Edinburgh’s hospitality scene is Fizz-ing!

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The corks hardly seemed to stop popping when Edinburgh’s newest Champagne and cocktails bar opened its doors with two packed VIP receptions. And of course Hotel PR were there! Here are Scott & Julia sampling the wares and Julia joining owner Kay Harrison-Mann and other special guests for a photocall at the entrance. Fizz (@fizzedinburgh) in Charlotte Lane in the capital’s West End is the creation of Kay, former Regional General Manager of Macdonald Hotels. Guests were entertained by a DJ and served Champagne, the bar’s signature cocktail, beers, wine, canapés and hot dishes. Kay said: “The launch parties were magnificent and the atmosphere was buzzing. That’s the way we plan to go on – adding lots more sparkle to Edinburgh’s hospitality scene.” Fizz also serves afternoon teas and Tapas sharing plates.

CATERING SCOTLAND (CIS) EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2019 – FULL RESULTS

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Employee of the Year Award sponsored by Fresh Food Company Stephen King, Uisge Bar and Restaurant, Murthly, Perthshire Runners-up: Rory MacAleece, Ibis Styles Glasgow and Glasgow West (Maven Capital Partners) Terry McBeth, Doubletree by Hilton, Glasgow The Sustainable Business Award sponsored by Green Tourism and Keenan Recycling BaxterStorey in partnership with City of Glasgow College Fairmont St Andrews Runner-up: BaxterStorey Scotland in conjunction with Royal Bank of Scotland The Healthier Scotland Award sponsored by the healthylivingaward in association with NHS Health Scotland The Usual Place, Dumfries Runners-up: Aramark – Scotland Team BaxterStorey at City of Glasgow College The Training and Employee Retention Award sponsored by caterer.com City of Glasgow College and Caledonian MacBrayne Runners-up: Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill, Edinburgh Sonas Hospitality, Isle of Skye The Pub Excellence Award sponsored by KraftHeinz Foodservice Lord of the Isles, Craobh Haven, Argyll Runners-up: The Crinan Hotel by Lochgilphead The Crown and Kitchen, East Linton, East Lothian The Horseshoe Inn, Eddleston The Banqueting and Events Chef Award sponsored by ASA Recruitment and Tilda Alan Boslem, Big Bite Catering, Airdrie Runners-up: Scott Brodowski, Hickory, Edinburgh James Burton, Ginger Snap & Food Design, Edinburgh The Restaurant Newcomer Award sponsored by Kafoodle and Sodexo Edinbane Lodge, Isle of Skye Runners-up: The Little Chartroom, Edinburgh The Lookout by Gardener’s Cottage, Edinburgh North Harbour Bistro, Isle of Harris The Food Tourism Award sponsored by Seafood Scotland Cannonball Restaurant and Bar, Edinburgh Runners-up: Aberdeen International Airport Rufflets Hotel, St Andrews The Hospitality Educator of the Year Award sponsored by…

First Andrew Fairlie memorial award won by Prince Charles’ country house

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The first award for hospitality excellence created in honour of legendary Scottish chef Andrew Fairlie has been won by Dumfries House, the 18th-Century Ayrshire country mansion and estate rescued and redeveloped by Prince Charles. Fairlie (pictured), who died in January after a long battle with a brain tumour, was Scotland’s only double Michelin Star holder for his eponymous hotel at the five-star Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. The Catering Scotland Excellence (CIS) Awards, the country’s most prestigious annual competition for the hospitality industry, set up the award in his memory this year. It was presented by Andrew Fairlie’s widow Kate at a dinner attended by 500 guests in Glasgow last night (Thursday). Chair of the Advisory Board, Andrea Nicholas, said: “Andrew was unequivocal about using the word ‘excellence’ in the CIS Awards’ name and only accepting and judging entries which lived up to the term. Dumfries House encapsulates all that. It has become a symbol of excellence in hospitality, hosting hundreds of events, as well as in education, training and restoration, and inspiring a new generation to enjoy hospitality and the outdoors.” Prince Charles led a consortium of organisations and individuals which bought Dumfries House, set in 2,000 acres near Cumnock, together with its unrivalled collection of Chippendale furniture, for £45m back in 2007. Fairlie, the inaugural winner of the Roux Scholarship in 1983 and described by this year’s judges as a visionary genius, was himself presented with the CIS Awards’ Lifetime Excellence Award in 2017 (pictured). This year, the same…

Scotland’s Gold Hospitality Awards Go Green

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   The Catering Scotland Excellence (CIS) Awards – the country’s most prestigious annual competition for the catering, hospitality and tourism sectors – has appointed Andrea Nicholas (pictured), co-founder and Managing Director of Green Tourism, as the new Chair of its Advisory Board. Perth-based Green Tourism has more than 2,500 members across the UK, Canada and Africa. A sustainable tourism certification expert with more than two decades’ experience in the industry, Andrea has been a judge of the CIS Awards for two years and has also served on the judging panels of the UK Cateys and VisitLondon Awards. She has developed environmental management systems for the New Zealand Tourist Board and Swedish Government. The CIS Excellence Awards are widely accepted as the ultimate accolade for Scotland’s chefs, hotels, restaurants, gastro pubs and educational institutions. Andrea commented: ‘This year we have updated and revised the criteria to make the application process simpler and more transparent, and I’m looking forward to working with the board to recognise and celebrate the leading companies and individuals working within the Scottish hospitality sector’. Several women have been added to the judging panel to lend their skills to the judging process while helping to promote a more representative gender mix. Anne Lee from NHS Health Scotland’s Health and Work Award Programmes, foodservice consultant Sandra Reid and the editor of Foodies magazine, Sue Hitchen, have all joined the board in 2019. Other judges include: Stephen Carter OBE, General Manager of the Old Course Hotel at St Andrews; James…