Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards

Published on 18/10/2009 13:33

Few years have more tested Scotland's enterprise and talent than the past 12 months. Banks have tumbled, firms have failed, unemployment has risen and household spending has been reined in. Fear and apprehension have marked a year that has shaken our confidence and pride.

If ever there was a period in which the creativity and ambition of the nominees for the Spirit of Scotland awards were sorely needed, this is surely it. For it is in the difficult times that perseverance and success are especially important, and which inspire us to greater endeavour. Given this background, the achievements of this year's selection are particularly outstanding.

Whether it is in Music, Screen, Business, Art, Environment, Writing, Food or Sport, there is a common thread and a single message – the creative response is the best defence we have against adversity. And it is the creative response, in whatever field life has taken us, that will lead us to better times.

Each category bristles with nominations worthy of recognition and reward. What is particularly striking is the range and diversity of the submissions.

In the Art category, for example, nominations range from Richard Wright, who was short-listed for this year's Turner Prize, to Robert and Nicky Wilson for their stunning giant sculpture garden Jupiter Artland – a private collection of contemporary sculpture spread over 80 acres of garden and woodland near Edinburgh. Richard Wright has just been awarded a major grant to make new work on the staircases of the Dean Gallery.

Nominations in the Environment category include Mike Robinson, volunteer chair of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, and poet Kenneth Steven whose written work and BBC broadcasts display an intuitive understanding of the connections between people and their environment.

The Music category will once again provoke fierce debate. Among those making it onto the shortlist are Frightened Rabbit, an up and coming Scottish band with a growing following in America and film music composer Lorne Balfe.

The Writing category includes some of the biggest names on the nation's bookshelves. Nominations embrace Carol Ann Duffy, Britain's first woman poet laureate and Alexander McCall Smith for his new series, Corduroy Mansions among others.

The Screen category brings forward some of the most respected and admired names in the business. The shortlist includes Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins for their various cinematic endeavours this year; as well as Peter Capaldi, for his starring role in In The Loop.

In one of the worst years for the economy in decades, it is only right that the Business award should attract special recognition. This was a time of trial for Scottish entrepreneurs and business leaders who had to contend with the most adverse circumstances. Nominations in this category include mother of four Denice Purdie, who has built up her Scottish Soap Company from a starting capital of just 38. Then there is Sir Sandy Crombie, who has guided Standard Life through demutualisation, stock market ups and downs and the credit crisis. The group, for whom he has worked for 43 years, has been a rock of stability in Scotland where larger financial institutions have stumbled.

The Food category brings forward some well known culinary names such as Paul Kitching, the Michelin-starred chef who bravely opened a new restaurant with partner Kate O'Brien this year and Geoffrey Smeddle, who has made the Peat Inn in Fife one of the country's top eateries.

Arguably, the most star-studded of all this year is the Sport category. Nominations here include David Murdoch, who skipped Scotland to the World Championship curling title and golfer Catriona Matthew, who won the British Women's Open.

In a year of such adversity, who can say we have lacked fortitude, perseverance and sheer talent?

For the twelfth year Scotsman Publications has joined forces with Glenfiddich, the world's most awarded single malt Scotch whisky to give you, our readers, the chance to vote in the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.

SO WHO TO VOTE FOR?

For the twelfth year Scotsman Publications has joined forces with Glenfiddich, the world's most awarded single malt Scotch whisky to give you, our readers, the chance to vote in the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.

This unique awards scheme aims to recognise the individuals who make us proud, inspire our nation and lead the way across Scotland's rich cultural spectrum from the fields of Food, Music, the Environment and Screen to Art, Business, Writing and Sport: people who through their achievements are making every year count.

Receiving a Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award is now one of the country's most sought-after tributes – made all the more important because the winners are selected not by an elite few, but by you, the people of Scotland. Last year readers cast their votes by the thousand for winners including Olympian Chris Hoy, actor James McAvoy and young SuperJam entrepreneur, Fraser Doherty.

In the coming weeks The Scotsman will profile four individuals in each of the following categories: Business, Art, Food, Sport, Music, Screen, Environment and Writing. The nominees have been shortlisted by a consulting panel but it's over to you to decide who should win. In the final week, you can vote for the Top Scot Award, an open category where you can choose the Scot from any walk of life whom you believe has made the greatest impact in furthering Scotland's reputation at home and abroad this year.

The consulting panel for the Awards includes: John McLellan (Scotsman editor), Sally Gordon (Glenfiddich), Peter Irvine (Unique Events), Fiona Bradley (Fruitmarket Gallery), Celia Stevenson (Scottish Screen), Stuart Nisbet (Unique Events), and correspondents from The Scotsman newspaper.

