Scotland’s leaders in sustainable food and farming can now enter to win a prestigious Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Award, as the awards programme returns following its successful launch last year.

The 10 awards categories of the RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards 2023 are now open for entries and nominations, to celebrate people and businesses throughout Scotland’s farming and food industry who have placed environmental sustainability at the heart of what they do. Entries will close on 19^th May 2023. RBST is the national charity working to support the survival of the UK’s rare native livestock and equine breeds, and RBST Scotland represents and supports RBST members throughout Scotland.

The winners of the 10 categories will receive their awards at a ceremony during the Royal Highland Show on Thursday 22^nd June 2023. The winners of each category will be chosen from the entrants by two expert food and farming judging panels led by RBST Chairman, native breed farmer John Atkinson, and Chair of RBST Scotland Steve McMinn.

RBST Vice President Scotland Martin Beard, who farms with native breeds in Angus, said: “We are delighted to bring back the RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards in 2023. This year marks 50 years since RBST’s foundation and it is a great occasion to celebrate the businesses and people leading the resurgence of sustainable food and farming in Scotland. The standard of entries was extremely high for our inaugural awards last year and I am really looking forward to sharing again the achievements and dedication of the farmers, butchers, chefs and retailers who each play an essential part in sustainable food and farming with our versatile and unique native livestock breeds.”

The winners of the 2023 awards will follow in the footsteps of the winners of last year’s inaugural awards including Alice Lennox of Doonies Farm (Rare Breeds Survival Trust Champion of the Year 2022); Ronnie Eunson of Uradale Farm, Shetland (Sustainable Farm of the Year 2022); Jane Cooper of the Orkney Boreray Community (Sustainable Food Producer of the Year 2022); and Jock Gibson of Macbeth Butchers (Sustainable Produce Retail Outlet of the Year 2022).

The 10 categories now open for entries for the RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards 2023 are:

• Sustainable Farm of the Year (sponsored by Galbraith Group)
• Sustainable Small Farm of the Year (sponsored by The Scottish Smallholder Festival)
• Sustainable Food Producer of the Year (sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink)
• Sustainable Butcher or Wholesaler of the Year
• Sustainable Chef of the Year (sponsored by Scottish Food Guide)
• Sustainable Produce Retail Outlet of the Year (sponsored by SAC Consulting)
• Sustainable Market of the Year *new category for 2023*
• Native Breed Society of the Year
• Sustainable Farming Influencer of the Year (sponsored by Ledingham Chalmers) *new category for 2023*
• Rare Breeds Survival Trust Champion of the Year (sponsored by Rare Breeds Survival Trust)

 

Entries are free and paperless, the initial online entry form can be downloaded at www.rbstscotland.org and must be submitted to [email protected] by 19^th May 2023 . Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to submit a video submission for the final round of judging. Nominations can either be submitted by third parties or by the nominees themselves. For full details on each of the categories, the application process and the judging panel visit www.rbstscotland.org.

 

To find out more and complete the online entry form, visit www.rbstscotland.org

Press release: 30 March 2023