Moray’s Windswept sweeps the board with three top awards

Lossiemouth's Windswept Brewery swept the board at Food and Drink awards.
Lossiemouth’s Windswept Brewery swept the board at Food and Drink awards.

A FANTASTIC YEAR for a burgeoning Moray craft brewery has seen them clinch three more prestigious awards.

Lossiemouth’s Windswept Brewery swept up the honours at the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards, taking the ‘best drink’ prize for its range of Scottish craft ales.

The business started by two former RAF Lossiemouth flyers was also winners of the New Product prize for their ‘Wolf of Glen Moray’ and scooped the Overall Excellence Award for their whisky-cask matured dark ale.

Judging for the 11th annual awards saw 38 businesses from throughout the Highlands and Islands were shortlisted for awards with the winners announced at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness, hosted by comedian and broadcaster Fred MacAulay.

Following their presentation Windswept managing director Nigel Tiddy said: “To say we are thrilled is an understatement!

“2015 has been an outstanding year for the brewery, this coming just two months after six of our beers won Great Taste Awards – these awards are another great boost for the team. The Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards are particularly important to us providing us with recognition in our local area and increasing our visibility to local customers.”

Operations Director Al Read added: “We’re still a small team but have big plans for the future including significant expansion of the brewery in the coming 12 months which will enable us to increase production and have even greater control on the quality of our ales.

“In addition to the recognition we have received this year for our core range of products, we’ve had great feedback on the seasonal brews we released for Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink. These awards reinforce our ambition to produce exceptional Scottish craft ales for many years to come.”

The Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards are delivered with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Crystal Mackay, Development Manager at HIE, said: “This Year of Food & Drink has been fantastic for our businesses and many have benefited from the increased exposure at events such as Showcasing Scotland in Gleneagles and the Speciality and Fine Food Fair in London.

“Our congratulations go to the winners and runners-up who have all risen to the challenge and ensured the reputation of our produce and natural larder is amongst the best in the world.”