Venison Wellingtons from Donald Russell are shortlisted as Meat Product of the Year in the 21st Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards. Handmade in their Inverurie butchery, the Venison Wellingtons are a luxury Scottish take on a classic dish. With wild Scottish venison, rich mushroom duxelles, and a crisp puff pastry, the individual-sized meals have been a winner with their customers as well as Food Critics.
Returning after a CV19 enforced hiatus, the 21st Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards will take place during Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight and be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 8 September supported by headline sponsor Asda.
Ken Clow, CEO at Donald Russell, said: “we’re delighted to have this product recognised at such prestigious awards. We know that the secret to great tasting food is great quality ingredients along with some creative flair and our Venison Wellingtons are testament to that. They’re a great example of the top quality food that Scotland has to offer. The calibre of entries across the board is incredible and we’re very proud to be counted among them.”
248 entries were submitted across 14 product categories, and overall, 48 individual items from 36 suppliers have been named as finalists. Buyers from some of the UK’s biggest retailers including Asda, Co-op, and Tesco alongside some of the food and drink industry’s most influential figures, were part of a judging panel that tasted and scored each product.
John Davidson, Deputy Chief Executive and Strategy Director at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “The Excellence Awards play an important role in recognising the innovation and creativity of everyone that is building the reputation of Scotland’s larder. It was fantastic to see such a range of producers and individuals in this year’s entries and a massive congratulations to all those that have been named in the shortlist. We can’t wait to bring everyone together after a challenging couple of years and celebrate in September.”
Ashley Connolly, Local Buying Manager at Asda, said: “Our customers are becoming increasingly conscious of where their food and drink is coming from and so our focus is to source high quality and innovative products that are new and exciting. I was delighted the be involved in the judging of this year’s Excellence Awards and it was wonderful to see such a high calibre of entries across all product categories. A massive congratulations to all of the individuals and businesses that have been shortlisted!”
To find out more about the Excellence Awards or purchase tickets for the event, please visit: https://excellenceawards.foodanddrink.scot/