A day is a thought

A year is a philosophy

Making every year count is a great philosophy for making the most of all the possibilities life has to offer us, and at William Grant & Sons Ltd, the makers of Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whisky, it is the foundation that underpins everything that the company does.

Time spent maturing in the cask is what gives each Glenfiddich whisky, from Glenfiddich 12 Year Old right up to the recently released and exceptionally rare Glenfiddich 50 Year Old, its own unique characteristics.

The subtle oak and fresh pear of Glenfiddich 12 Year Old and the enormous complexities of Glenfiddich's older whiskies are all the result of time well spent – and the perfect reward for a life well lived.

Glenfiddich is proud to be an integral part of the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards, recognising those who, through their ambitions and efforts, make every year count.

Business nominees

Richard Dixon

Vets Now

Richard Dixon, a qualified vet, established Dunfermline-based Vets Now in 2001 to provide out of hours emergency veterinary care. He has built up the business to a network of 34 clinics across the UK supporting more than 400 veterinary practices and treating around 100,000 small animals each year. The company opens its first Vets Now hospital in Glasgow at the end of this month with plans for another two hospitals next year. The company's turnover now exceeds 15m.

Robert Graham

Graham's The Family Dairy Group Limited

Robert Graham is the managing director of Graham's, the Bridge of Allan farm business. Now the largest independent milk producer in Scotland, the company celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Graham's employs 300 staff, produces 360,000 pints of milk a day and enjoys a turnover of 40 million. This year, despite the recession, the company branched out into the ice-cream market with the launch of a range of luxury ice-cream products.

Denice Purdie

Purdie's, The Scottish Soap Company

Mother of four Denice Purdie set up her business to enable her to have an income and care for her family following a car accident that left her husband disabled. She made her first batch of soap products in 2005 to sell at a Christmas fair and over the last four years has grown the company dramatically. Purdie's, The Scottish Soap Company, now has a wholesale business, web shop, three retail stores and is set to open two more.

Sir Sandy Crombie

Standard Life

Sir Sandy Crombie has spent 43 years with Standard Life and guided the company through demutualisation and back to prosperity. Whilst the performance of other financial institutions has floundered, his approach has ensured Standard Life's continued stability. Recently made the senior non-executive director at RBS, he is effectively the shareholders' voice on the board. He received a knighthood for services to the insurance industry in Scotland in the 2009 New Year Honours List.

Food nominees

Tom Kitchin

The Kitchin

Tom Kitchin, head chef at The Kitchin restaurant, is one of Scotland's most talented young chefs. He opened The Kitchin on the waterfront in Leith in June 2006, with the aim of showcasing seasonal Scottish produce prepared using the techniques of classic French cookery. The restaurant was recently ranked second in the "UK's Best Restaurants 2009" in Eat Out magazine. He has also just published his first book and is a guest chef on TV programmes, including the BBC's Saturday Kitchen.

Paul Kitching

Restaurant 21212

Michelin-starred chef Paul Kitching and his partner Katie O'Brien's new restaurant with rooms opened in Edinburgh in May this year, the culmination of a long held dream for the couple. Called 21212 after the quirky approach to the menu, diners choose from two starter options, one soup, two main course options, one cheese course and two puddings. Since opening it has won rave reviews from diners and critics, as well as a five star rating from the AA Guide 2009-2010.

Geoffrey Smeddle

The Peat Inn

Geoffrey Smeddle took over the Peat Inn in Fife in 2006 and has cemented its reputation as one of Scotland's top eateries. Smeddle trained under Michelin-star chefs Herbert Berger and Chris Galvin and helped Conran Restaurants open both Etain and the Zinc Bar & Grill in Glasgow, but the Peat Inn is his own venture. Named "The Scottish Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009" by Hotel Review, the Peat Inn is also recommended in the Good Food Guide 2010.

Pete Gottgens

Ardeonaig Hotel

Having opened four restaurants in London over a period of 10 years, South African-born Pete Gottgens fell in love with Scotland and began work at the Ardeonaig Hotel, Loch Tay. A fourth generation hotelier, Pete is committed to complete customer satisfaction and passionate about Scottish produce – around 80 per cent of the food served at Ardeonaig is sourced from within 30 miles of the hotel. Ardeonaig was awarded a Michelin Red Guide Bib Gourmand this year.

This article was first published in The Scotsman on 17 October 2009