Gibson congratulates captains galley on netting prestigious award

News Release
Immediate Use

27/05/09

Highlands & Islands SNP MSP Rob Gibson has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating Scrabster-based restaurant the Captain's Galley after it netted a pestiferous seafood award in London.

The Galley, owned and operated by Jim and Mary Cowie was crowned as the UK's Best Seafood Restaurant at the 2009 Seafood Awards.

Rob said:

"It is a great achievement for those involved at the Captains Galley to land the best restaurant at the seafood awards this year. Jim and Mary Cowie deserve great credit for their commitment and adherence to excellence which has been recognised this week. It is particularly encouraging to see their belief in and sustainable utilisation of local resources."

The restaurant, which has already won a string of awards, has a policy of sourcing it's seafood from sustainable sources within a 50-mile radius of Scrabster.
Mr Gibson continued…

"The restaurant is a great advert for the excellent produce which can be found in and around Caithness. It certainly sets the bar high for its competitors and Scotland is better off because of it."

Rob wrote to the Cowies today to congratulate them on their win.

ENDS

NOTES

Copy of motion:

S3M-04241 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish National Party): Captain's Galley in Scrabster Crowned UK's Best — That the Parliament congratulates the Scrabster-based Captain’s Galley restaurant, its owners, Jim and Mary Cowie, and its staff for earning the crown of UK’s Best Seafood Restaurant of the Year Award at the 2009 Seafood Awards in London; hails the Cowies for their commitment to local produce, with all of the seafood on their menu coming from sustainable sources within a 50-mile radius; notes that the restaurant already holds a Press and Journal Highland restaurant of the year title, won a top prize in the Taste of Scotland category at the Scottish Thistle Awards and that in 2007 Mr Cowie was named UK Seafood Chef of the Year; applauds the aims of the Seafood Awards, organised by Seafish, which are designed to encourage enterprise, innovation and best practice across all areas of the seafood industry, and finally wishes the Captain’s Galley and all other entrants good luck in the upcoming 2009 Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards.