THE best restaurants, food, and drink in the Highlands have been named as an annual awards announces its 2024 finalists.

On Tuesday, the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards published its pick of the best food and drink offerings across that region ahead of a ceremony on November 1.

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The judges, including representatives from Scotland Food and Drink, IQ International, Salmon Scotland, Wester Ross Fisheries, and Food and Drink TechHUB, drew up the shortlist to reflect “the enormous talent, quality and choice across food, drink and hospitality businesses in the Highlands and Islands”, organisers said.

Covering categories from Best Food and Drink Tourism Experience, Restaurant of the Year and Best Start Up, to Independent Retailer, Sustainability, and Supply Chain Business, the awards also recognise both an Ambassador of the Year, and a Young Ambassador of the Year.

The full list of finalists for the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards

Restaurant of the Year award (sponsored by Highland Industrial Supplies)

  • Delilah’s, Lairg
  • Flavour, Isle of Harris
  • No 88 Ltd, Lerwick
  • Orrin Restaurant, Elgin
  • The Boatshed Restaurant, Stornoway
  • The Dipping Lugger, Ullapool

Best Eatery award (sponsored by Highland News & Media)

  • Café Cuil, Isle of Skye
  • IV10 Café Bar & Deli, Fortrose
  • One One Two Wine Bar & Eatery, Nairn
  • Puldagon Farm Shop & Restaurant, Puldagon, Wick
  • The Store Café Ltd, Thurso
  • XOKO Bakehouse & Cantina, Inverness

Best Drink

  • North Uist Distillery, Downpour Coast & Croft Gin, North Uist
  • Highland Liquor Company, Seven Croft’s Fishermen’s Strength Gin, Ullapool
  • Speyside Distillers, SPEY Trilogia, Kingussie
  • Islay Spirits Company, Islay Rum Geal, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
  • Islay Sprits Company, Islay Rum Peat Spiced, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
  • Islay Spirits Company, Islay Rum Barrel Aged 46% vol, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay

Best Food: (sponsored by Seafood Scotland)

  • Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company
  • Ritchies Aultbea from Mellon Charles (haggis)
  • Salar Smokehouse from South Uist

Best Street Food award

  • Croft & Cuan, Isle of South Uist
  • Crust, Isle of Lewis
  • Highland Slice, Aviemore
  • Lochmaddy Bay Prawns 2GO, North Uist

Independent Retailer of the Year award

  • Brodie Countryfare, Forres
  • Simpsons Garden Centre, Inverness
  • Sound Butchers Ltd, Lerwick

Primary Producer award (sponsored by Salmon Scotland)

  • Island Larder, Lerwick
  • Miele's Gelateria, Inverness

Sustainability award (sponsored by Wester Ross Fisheries)

  • Islay Rum Company, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
  • Threaplands Ltd, Elgin

Supply Chain Business award

  • Aquascot Ltd, Alness, Ross-shire
  • Pro Fish Wholesaler & Retailer, Aviemore

Best Food & Drink Tourism Experience Award

  • Eat Drink Hebrides, Outer Hebrides
  • Hebrides Cruises, Oban
  • Highland Food & Drink Trail, Inverness
  • Islay Sea Adventures, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
  • Kintyre Gin School, Torrisdale, Argyll
  • The Majestic Line (Scotland) Ltd, Dunoon, Argyll
  • The Malt Whisky Trail, Moray

Best Start Up award (sponsored by Be Personnel)

  • Brough Bakes, Orkney
  • Bute Yard Ltd, Isle of Bute
  • Crofter’s Kitchen Scourie, Lairg
  • La Balena, Stornoway
  • Loch Ness Ice Cream, Inverness
  • Tiny Fish Ltd, Oban

Young Ambassador of the Year (sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink)

  • Paige Dennis, Island Larder, Lerwick, Shetland
  • Caitlin Evans, The Lovat, Loch Ness
  • Shannon Foubister, Brough Bakes, Orkney
  • Alex Reid, Flavour, Isle of Harris
  • Elliot Sabor, Orrin Restaurant, Elgin

Innovation Award (sponsored by Food & Drink TechHUB)

  • 126 Water for Whisky, Loch Ness
  • Braw Liquor Club, Isle of Bute
  • Hawthorne Dairy, Inverness
  • Loch Ness Ice Cream, Inverness
  • The Highland Cake Collab, Inverness

Best Marketing

  • Great Glen Charcuterie, Roybridge
  • The Victorian Market, Inverness
  • Island Larder, Lerwick. Shetland

Laura Robertson from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the chair of the judging panel, said: “Once again we have seen a high number of entries into these awards, which are now in their 19th year.

"Each category highlights the committed individuals behind a food and drink brand, a start-up, a restaurant, a street food stall, a distillery, or an experience.

"Our thanks go to everyone who has entered this year, and to our judges for whittling down the entries to represent the very best within the food and drink industry in the Highlands and Islands.

“We look forward to our Awards Night Ceremony which will once again be an opportunity to come together, to network, and to celebrate the fantastic food and drink offerings we have in our region.”

Robertson added that "nominations for the Ambassador of the Year award, sponsored by Saffery, are still open for public nomination until the end of August", and urged people who might want to nominate someone to do so.

The awards will be held on November 1 at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness. Tickets and more information are available here.