Savoury Product Winner:

Ben Weatherall – Scottish Blackface 5 year old Mutton

Weatherall Food’s Scottish Blackface 5 year old Mutton was a hit with the Savour the Flavours judges who commented, “you can’t beat a good leg of mutton – a rare treat. And the Blackface breed produces a fine flavour.”

Ben Weatherall’s 800 ewes graze on the heather-clad hillsides near Irongray, and his mutton is at the forefront of a national resurgence of interest in the meat. Mutton means any sheep more than a year old and Weatherall’s regular customers include restaurants such as The Ivy in London. Weatherall Foods’ aim is to supply customers with meat at its best according to the season. The Scottish Blackface 5 year old mutton was a recent award winner at the national ‘Taste of Britain’ awards, where it won Best Seasonal Product, and it’s described as ‘the real deal for slow cooking – sensational for curries, hot pots and slow roasted joints.’

After collecting his award from Nick Nairn, Ben Weatherall said:
“We are delighted to be awarded a second gold award for our Blackface Mutton, and feel very honoured to come out on top of all the excellent savoury products on offer in Dumfries and Galloway. Mutton is a taste of the past that has been recently rediscovered. The simplicity of cooking a joint of meat slowly from breakfast till teatime appeals to busy people who want to eat well. The ultimate slow food!"

Sweet Product Winner:

John Mellis – Scottish blossom honeycomb

With 350 hives covering 100 square miles of Dumfries & Galloway, John Mellis is fast becoming known as one of Scotland’s most successful bee farmers, with his honey in great demand for it’s unique flavour. The judges described his Scottish blossom honeycomb simply as ‘delicious’ before crowning it winner of the Sweet Product category.

The distinctive flavour of his honey is down to the countryside the hives are positioned in, with trees, wild flowers and heather providing the nectar the bees need. The award winning blossom honeycomb is produced in spring, and its delightful flavour is the result of hawthorn and sycamore. John Mellis works hard at achieving such distinctive flavours in his honey, actually transporting hives throughout the season to the most interesting flower sources to save the bees making long flights in search of their precious nectar!

John said:
“I’m delighted to win the award and believe it is a recognition of the quality of the wild food produced in Dumfries & Galloway. I’m very pleased that the Savour the Flavours awards ceremony went so well and gathered so much interest and support from the region’s food and drink industry. The success of these awards show how much regional food is appreciated by the people of Dumfries & Galloway and I hope it will become a regular event.”

Innovative Product Winner:

Galloway Farmhouse Cheese – Goats cheese

Designed for products new to the market, the Innovative Product award went to Galloway Farmhouse Cheese’s new Goats Cheese, which was highly praised by all the judges along with its ewe’s milk cousin. “This mature goats cheese is a fine example of a genuine craft product, and should be a taste with wide appeal.”

Galloway Farmhouse Cheese and the farm shop ‘Ewe to You’ are run by Alan and Helen Brown, who have built up a reputation for creating fine ewe’s milk Cairnsmore hard cheese at their farm Millairies near Sorbie. The goats cheese was introduced in 2005 and has become very popular with some of Scotland’s finest hotels, restaurants and delis.

Alan was delighted to win the prestigious award for innovation, saying:
“It was great to get an award for both the cheeses. We couldn’t have done much better than a gold and a highly commended. Goats cheese is growing in popularity year on year and we now buy in milk from two producers to meet demand. We aim to milk around 100 ewes next year so we will be kept busy in the cheese room. With so many quality products being produced in the region it was very satisfying to receive these awards from such high profile chef.”

Retail Category – Joint winners

Ballards Butchers, Castle Douglas

Ballards in Castle Douglas prides itself as a local butcher supplying local produce. Beef and lamb comes from the family farm in Twynholm and is hung for 10-14 days to bring out the unique flavour, while a range of pork, free range poultry, game and venison is sourced from other local producers. As well as the retail arm, Ballards successfully supply many of the region’s top hotels and restaurants, and their salt marsh lamb, as prepared by the Creebridge Hotel, is another Savour the Flavours major award winner.

As well as offering traditional cuts, Ballards produce a wide range of cooked meats, sausage, burgers, haggis, peppered steak and spicy Cumberlands – all prepared by hand. The judges were impressed with the produce on offer, describing it as:
“An awe-inspiring range of locally grown meats from named local farms, and home-made meat products, as well as a range of other local foods.”

Proprietor Jimmy Craig collected the award and said:

“In Dumfries & Galloway we have some of the best meat in the country and what we do is combine traditional butchering with a modern approach to create outstanding food for our customers. We work closely with our suppliers to make sure we pick the best animals at the best time to ensure the highest quality, and our local approach means low food miles, low stress and outstanding flavour."

Loch Arthur Creamery and Farm Shop, Beeswing

Loch Arthur Creamery and Farm Shop is a unique ‘Social Enterprise’ committed to creating meaningful work and making a positive contribution to the local economy. Through the dedication of those who work there, the highest standards of Organic production are upheld in their Demeter Certified Farm and Creamery and in their bakery and craft workshops.

