Even given the resurgent Scottish food scene, and the fact that we're in the middle of the designated Year of Food and Drink, I admit I was nervous about asking Herald readers to nominate the person they thought should be named Scotland's food hero.
Suppose nobody bothered? Would I end up with egg on my face?
Jitters notwithstanding, we launched our search for The Herald Food Hero in January as a brand-new category in this year's Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards. The awards ceremony for this and 19 other categories takes place in Edinburgh at the end of May. The deadline for Herald Food Hero nominations was February 27; we discussed the option of extending that in the event that we didn't get enough. And I held my breath.
Well, readers, you engaged big time, sending an impressive range of submissions from all over the country: Perthshire, Isle of Mull, the Borders, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, West Lothian, Fife, Inverness, Isle of Skye, Dundee, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Arbroath, Ayrshire, Galloway. Enough for us to call off the search by the first deadline.
Your nominations included producers of smoked trout and haddock; organic meat, venison, wild game; rapeseed oil; vegetable bags for delivery; fresh bagged salads; pies; artisan pasta sauces; chilli jams and chutneys; artisan macarons, fresh chocolates, handmade fudges; chefs, restaurateurs, cook school proprietors; food educationalists; community and artisan bakers; wild foragers; independent suppliers; a children's nursery. They represent a geographical spread that suggests the food and drink scene is thriving throughout Scotland, and isn't restricted only to rural or urban areas.
Some of your nominations were short and to the point, with no reasons given. But others were poetic and passionate, demonstrating a real connection: Joyce Brady of the Wee Fudge Company was named because her "constant innovation shows just what we can do in Scotland". The Highland Chocolatier Iain Burnett deserved to be nominated because "even with his heavy workload he still took on the challenge of pairing his chocolates with fruits and essential oils from the walled garden at Castle Gordon"; Carla and Jonny Lamont's Ninth Wave restaurant on Mull was a "food heaven" due to his "amusing banter and expert tuition on tackling lobster for the first time in public" and her "unique blend of ingredients". Mark Tamburrini, chef on the Belmond Royal Scotsman train, is "truly passionate about what he does and gets my vote 1,000 percent".
It was good to see the unsung heroes, such as chefs Tony Borthwick, "a supporter of small independent suppliers before it became fashionable"; Tommy Miah, "one of the first to update the curry house from the old flock wallpaper image"; David Maguire, hospital food campaigner; and Bruce Bennett of Pillars of Hercules organic farm who "just does the work and is very humble about it". Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods was "an amazing resource on foraging and wild foods, a tireless campaigner and communicator". Iain Spink of Arbroath Smokie fame even inspired a poem entitled To a Smokie.
Small wonder, then, that settling on our shortlist of five took so long. We will announce it soon. Watch this space.
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