Small is beautiful for Thistle judges
A small family-run Perthshire hotel has scooped the Flavour of Scotland Scottish Thistle Award.
Judges agreed that Monachyle Mhor - a 10-bedroom hotel with a 40-seat restaurant overlooking Loch Voil and Loch Doine in the Braes of Balquhidder - answered the category criteria of providing well-cooked Scottish produce in a welcoming and customer-friendly environment, and using quality produce to drive the business forward. Self-taught chef-proprietor Tom Lewis, who runs the hotel with wife Angela, uses vegetables and herbs from the property's own organic garden and sources seasonal produce from local small producers.
Menus change daily and always include game dishes such as oven-roasted breast of guinea fowl on a wild mushroom and roasted pearl barley risotto with broad beans and sage.
Let's Eat, Perth, and Loch Lomond Trading Company both made it to the shortlist for the Flavour of Scotland Award. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the awards, set up to recognise excellence in Scottish tourism.