The 2022 Michelin Guide has been published and congratulations are in order for: The Auldgirth Inn, The Limetree restaurant, Moffat and to the Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick for their places in the guide. All three venues make the most of the fantastic local, seasonal produce available in Dumfries and Galloway, it’s inspiring to see local businesses getting international recognition for their hard work.
Dumfries and Galloway has an amazingly varied food landscape and proud history of producing high quality. Nearly half of Scotland’s dairy cattle are here producing award winning cheeses and dairy products, we have native breeds like the Galloway cattle, Blackface sheep, Loch Ryan oysters to name a few so it comes as no surprise that the area is host to excellent cuisine.
Does it have to be fine dining to get national or international attention? I don’t think so. Independent restaurants and cafes across Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire are embracing local ingredients and the importance of place and authenticity to dining experience. As the industry carefully moves on from the pandemic and other difficult factors recently I think we are only going to see more awards recognising the brilliance of the local and seasonal food producers and hospitality industries that we have here.