Stewartry business scoops award
Manus Fullerton, a VisitScotland Board Member presents a Scottish Thistle Award to Clint Burgess of Thistle B Scrumptious, with Catriona Shearer, Presenter of BBC Scotlands Reporting Scotland.
The owners of a popular local delicatessen are celebrating after scooping a prestigious national award.
Thistle “B” Scrumptious in Castle Douglas won a Scottish Thistle Award at Scotland’s premier tourism awards ceremony on Friday evening, taking the award in the Best Shopping Experience category.
Thistle “B” Scrumptious beat off competition from Romanes & Patersons in Edinburgh to take the title.
Organised by VisitScotland, the Scottish Thistle Awards celebrate excellence and quality within the tourism industry. Now in their 20th year, they have undergone a major transformation and, after extensive industry research, the awards have changed to include four new regional awards: Highlands and Islands, North East, South/Central East, South/Central West. The awards are widely recognised as the mark of excellence and professionalism across the industry, awarding businesses’ contributions to making Scotland a top visitor attraction.
The awards were presented at a glittering ceremony at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow – a fitting setting in this, the Year of Creative Scotland 2012.
A change in format this year saw businesses face regional heats in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Stirling in May, with the winners from these events going through to the national face-off, with the winners from all regions attending at Kelvingrove.
Business representative for Thistle “B” Scrumptious Clint Burgess said on behalf of himself and co-owner Helen Cronie: “We are astounded and thrilled to have won Best Shopping Experience in the Scottish Thistle Awards.
“This truly is the icing on our cake and rounds off what has been quite a year for Thistle ‘B’ Scrumptious. We are so lucky to have our business in stunning Dumfries and Galloway which boasts some of the best Scottish produce. Our thanks to all the amazing producers we work with, our fantastic local customers and the many, many foodie tourists who appreciate what we have and share a passion for Scotland and its larder.”
Regional director of VisitScotland Paula McDonald added: “As Scotland prepares to welcome the world in 2014, quality is more important than ever.
“I am thrilled that Thistle ‘B’ Scrumptious’ has scooped this well-deserved award for its contribution to shopping experiences in the region. Recognising excellence in the industry is helping Scotland shine and businesses like Thistle ‘B’ Scrumptious help to put this part of Scotland well and truly on the map.”
Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said: “The Dumfries and Galloway tourism industry makes an immense contribution to Scotland’s economy and the Scottish Thistle Awards is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate excellence across the sector.
“The local tourism assets, such as magnificent natural heritage, culture, creativity and renowned warm welcome, attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. This is testament to the hard work and achievements of the many businesses being honoured in the awards.
“Scottish tourism has had much to celebrate this year, with the Year of Creative Scotland and the release of the Disney-Pixar blockbuster Brave. We have much to look forward to in 2013, through our Year of Natural Scotland, and as we progress towards Homecoming 2014 when Scotland takes centre stage in world terms as host of the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup.
“Huge congratulations to all the nominees and winners recognised in this year’s awards. It is through their hard work and efforts that Scotland has established its reputation for being a first class destination for a high quality and memorable experience.”
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Weather for Newton Stewart
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: North west
