Two Scottish Businesses Take Top Prizes at BOOM Awards

Borough Market Hall in London saw the BOOM (Best of Organic Market) Awards with two Scottish organic businesses taking top honours.

The Soil Association's BOOM Awards celebrate people, producers, restaurants and brands working to produce food organically. Island Bakery and Café St Honoré both won awards, with votes from judges and the public.

Island Bakery won the public vote, taking the Nation's Favourite Organic Product award for their Lemon Melts biscuits. (They are indeed delicious, melt in the mouth biscuits). Island Bakery are based on the Isle of Mull and founded by Dawn and Joe Reade.

Island Bakery says that they do their best to be environmentally sustainable by using both organic ingredients and local sources of renewable heat and power. They say their mission is "to make biscuits that taste brilliant" and it looks like they've succeeded.

Joe Reade said: "We are absolutely delighted for our Lemon Melts to have been voted the Nations Favourite Organic Product. We knew they were something special ever since we concocted them in our kitchen at home on Mull 17 years ago.
Since then, they have steadily acquired a devoted following. We don't have a huge marketing department - we rely on the biscuits selling themselves really - so to win this public vote is wonderful. Thanks to everyone who voted! It's also a great credit to our team of bakers, chocolate dippers, packers and everything-elsers in our little factory in Tobermory."

The Best Organic Eating Out award was won by Café St Honoré, led by chef Neil Forbes. The restaurant serves a changing daily menu of the best Scottish produce in a bistro setting in Edinburgh's New Town and every dish they produce contains an organic element.

Neil Forbes, Café St Honoré, said "We are delighted to have won the Best Organic Eating Out award. To be included amongst so many other great places to eat is testimony, not just to the hard work the team at Cafe St Honoré, but to the small-scale producers, growers and true artisans who work hard to provide us with the finest produce our soils can grow."

Soil Association Scotland Business Development Manager, Alison Muirhead said: "The organic market in Scotland is booming and more and more people are looking for, buying and talking about organic. I think it's particularly special that Scottish businesses are shining in these UK-wide awards."

Congratulations to both, worthy winners!

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