This year’s Eating Out competition has been launched with people invited to vote for their favourite Borders establishment.
Convener of Scottish Borders Council, Alasdair Hutton, and Chris Winson, proprietor of the Wheatsheaf at Swinton – last year's overall winner – encouraged another enthusiastic response from visitors and local residents.
Alasdair Hutton said: "This competition raises public awareness of our superb choice of eating establishments in the Borders and rewards those who are making a special effort to serve and promote locally produced food. A favourite new category of mine also gives everyone the chance to remember where they enjoy really good service with the introduction of the Best Customer Service Award."
Chris Winson of the Wheatsheaf said: Every voter gets a chance to win a superb meal out for themselves and friends in a free prize draw so it’s really worth adding your vote. We've found the extra publicity gained by winning the competition has stimulated our business."
This year, in a move to involve customers more with the competition, the voters get the chance to become a restaurant reviewer along the lines of Egon Ronay or Gillian Glover. Anyone who includes a short critique on the nomination paper could see their piece in print in the local press over the coming months.
Other new award categories include Best Newcomer, Best Breakfast, Best Tearoom/Coffee Shop/Take Away and Best Junior Chef Award. Voters can also nominate the Best Formal Meal, Best Informal Lunch, Best Local Produce Champion, and the Best Informal Meal.
Nomination forms can be picked up at Tourist Information Centres or Scottish Borders Council Local Offices. Alternatively, they can be downloaded from www.scotborders.gov.uk or you can vote online at www.visitscottishborders.com
The competition runs from June to mid September. Awards are announced in early November. Sponsors of the competition include Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Enterprise Borders, NHS Borders Health Promotion Dept, Eatscotland, the Southern Reporter, VisitScotland, National Union of Farmers Scotland and Borders College.
For more details, contact Marion Oates, Scottish Borders Council, MOates@scotborders.gov.uk.
