Tough fight for women's award

Ann Ross of the Thainstone House Hotel, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, is the Scottish Female Cook of the Year.

She beat off 15 other finalists in a tense two-hour battle during which competitors had to prepare a "typically Scottish meal for four guests visiting Scotland for the first time".

Her menu consisted of Speyside salmon and crab fishcake; roasted Highland venison with chanterelle and tarragon parfait barley risotto; and Scottish thistle biscuit with Drambuie and raspberry mousse on a red berry sauce.

Ms Ross, 23, finished with just eight minutes to spare. "The hotel is so busy just now that it was difficult to find time to practise," she said.

"But I had great help from everyone at the hotel, including head chef Bill Gibb and colleague Alan Jamieson, who was a superb commis for me in the competition." Mr Jamieson was also runner-up in the Scottish Chef of the Year competition.

Sonya Paget from Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, was second, and third place went to Shirley Smith of the Cameron House Hotel, Loch Lomond.

Youth also triumphed in the Hotel/Restaurant Team Competition, won by 21-year-old chef Jacqueline Stewart and 24-year-old waiter Robert Campbell from the Jarvis Caledonian Hotel in Ayr.

Entrants had to cook and serve a three-course lunch menu to two VIP guests.

Jim Queenan, executive chef at the Caledonian, who encouraged his team to enter and spent time with them practising beforehand, was delighted.

"They were the best team on the day and the quality showed through," he said. "Having spent four years working together they have built up an extremely good rapport."

Second place went to a team from the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, and Rosslea Hall Hotel, Rhu, Dumbartonshire, was third.