Fife chef named best in Scotland

Fife head chef Geoffrey Smeddle of the Peat Inn has been named the best chef in Scotland.
St Andrews chef Geoff Smeddle has been named the best in ScotlandSt Andrews chef Geoff Smeddle has been named the best in Scotland
St Andrews chef Geoff Smeddle has been named the best in Scotland

Smeddle scooped the award for Best Chef in Scotland at an prestigious award ceremony in Glasgow hosted by Catering in Scotland (CIS) last night.

The St Andrews based chef saw off competition from fellow Fife chef Billy Boyter who is in charge of operations at the Cellar in Fife. Edinburgh chefs Fred Berkmiller, Brian Grigor and Paul Wedgwood were also shortlisted for the award.

Fife's finest

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Smeddle and his wife Katherine have owned the St Andrews restaurant since 2006 and have delighted diners for as long with their combination of refined and rustic Scottish cuisine.

Inspired by his coastal surrounding, much of Smeddle's menu is dominated by seafood with olive oil poached stone bass, and cured sea bream among the recent dishes which have featured on the mouth-watering menu.

The Peat Inn itself has been welcoming guests for well over 300 years and in fact gave its name to the surrounding village.

Skye venue wins best restaurant

The Peat Inn was unable to pick up the award for best restaurant, however, which went to Skye restauraunt The Three Chimneys.

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Set in an unassuming, but picturesque crofthouse in the northern reaches of the island, the restaurant doubles up as a luxury hotel and sources ingredients from the surrounding land and sea. Head Chef Scott Davies heads a team which have become famed for their ability to squeeze richness out of the island's larder and deliver a unique band of flavours.

Main dishes which typically appear on the restaurant's mouthwatering menu include hazelnut crusted hake and peat smoked haddock ravioli. Desserts include Roast milk chocolate served with whisky and smoked praline, and wild flower and duck egg custard.

Following the award Shirley Spear attributed the triumph to a team effort.

“We are absolutely delighted with The Three Chimneys’ Restaurant of the Year award win at the CIS Excellence Awards. This reflects enormously upon the efforts of the whole team at The Three Chimneys, and I am incredibly proud of their commitment, particularly over the past 12 months when they have won some fantastic achievements in a number of other ways.

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The award is the latest in a long line of accolades for the restaurant which was recently named the Good Food Guide’s UK Restaurant of the Year 2018.

Celebrating creativity, innovation and excellence in Scottish hospitality

The Catering in Scotland (CIS) Excellence Awards 2018 were set up in 2004 with the goal of recognising, rewarding and celebrating the high degrees of creativity, innovation and excellence in Scottish hospitality.

A number of other awards were also dished out last night including; New Restaurant of the Year Award, meanwhile, went to Glasgow restaurant the Spanish Butcher, while the Pub Excellence Award went to Edinburgh institution Nobles Café Bar & Restaurant.