Judges announced for 2025 Scran Awards - including restaurateur and chef patron

The judging panel has been revealed for this year’s The Scotsman’s Scran Awards.

The judges are Rosalind Erskine, food and drink editor at The Scotsman; Rosemary Gallagher, head of commercial content at The Scotsman; Dean Banks, restaurateur and chef patron; and Julia Bryce, food and drink journalist and content creator.

The Scotsman Scran awards, which will be held in June, are open now for nominations.

There are 16 categories in total, which have been created to recognise Scotland’s flourishing dining, drink and hospitality sector. The Scotsman wants to hear about the individuals, establishments and products that make the Scottish food and drink sector what it is.

The selection process for the awards involves an impartial panel of industry experts who generously volunteer their time to evaluate submissions. These individuals are chosen for their expertise and experience.

john devlin

As the food and drink editor of The Scotsman, I am excited to see our Scran Awards return to, once again, showcase and celebrate our wonderful food and drink producers, business owners and talented professionals who keep this sector thriving. It is always a hard job deciding on the winners, as the calibre of entries is so high, and we are lucky to have so many talented businesses here in Scotland. I’m looking forward to seeing who is nominated this year.

Ms Bryce, freelance Scottish food and drink journalist and content creator, joins the judging panel for this year's awards. She is no stranger to the event, having won Scottish Food and Drink Influencer of the Year at the ceremony last year.

john devlin

"It is great to see The Scotsman Scran Awards make their return with a host of new categories for 2025,” she said. “Scotland's food and drink scene is forever evolving and the awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight those leading the way in Scottish hospitality, and recognise those brave enough to take risks and offer something that is a little bit different.

"Ensuring the talent who pour their hearts and souls into these venues, dishes and businesses are recognised is really important, so it is brilliant to see new categories, including Employee of the Year, be added.

"Scotland is home to some of the best produce in the world. Our larder is sought after globally and in demand, so it is great to see our country's food and drink manufacturers also included in the awards. I'm looking forward to getting involved in the judging process. I know we'll be having some hard conversations over the next few weeks with the calibre of entries coming in."

The 2025 Scran awards are accepting nominations from anyone for their favourite local restaurant, fine dining experience, whisky, newcomer, and hotel and cocktail bar. The awards celebrate and recognise the hard-working individuals and organisations involved in the hospitality industry and how they shape Scotland’s food and drink scene.

All finalists will be invited to attend a special awards ceremony on Monday, June 23 at Oran Mor in Glasgow’s west end. Guests will enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, meal and, of course, the awards themselves. It will be a must-attend event for those working within the Scottish food and drink sector.

To find out more about the award, nominate and buy tickets, please visit the Scran Awards website.