PRESS RELEASE
The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, haswon the top ‘Sustainable Business Award’ at the Catering in Scotland (CIS)Excellence Awards 2018.
The CIS awards, which took place on 31 May at the Doubletree by Hilton GlasgowCentral, were launched in 2004 to recognise, reward and celebrate theexceptionally high degrees of creativity, innovation and excellence in the Scottishhospitality, catering and tourism sectors.
Having established themselves as the most prestigious accolade for Scottishrestaurants, the awards ceremony welcomed guests including world-renownedchefs, prominent hoteliers and restaurateurs to celebrate the achievements ofScotland’s very best establishments.
The Sustainable Business Award, which was co-sponsored by Green Tourism andSeafood Scotland, celebrates businesses working within the Scottish catering,tourism or hospitality sectors, which have excelled in reducing theirenvironmental impact over the past 12 months.
A team of industry expert judges singled out The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant for the top award based on its company-wide commitment to environmentalawareness, energy-efficiency, waste reduction and sustainable businesspractices.
The independent, family-run cafe and restaurant, was also commended for itsstrong commitment to sourcing Scottish, local, sustainably produced food anddrink, as well as a proactive waste-reduction strategy and training initiativesthat encourage and incentivise employees to consider implementingsustainability options and best practice.
Carina Contini, owner of The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the Scottish NationalGallery, commented: “We’re honoured to have been recognised by Catering inScotland for our passionate commitment to sustainable business practices.“We dedicate a huge amount of our time to sourcing produce direct from thevery best suppliers from across Scotland, with 90 per cent of ingredientscoming from more than 70 trusted Scottish artisan producers, including someof those our grandparents worked with.
“Our Sourcing within our Environmental and Social Policy covers everythingfrom provenance of our produce, to how we manage our waste and energy,how we look after our team and engage with the local community.”
The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant’s green credentials also include a GreenTourism Gold Star accreditation and a VIBES – Scottish EnvironmentBusiness Awards Commendation in 2017.Located within the Scottish National Gallery on the Mound, The Scottish Cafe& Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, high tea, and Sundaybrunch.
Brian Troddyn, Sustainability Officer at National Galleries of Scotland, added:
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Scottish Cafe & Restaurantteam and to see them recognised for their commitment to running a green andsustainable business.“Not only do their environmental policies resonate with our own sustainabilityagenda, but also contributes to promoting the galleries as a visitor attraction that iscommitted to Green Tourism and educing our impact on the environment.”
Carina Contini and her husband, Victor, also own the award-winning ContiniGeorge Street and Cannonball Restaurant & Bar on Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
The full list of CIS Excellence Award winners is available online:
www.cis-excellenceawards.com/cis-excellence-awards-2018-results
