North-west smokehouse scoops prize at Scottish food sustainability award ceremony
A north-west Sutherland smoke house has been named among the winners at the RBST Food & Farming Sustainability awards, yesterday.
Highland Charcuterie, based in Oldshoremore, near Kinlochbervie, scooped the prize for sustainable product of the year in recognition of its Orkney Boreray Salami at a presentation ceremony held by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
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Judges commended the execution of a brave business plan from the Sutherland charcuterie firm for the native breeds at the heart of its offering, and its locally-sourced fantastic end product.
Winners in eight categories were recognised at the Royal Highland Show on Thursday, June 20.
The awards for excellence in sustainable food and farming were presented to winners from across Scotland by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon.
Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) is the national charity that promotes the UK’s rare native livestock and equine breeds.
The RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability awards, an important fixture in the Scottish farming calendar, celebrate the people and businesses throughout Scotland’s farming and food industry who have placed environmental sustainability and native breeds at the heart of their business.
Ms Gougeon said: “I wish to thank the Rare Breeds Survival Trust for their ongoing work to protect and conserve a key part of Scotland’s rural heritage.
“Their ongoing expertise is vital in helping us to provide a future agricultural support system that is both sustainable and regenerative.
“I’d like to congratulate all of today’s winners and nominees for the important work that they continue to do to protect the most historic breeds in Scottish agriculture.”
Martin Beard, RBST Vice President Scotland, said: “The winners of this year’s RBST Scotland Food and Farming Sustainability Awards show just what can be achieved with native breeds at the heart of a sustainable business.
“The creativity, commitment to supporting the environment and entrepreneurial approach displayed by these winners is highly impressive and we are delighted to celebrate their work with these awards.
“We introduced two new award categories this year, reflecting the exciting innovation we are seeing in sustainable farm diversifications and in the development and marketing of sustainable produce.
“Entries for these and all the categories were of exceptionally high quality and we congratulate all those shortlisted as well as the award winners.”
Isabelle and Richard Flannery, co-owners of Highland Charcuterie and Smoke House, said: “As a very small business based in the North West Corner of Scotland we were incredibly proud to win the RBST award "SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2024" for our Boreray Mutton Salami. We were asked by Jane Cooper if we could make a Salami using the Boreray Mutton from the Orkneys, we were happy to oblige to help promote this very rare breed, the resulting Salami was amazing.
“The RBST does an amazing job supporting rare breeds and these awards highlight their work and bring to the fore animals that have been forgotten and could disappear. Native rare breeds matter, they are sturdy, adapted to their local environment, doing well on sparse grazing and coping with most conditions.”
The winners of the eight categories were chosen from the entrants by a judging panel led by RBST Scotland chair Steve McMinn alongside creator of The Scottish Food Guide Wendy Barrie; principal consultant at SAC Consulting Ceri Ritchie; and Rosemary Champion of the Scottish Smallholder Festival.
RBST Champion of the Year was awarded to Lorna Holden (Argyll) who impressed with her enormous dedication to the Eriskay pony breed and “years of hard work, energy and drive” towards a clear goal to improve the outlook for the very rare breed.
Other winners included:
Sustainable farm of the year - Uradale Farm (Scalloway, Shetland)
Sustainable small farm of the year (sponsored by The Scottish Smallholder Festival) – The Lint Mill (South Lanarkshire)
Sustainable farm diversification of the year (sponsored by Burness Paull) – Guardswell Farm (Perthshire)
Sustainable food producer of the year (sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink) – Butchery at Bowhouse (Fife)
Sustainable chef of the year (sponsored by Scottish Food Guide) - Paul Newman, Errichel (Aberfeldy, Perthshire)
Sustainable produce retail outlet of the year (sponsored by SAC Consulting) – Chocflock (Dumfries & Galloway)
