Young Seafood Chef of the Year
Craig McKenzie (18) from the Milton Restaurant, Banchory, beat five other finalists to claim the title.Craig said:
"I am thrilled to win the competition because I love creating dishes with seafood, which is so versatile."
His winning dishes were crab bisque with megrim and langoustine tortellini, and smoked Scottish hake, soft polenta with bacon, razor clams and a poached duck egg. Craig received a specially commissioned trophy, a bottle of champagne, a week's work experience with seafood chef Roy Brett, and the opportunity to cook a meal for the First Minister and guests at a seafood celebration dinner.
The competition was launched in May as part of a wider package of measures designed to encourage greater consumption of Scottish seafood, with key messages including Healthy Eating, Sustainable Supply, Responsible Fishing and Provenance.Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
"I'd like to congratulate all of the finalists on getting this far and for showing that Scottish seafood can form the basis of so many exciting dishes. I hope the recipes will inspire others to eat more fish - it's healthy, tasty, sustainable and a great way to support our fishermen.
"Special congratulations to Craig McKenzie. He is a worthy winner and I'm sure the First Minister and his guests are in for a real treat when Craig cooks for them. "
