THE BALMORAL NAMED AS FIRST Judy Murray serves up Local Legends for Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight Tennis ace Judy Murray kickstarted this year’s Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight celebrations with an Instagram cook-a-long from Dunblane’s Cromlix Hotel. Now in its 11th year, the Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight took place from Saturday 5 to Sunday 20 September. The annual celebration aims to shine a spotlight on the suppliers, products and people who contribute to Scotland’s £15 billion food and drink industry. This year’s Fortnight focuses on the Local Legends who have kept our stomachs and fridges full throughout the Coronavirus lockdown and beyond, and who continue to make Scotland’s larder the envy of the world. Due to ongoing restrictions related to Coronavirus, many of this year’s Fortnight events took place online, Mother of Wimbledon Champions Andy and Jamie Murray, Judy will hosted an Instagram cook-a-long on Sunday morning from the kitchen of the Cromlix Hotel in Dunblane where Scottish sourced ingredients are a central focus of the menu. Judy’s cook-a-long was the first in a series alongside other interactive content with well-known chefs, restaurants, celebrities and social media influencers. Judy Murray said:, “In Scotland, we’re so lucky to be blessed with such brilliant ingredients and a vibrant industry full of talented and hard-working people. I’m was thrilled to get behind the Scottish Food & 26 • HOTELSCOTLAND
Drink Fortnight campaign to celebrate the people and products that make Scotland’s produce the best in the world. “With the help of the amazing chefs at Cromlix, I made a deliciously decadent Cranachan for my Instagram cook-a-long on Sunday morning..” James Withers, Chief Executive at Scotland Food & Drink, commented, “Scotland’s food and drink industry has been hard-hit during the Coronavirus pandemic. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we, as consumers, support Scottish producers and buy Scottish products.” Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said:, “In recent years, the food and drink sector has been one of our strongest economic success stories, particularly for our rural economy. And throughout the COVID-19 pandemic it has stepped up to ensure we all have access good food, often in very challenging circumstances. In these difficult times, we have also seen remarkable resilience, creativity and innovation from the sector. “As we look to the future, it is vital that we continue to support recovery and growth. Working together with industry, we will launch a joint recovery plan to stimulate demand for Scottish products and support businesses to capitalise on new opportunities.” “This year’s Fortnight is another a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the world-class food and drink produced right here in Scotland and toast the people
HOTEL IN SCOTLAND TO RECEIVE FIVE STAR ACCOLADE IN FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE’S 2021 STAR AWARDS
The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, has been named as the first hotel in Scotland to receive a Five-Star award from the world-renowned Forbes Travel Guide. Forbes Travel Guide, the expert in genuine FiveStar service and only global rating system for luxury hotels, spas and restaurants today revealed some 2021 winners early to provide getaway inspiration as travel picks up post-quarantine. The Balmoral joins the world’s finest hotels, flying the flag for Scotland on the Five-Star award list for the first time. The Balmoral’s General Manager, Richard Cooke, said, “Receiving this amazing accolade is an honour for my team and I. Forbes Travel Guide is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after hospitality awards in the world and an independent measurement of success. Every day we strive to evolve and improve by working together to create memorable experiences for our guests. We have been working towards this goal since Forbes Travel Guide arrived in Scotland and to be the first hotel in the country to be awarded Five Stars is truly humbling.” The Balmoral adds the Forbes Travel Guide FiveStar award to a list of accolades received in the past year including an AA 5 Red Star award; one Michelin star and 4 AA Rosettes for the hotel’s finedining restaurant, Number One, and a Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice award naming the hotel as the Top Hotel in the UK outside of London. “We extend huge congratulations to the entire team at The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, for achieving the first ever Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating in Scotland,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide.
