Press release -
A recipe for success
A Perthshire Bed & Breakfast is savouring success after becoming the 100th local business to achieve an innovative food and drink award
The Townhouse in Aberfeldy has been awarded a Taste Our Best award for including and promoting Scottish food and drink on their menu.
The family-run business sources many of its products from local suppliers including MacDonald Brothers Butchery in Pitlochry, George Campbell Fishmongers in Perth, Stewart Tower’s Dairy and Breadalbane Bakery.
Taste Our Best is designed to raise quality standards and promote the use of Scottish produce within the tourism industry. The joint initiative between VisitScotland and the Scottish Government, with support from Scotland Food and Drink, aims to form stronger links between the places people visit and the food and drink experiences on offer.
As part of the scheme, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, takeaways, cafes, visitor attractions and pubs or bars are assessed on not just the quality of their food and drink offering but also how they include and promote Scottish produce on their menus to give consumers choice.
As well as becoming part of the acclaimed scheme, the Townhouse Aberfeldy also received a four-star quality assurance award from the national tourism organisation in recognition of its commitment to quality and customer service.
Built in the late 1890s, the Townhouse Aberfeldy mixes classic styles with the best in modern convenience. Visitors can stay in one of 15 en-suite bedrooms, dine at the restaurant and explore the best of Perthshire.
Owner Blair Girvan said: "We are honoured to receive these awards, it's a testament to the hard work and care of all our team. We are lucky in Perthshire to have access to some of the best food and drink in the country and, through our dishes, we enjoy sharing this with our guests. These awards help show our visitors that when they stay with us they can expect the best in terms of standards and Scottish food and drink.”
Jim Clarkson, VisitScotland Regional Partnerships Director, said: ““I would like to congratulate Blair and the entire team on this thoroughly deserved double success. The Townhouse Aberfeldy is demonstrating exactly what we want visitors to experience when exploring the region - excellent Scottish hospitality, first-class customer service and the finest local food and drink.
“Quality Assurance and Taste Our Best are about more than a certificate – it’s about the entire visitor experience and driving improvement in that experience throughout Perthshire.
“Visitors want quality and value for money experiences. Star gradings help visitors make informed decisions and select businesses that meet, and exceed, these expectations.”
Developed over the last four decades in partnership with the tourism industry and informed by visitor research, VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance schemes are world-leading. QA stars alongside online reviews give visitors a balance of objective and subjective views to assist in their decision making and expectations.
For more information visit: www.townhouseaberfeldy.co.uk
For more details about the Quality Assurance Scheme, VisitScotland Information Partner programme and Taste Our Best Scheme go to www.visitscotland.org
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- quality assurance
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
2018 Year of Young People
- The Year of Young People 2018 will be the next of the Scottish Government’s series of themed years, following the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017.
- The Year of Young People (YoYP 2018) will inspire Scotland through its young people aged 8 to 26, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally
- Central to YoYP 2018 will be a celebratory events programme that puts young people at the heart of its development and delivery, creating new and valuable experiences for young Scots and the wider public, with links to the inaugural 2018 European Championships.
- Over 200 young people throughout Scotland are currently being recruited to become YoYP 2018 Ambassadors. Ambassadors will ensure that people and organisations in their communities know about what’s happening and will lead on projects and activities to create events and opportunities to celebrate young people.
- The Year of Young People will have six themes which were developed in co-production with young people themselves:
- oParticipation – looking at how young people can influence public services and decisions which affect their lives
- oEducation – creating a stronger role for young people in shaping their learning
- oHealth and Wellbeing – supporting young people to lead healthier, active lives and have opportunities to learn about and improve their mental health and resilience
- oEquality and Discrimination – broadcasting the value of young Scots, challenging negative perceptions of young people, and supporting young people to take leading roles in challenging discrimination in all its forms.
- oEnterprise and regeneration – celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live
- oCulture – celebrating young people’s talent and contribution to Scottish culture and arts.
- Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.
