at the Scottish Chef Awards.
Glasgow-born Bland, head chef at the Number One restaurant in Edinburgh's Balmoral hotel, was presented with the award, won by Andrew Fairlie last year, at a ceremony at the Glasgow Hilton.
It has been a good year for Bland, who won the second Michelin star of his career in January for Number One. Previously, he had gained the accolade for the Georgian Room restaurant in the Cameron House hotel at Loch Lomond.
Other winners at the Scottish Chef Awards included Tony Singh of Oloroso in Edinburgh, who, after winning the New Restaurant category last year, walked away with the Scotherbs Restaurant Chef of the Year award.
Hotel Chef of the Year went to Robert MacPherson of the Isle of Eriska hotel, while the New Restaurant of the Year prize was shared between Jim Kerr of the Dining Room in Glasgow and Stuart Muir of the Forth Floor at Edinburgh's Harvey Nichols.
Other winners were: David Anderson of Off The Wall restaurant, Edinburgh, for City Chef of the Year; Sukie Barber of Old Pines, Spean Bridge, for Rural Chef of the Year; Maggie Clarence of Café Gandolfi, Glasgow, for the Casual Dining Award; Bill McGuigan of the Bank restaurant, Crieff, for the Wine Dinner Award; Bruce Price of the Apex hotel for the Function Menu Award; Barry Fleming also of the Apex hotel for Young Chef of the Year (under 25); Steve Aikman of the Glasgow Hilton for Young Chef of the Year (under 22); and the first Scottish Chef Awards Fellowship for an "outstanding contribution to Scottish cooking" went to retired Turnberry hotel chef Stewart Cameron.
National Junior Chef Competition
A 12-year-old schoolboy has beaten off the challenge of five teenagers to claim the inaugural National Junior Chef title with a winning menu of duck with kumquats, sanguinello orange and dates served with Thai fragrant rice.
David Clarke from Skegness, representing First College, made it to the six-strong final held at Thanet College on 17 April, after the nationwide competition - sponsored by P&O and open to all students in compulsory education from years seven to 11 - drew 80 entrants. All entrants participated in junior chef programmes at further education colleges around the country,
Chef and restaurateur Gary Rhodes, who judged the final at his old college, said the standard of the finished dishes was "simply inspirational". Competitors were given three hours to produce a two-course meal for three people at a cost of no more than £18.
Clarke walks away with £300 and a signed Gary Rhodes cookbook, while his college receives £250.
The cream of Guernsey
A country bistro in the heart of the Guernsey countryside has beaten off all other restaurants on the island to win a new competition called "The Experience".
The Pavilion was judged the overall victor from a shortlist of four, after judge Antony Worrall Thompson was flown in to choose a final winner before setting off for his stint in the jungle. The competition was open to all restaurants on the island, and establishments were judged on the imagination of their food, the quality of their ingredients, the quality of their service and value for money.
Of the winner, Worrall Thompson said: "I thought the Pavilion was incredible, especially considering the menu was only £12.95." The TV chef and restaurateur was also impressed by the local produce, declaring that: "The sea bass at one of the restaurants was the best I've ever tasted."