Best for Scottish: Bonnie & Wild wins national award for championing Scotland's food and drink
Champion of Scotland: Edinburgh's Food Hall Bonnie & Wild wins national award for showcasing Scottish food and drink
We are delighted to announce that Bonnie & Wild has been crowned Best for Scottish in the national Scotland Food & Drink Awards.
The popular food hall received the prestigious accolade in the Best for Scottish (independent) Business award category after a panel of the country’s most high-profile and influential industry leaders praised its work championing Scottish food and drink producers and showcasing the best of Scottish hospitality.
All of us at Bonnie & Wild are incredibly proud to receive this important award for our work promoting the best of Scottish food, drink and culture. It’s something we’re all deeply passionate about, and which is at the very heart of our food hall.
I think everyone involved in Bonnie & Wild should be very proud as it’s recognition of the tremendous collective efforts we’ve made as a team to showcase the best of Scotland. The fact we have a queue most days shows that this is something that chimes with locals and visitors alike and is of great importance to our many thousands of guests who’ve come to know us for our great food and drink, beautiful setting and exemplary service.
Receiving this recognition at the national Scotland Food & Drink awards is a fantastic achievement for the business, and I would like to thank everyone at Bonnie & Wild, as well as the judges and event organisers at Scotland Food & Drink.
With the aim of showcasing local talent, Bonnie & Wild’s Food Hall has enabled smaller Scottish food businesses to operate within the city centre’s St James Quarter development. Each of the owner-operated units within the marketplace are themselves local businesses, such as Gary Maclean’s seafood restaurant Creel Caught and UK Burger Award winners El Perro Negro.
Also shortlisted for the Best for Scotland award were Aberdeen fish wholesaler and retailer Amity, Castleton Farm and Fisher & Donaldson bakery in Fife. The awards comprised 14 taste and 7 business categories, which recognised businesses for their outstanding contributions to elevating Scotland's reputation as a land of food and drink.
The Excellence Awards truly highlight the breadth and diversity within Scotland’s food and drink sector, showcasing a thriving industry that continues to evolve at an exciting pace. The quality of this year’s submissions speaks to the resilience and innovation driving our sector forward and we want to offer our heartfelt congratulations to all of this year’s winners and finalists.
The annual awards, which recognise the highest quality produce as well as the leading individuals, suppliers, and companies, come in the wake of the announcement of the Scottish food and drink sector reaching a record high value, contributing £14.8bn to the Scottish economy.
Pictured above (from left to right): Jimmy Lee of Salt & Chilli and Leith Woks, Paul Reynolds of Stack & Still, Dillon Barrie of Rarity, Ivan Stein of Chooks, Nick Watkins of El Perro Negro, and Ryan Barrie, Kate Russell and Colin Campbell of Bonnie & Wild, alongside Kirsty Simpson of award sponsor NFU Mutual and host and chef Simon Rimmer. Credit: Scotland Food & Drink/Stewart Attwood