From Geordie bricklayer to premier chef in Scotland

Paul Kitching, who won a Michelin star eight months after opening his restaurant, 21212, in Edinburgh two years ago, was voted Scotland's leading chef at the 2011 Catering in Scotland Excellence Awards last night.

Kitching, 50, who has been described as "crazily brilliant", beat off competition from runners-up Brian Maule of Chardon d'Or, Glasgow, Kevin MacGillivray from the Barcelo Troon Marine Hotel and Ian McAndrew of Blackaddie House Hotel, Sanquhar.

The judges said Kitching "has a proven track record of cooking at an extremely high level", as well as running a successful business.

"His cooking has always been applauded even though his style provokes 'Marmite' debates - you either like it or you don't."

Menus at the "restaurant with rooms" in Royal Terrace, Edin-burgh, which Kitching runs with his partner Kate O'Brien, are based on traditional French cooking.

But diners have also been attracted by Kitching's humorous touches such as pat on a toothbrush, fillet steak with custard tart, and trout and toasted teacakes.

Despite being the star of the glittering awards ceremony at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel, Kitching, from Gateshead, came up the hard way and stumbled into catering to pay the bills after being kicked off a building site in Tyneside.

After working as an apprentice baker and then pot washer, he rose through the ranks and ran a Michelin-starred restaurant in Cheshire for 12 years before coming to Edinburgh.

Graeme Stephen, retail, catering and business expert at the Aberdeen Business School at Robert Gordon University, said: "For Kitching to get this accolade on top of his Michelin star gives him a very strong cachet in Scotland, where there are not many top restaurants compared with a major city like London.

"But he has not just won an award, he is also fulfilling the expectations of the public who now expect the flamboyant touches and entertainment value they see on television deployed by chefs such as Heston Blumenthal.

"The judges will obviously have looked at the quality of the food, but I think they will also have looked for someone displaying the enthusiasm, whimsical and off-the-wall attitude which many customers enjoy."

However, Kitching's restaurant missed out on the Restaurant of the Year award, beaten by Glenapp Castle, in Ballantrae, South Ayrshire. Other contenders were 63 Tay Street, Perth and Vallee Blanche, Glasgow.The Restaurant Newcomer award went to Edinburgh's Castle Terrace, which beat Martin Wishart at Cameron House on Loch Lomond and Ondine, Edinburgh.

The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews won the Group Hotel award, the Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha on Loch Lomond was Pub Restaurant of the Year, and the Ethical Shellfish Company on Mull was top of the Sustainable Business category.

Perthshire company Wilde Thyme won the Event Caterer of the Year Award, the Contract Catering Chef of the Year award went to Neil Ross at Aramark, and Flow Hospitality won the Innovation in Training award.

The Excellence in Hospitality Education went to David Auchie at South Lanarkshire College, and the Healthier Scotland Award went to the mental health charity Flourish House in Glasgow.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded posthumously to Ronnie Clydesdale, who founded The Ubiquitous Chip in Glasgow 40 years ago. He died last year.