The Farm Shop stocks Loch Arthur cheese, meat, bread and vegetables as well as a wide range of local and organic foods. The judges described it as “a friendly farm shop specialising in organic and local whole foods, home made cheeses and breads, and own-farm meats, and vegetables from their own gardens.”

Barry Graham of Loch Arthur was delighted to have won, saying:
“This award is a wonderful recognition of the effort made by so many people in developing our Farm Shop over the past few years. It also acknowledges our sincere efforts to offer a real alternative for people in Dumfries & Galloway who care about the way they shop for food.”

Restaurants & Cafes

Starter Winner:

Queen Scallops of the Solway

Main Course Winner:

Baldoon Salt Marsh Loin of Lamb with creamed Kale and roulade of braised shin, Creebridge Hotel

Situated close to Wigtown Bay on the banks of the River Cree, The Creebridge House Hotel is a traditional country house hotel which prides itself on the quality of its food served in elegant surroundings. The award winning lamb dish created by chef Craig McWilliam uses local meat, flavoured by marshlands washed by the Solway Firth nearby.

The judges commented that the dish:
“tasted superb - and it is good to see links being made between the grazed salt marsh nature reserve (Wigtown Bay) and the resulting lambs. In France, this would be THE local speciality.”

Hotel owner Stephen Donnan said:
“We are really honoured to have won this award. Both Craig, my wife and I are new to the hotel and are working hard to produce high quality dishes using much local produce. We feel it is important to utilise the outstanding variety of ingredients available on our doorstep. The dish that Craig created uniquely combined the different flavours of the Saltmarsh lamb with fresh local garden grown vegetable accompaniments. We hope to continue our success in the future.”

Desert Winner:

“A celebration of Lowland Heather” (Heather honey mousse, heather-blossom chocolate cake, and heather ice-cream), The Buccleuch Arms, Moffat -

The Buccleuch Arms Hotel took top honours in both the Starter and Desert categories, with the awards presented to chef Lara Smith. The judges were impressed with the Buccleuch’s innovative approach to using local ingredients, and in showcasing Dumfries & Galloway producers.

The Queen Scallops of the Solway, presented as a starter at the Buccleuch, drew wide praise and comments such as “Dumfries and Galloway is lucky to have such fine seafood locally available”, from the judges. While the Celebration of Lowland Heather was described as “light yet rich; unbeatable”.

Both dishes were created by award winning chef Lara Smith who said of the double win "It really is a fantastic feeling, even though it's something I've been working towards it still takes my breath away. There have been some amazing entries and to be judged against those makes it even more special.

”I must admit though, I have a great team behind me and the positive environment I work in keeps me motivated and inspires me to grow and succeed. I am also fortunate that we have great relationships with many of our suppliers who have become an integral part of the team."

Best place to Savour the Flavours of Dumfries & Galloway

Winner: The Buccleuch Arms, Moffat

After scooping two prizes for best dish, it was no surprise that the dedication to local food displayed by the Buccleuch saw it crowned as the best place to Savour the Flavours of the region. The hotel has a clear produce buying policy, with a strong emphasis on quality regional food and drink.

The judges described the Buccleuch as:
“a cheerful, colourful family-friendly hotel, stashed with traditional local specialities, packed with helpful menus and spiked with stylish inventions, and, most importantly, superbly welcomed by cheerful and well informed waiting staff.”

Hotel Owner Dave Smith said:

"This award is as much a recognition of the quality of our suppliers as it is our belief in our policies to process local quality product.

”We knew this was the right way forward right from the start when our staff bought into the philosophy with enthusiasm and passion.

”Our buying policy reflects the need for absolute quality with no compromise and we are so fortunate to have so many producers in Dumfries and Galloway that fulfil that criteria admirably.”

Dumfries and Galloway Food Champion 2006:

Wilma Finlay, Cream O’Galloway

This award was presented to the person who the judges thought had done most to help promote the food of Dumfries & Galloway.

The judging panel said:
“Wilma has spoken up nationally and internationally about food, has brought people together to talk about food and has initiated some great ideas in her own food business.

“She has turned home-grown milk into prize winning ice creams while at the same time showing adults and children how farming produces food, letting them see how food is made, and having a huge amount of fun on the adventure playground, now one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region.”

Wilma Finlay received the prestigious accolade of Food Champion, adding:
"At Cream o' Galloway we have simply been trying to add value to the farm. We turn our milk into ice cream, our beef is served as burgers at our visitor centre and as steaks at our steak nights. We also encourage the use of the land for recreation. But we couldn't have done any of this without being involved with and getting support from the people of Dumfries & Galloway. Over the past 12 years David and I have worked on many local initiatives and will continue to do so as we know that our region's reputation for food can only spread further if we work with others."