CiS Excellence Awards 2009 
in association with
and 
Hilton Glasgow
The sixth annual CIS Excellence Awards took place on Thursday 28th May at the Hilton Glasgow.
Hosted for a fifth consecutive year by Heather Suttie, and attended by the leading figures in the Scottish catering, hospitality and tourism industry, the ceremony was the culmination of two months of entries and nominations from private business and the public sector, in 11 award categories. Guests dined on a four-course meal prepared by Hilton Glasgow's Executive Chef, James Murphy, which included seafood from Trossachs Country Foods, fruit and veg from The Fresh Food Company, fois gras from Braehead Foods, venison from Highland Game, wines from Inverarity Vaults and cheese from Taste of Arran Ltd.
The results were introduced by Heather at intervals throughout the dinner, and the winners were presented with their trophies by the individual category sponsors. As usual, the very last presentation was the Lifetime Excellence Award, sponsored by Cook School at Braehead Foods. MD Steven Doherty read out a life history of the winner's personality, work ethic, accolades and views from her industry colleagues and peers, and it was only after the first couple of minutes that the guests began to understand who it could be. While the winner was not a surprising choice, she did set a record as the first woman to have scooped the most coveted category of the night. Having realised the scale of her achievements, she herself then gave an emotional acceptance speech and thanked everyone who had made her success a reality. (Turn the page to find out who this enigmatic personality is…)
Entertainment followed from the inimitable Andy Cameron (who walked up on stage to the tune of ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ – spot the joke), and he even had a few pot shots at the outgoing Federation of Chefs President, Joe Queen (it was just a shame we didn't get Joe up onto the stage to the tune of ‘Simply the Best’).
Meanwhile, the charity raffle itself raised over £3,000 for HIT Scotland, The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice and the Scottish Culinary Team. The charity auction, meanwhile, raised £4,000 for the Scottish Spina Bifida Association.
Catering in Scotland magazine and the Federation of Chefs Scotland would like to congratulate the winners on their achievements this year, and to extend sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who supported the CIS Excellence Awards, from the Advisory Board and nominees, to guests, winners and all our generous sponsors.
The Results of the 2009 CIS Excellence Awards
The Healthier Scotland Award
WINNER: Donaldson's Bistro, Edinburgh
The Innovation in Training Award Entrant
WINNER: Apex Hotels Ltd
The Contract Catering Chef of the Year Award
WINNER: Eddie Ward, ARAMARK
The Food-Tourism Award
WINNER: Mhor
The Restaurant Newcomer of the Year Award
WINNER: Cameron Grill Restaurant, Loch Lomond
The Pub-Restaurant Excellence Award
WINNER: Stravaigan, Glasgow
The Award for Excellence in Hospitality Education
WINNER: Norman Robertson, Ayr College
The Hotel of the Year Award
WINNER: Cameron House Hotel, Loch Lomond
The Restaurant of the Year Award
WINNER: Michael Caines at Abode, Glasgow
The Chef of the Year Award
WINNER: Bruce Sangster
The Lifetime Excellence Award
WINNER: Shirley Spear, The Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye
To see further details of the night and to view pictures of the winners, see Catering in Scotland magazine's September/October edition or visit www.cis-excellenceawards.com
