The 2024 RBST Scotland Sustainable Food & Farming Awards are opened for entries today by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) in Scotland.

Entries are now open for the awards programme, now in its third year of celebrating people and businesses throughout Scotland’s farming and food industry who have placed environmental sustainability at the heart of what they do. RBST is the national charity working to promote and conserve the UK’s rare native livestock and equine breeds.

This year’s RBST Scotland Sustainable Food & Farming Awards include two new categories which reflect the growing importance of diversification and marketing in food and farming: Sustainable Farm Diversification of the Year and Sustainable Product of the Year. The winners of all eight categories will receive their awards at a ceremony during the Royal Highland Show on 20 June 2024. 

In 2023 the awards were presented at the Highland Show by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon MSP. Winners of the RBST Food and Farming Sustainability Awards in 2023 included Hardiesmill, West Mosside Organic Farm, Macbeth Butchers, Macduff 1890, Thyme Delicatessen and Farm Shop at Errichel, and John Bennett. For the full list of winners in 2023 visit https://rbstscotland.org/the-winners-announced.

RBST Vice President Scotland Martin Beard, who farms with native breeds in Angus, said: “We are delighted to open for entries the RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards 2024, which celebrate the innovative food and farming businesses throughout Scotland showing great leadership in sustainability. These awards have fast become an important fixture in the Scottish farming calendar and we are pleased to announce two new award categories this year, reflecting the exciting innovation we are seeing in sustainable farm diversifications and in the development and marketing of sustainable produce.” 

The eight categories for the RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards 2024 are:

• Sustainable Farm of the Year
• Sustainable Small Farm of the Year (sponsored by The Scottish Smallholder Festival)
• Sustainable Food Producer of the Year (sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink)
• Sustainable Chef of the Year (sponsored by Scottish Food Guide)
• Sustainable Produce Retail Outlet of the Year (sponsored by SAC Consulting)
• RBST Champion of the Year (sponsored by RBST) 
• Sustainable Farm Diversification of the Year *NEW for 2024*
• Sustainable Product of the Year *NEW for 2024*

 

Entries are free and paperless, the online entry form can be downloaded at https://rbstscotland.org/food-farming-sustainability-awards-2023 and must be submitted to [email protected] by 12 May 2024. Nominations can either be submitted by third parties or by the nominees themselves. 

The winners will be chosen from the entrants by a judging panel led by RBST Scotland Chair Steve McMinn alongside creator of The Scottish Food Guide Wendy Barrie; Head of Food & Enterprise at SAC Consulting Ceri Ritchie; Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food and Drink; and Rosemary Champion of the Scottish Smallholder Festival. 

To find out more and complete the online entry form, visit https://rbstscotland.org/

Photo : Lorna's herd overlooking Loch Fyne