Good Food Guide Top 50 Places for Scots Trio

Sector In Profile: Food and Drink

Good Food Guide Top 50 Places for Scots Trio

Four of Scotland's top restaurants have been ranked among the best in the UK in the latest edition of a prestigious guide to eating out.

Restaurant Martin Wishart, The Kitchin, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and The Creel on Orkney, have all appeared on the Good Food Guide's top 50 list - which will appear in the 2012 version of the book, to be published today.

Three of the Scottish restaurants have moved up by a number of places in this year's guide.

The Leith restaurant run by Wishart, who opened his latest venture - brasserie The Honours - in central Edinburgh in July, rose to 16th place from 17th last year, while Restaurant Andrew Fairlie climbed to 33rd place from 35th last year. The Creel slipped from 37th on last year's list to 45th.

The Kitchin, which received a Michelin star just six months after opening in 2007 and is also sited in Leith, moved up from 41st place last year to 35th in the new edition of the guide.

Martin Wishart said: "It is nice to be moving upwards. It is great news to be in the top 20 and I am delighted for my team and my customers ."

Chef and owner Tom Kitchin said he was delighted to appear on the list for the fifth consecutive year.

"It's great to see three Scottish restaurants in the top 50 of the Good Food Guide this year, all flying the flag for seasonal, local Scottish produce," he said.

He praised the work of his friend Jason Atherton, a regular on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen programme, who shot to the top ten in the list just months after opening his restaurant venture in London.

"I am especially delighted for friend and fellow chef Jason Atherton, who has had a fantastic year so far, with Pollen Street Social opening less than six months ago and featuring in this year's top ten," he added. "We wish him all the best in his new venture."

Malcolm Duck, head of the Edinburgh Restaurateurs Association, praised the Scottish restaurants' ratings.

"The restaurants are fantastic and it is well deserved," he said. "I think Scottish cooking is always progressing - we are constantly trying to raise the bar - and there is no reason why a Scottish restaurant could not make it into the top ten in future.

Some people would say they compare very well already."

"The Good Food Guide 2012 showcases what has been a fascinating year for dining in the UK," said Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor.

Source: The Scotsman.

Read the full story on the Scotsman website