Smoked salmon and haggis have been awarded top titles in this year's Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards, which are sponsored by The Grocer.

South Uist-based Salar Smokehouse won the Product of the Year award for its flaky smoked salmon, which also scooped the Fish and Seafood category title.

Macsween of Edinburgh, the haggis producer, was awarded the Business of the Year title. The company also won the Environmental Sustainability award.

Two family farming companies scooped double category awards. Crieff-based Summer Harvest won the Soups, Preserves & Accompaniments award and the Healthy Eating title for its Summer Harvest Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil.

Grahams The Family Dairy from Bridge of Allan, which was commended for its Graham's Gold selection of milk, cream and butter, won the Dairy Category and Best Marketing Initiative awards.

There were also two new awards this year. The Product Innovation title was handed to Biggar-based Carmichael Estate Farm Meats for its venison rashers and Durness-based Cocoa Mountain scooped the Food Tourism title.

The awards, now in their twelfth year, have gone from strength to strength and are a true measure of the excellence that abounds in the Scottish food and drink industry, said Scotland Food & Drink chief executive Paul McLaughlin. "We are keen to get the message across that Scotland is a land of food and drink which excels in quality and innovation. Our 2009 winners exemplify that message," he said.

The awards took place last Thursday at Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow.

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