THE title of Scotland’s best chef was last night awarded to Allan Donald, of the Ballachulish Country House, near Glencoe, Argyll.

Mr Donald beat a number of famous names from Orkney to Dumfries to pick up the title in front of almost 300 of his peers, in what organisers claimed was one of the tightest contests in years.

The eight-bedroom hotel does not boast the exclusive clientele nor the exorbitant prices usually attracted by a Michelin-starred chef. A three-course meal costs just £33 a head, catering for just 20 diners in front of a roaring log fire.

Guests at the 16th-century house, once occupied by the laird who ordered the massacre of Glencoe, can enjoy dishes using simple fare, including ballotine of potted and oak-smoked salmon, roast loin of venison with spiced red cabbage and hot caramel soufflé with prune and armagnac ice cream.

The event’s organiser, Brian Hannan, of the Cookery School in Glasgow, described the eighth annual Scottish Chef Awards at the Radisson SAS hotel in Glasgow as “a very close-run thing”.

“It was a soupçon away from being a photo finish, there was so little to choose between Scotland’s very best chefs,” he said.

“Allan is a very worthy successor to recent winners Jeff Bland and Andrew Fairlie. His cooking is absolutely sublime and he exhibits an extraordinary flair. He is the new face of Scottish cooking, leading a trend towards informality.”

The award follows the Michelin star he gained in January, an accolade which brought the number of Michelin-starred establishments in Scotland to nine.

At the time, Mr Donald, formerly of Gleneagles and Inverlochy Castle, said: “We cook with care and flair, using the freshest local produce at great value for money.”

A Michelin Guide editor said of the restaurant: “Our inspectors went around the whole of Scotland and we decided this one was for us. There is definitely a trend of informality.

“People don’t necessarily want to dine in luxury. They might not want a full three-course meal, so restaurants have responded to this.”

Mr Donald was last month named hotel chef of the year at the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards.

Last night’s top award was fought between six chefs with a Michelin star, including Martin Wishart, of Restaurant Martin Wishart, in Edinburgh; Tony Borthwick, of the Plumed Horse, at Crossmichael; and Keith and Nicola Braidwood, of Braidwoods, Dalry.

Five judges scoured the country, without notice, to try some of the best food in Scotland.

The awards saw the balance of culinary distinction swing from east to west, as West Coast chefs took the top three awards.

Paul Burns, of Airds Hotel, at Port Appin, also in Argyll, was named M&J Seafoods Scottish Hotel Chef of the Year, while Iain Brown, of the Ubiquitous Chip, in Glasgow, won the Scotherbs Scottish Restaurant Chef of the Year Award.

The east coast did not come away empty-handed, however. George Kelso, of Haldanes, in Edinburgh, was named Scottish City Chef of the Year; Dan Styles, of the Shore, in Edinburgh, won the Casual Dining Award; Keith Marley and Mary Runciman, of La Potinière, at Gullane, were named Rural Chef of the Year; and Graham Kirk, of Santini, in Edinburgh, won the Young Chef of the Year gong for under-25s.

Fife chef Bruce Sangster, of Sangsters, in Elie, won the New Restaurant of the Year Award, while the Lanarkshire chef Ashley Gallant, of Shieldhill Castle, in Quothquan, won the Gourmet Dinner Award. Alan Burns, of Gingerhill, in Milngavie, won the Wine Dinner Award.

Russell Robertson, 18, of the Plumed Horse, Crossmichael, in Dumfries & Galloway, won the Clarks Young Chef of the Year Award (under-22). Perth chef Tony Heath, of Let’s Eat, won a Scottish Chef Award Fellowship for his contribution to the trade.

Mr Hannan said that Scotland was now beating London for quality dining experience.

Research commissioned with the new website menuscotland.com ranked Scotland above the UK capital.

The average score out of ten points for Scottish restaurants within the Good Food Guide showed Scotland scored 3.72 compared to 3.4 out of ten in London.

“Frankly, we were astonished by the results,” Mr Hannan said. “I’d thought for years that Scotland was a great culinary destination, but the reality is better than anything I could have wished for.”

The height of good taste

OTHER winners included Paul Burns, of Airds Hotel, at Port Appin, Argyll, who was named M&J Seafoods Scottish Hotel Chef of the Year, and Iain Brown, of the Ubiquitous Chip, in Glasgow, who won the Scotherbs Scottish Restaurant Chef of the Year Award.

The east coast did not come away empty-handed, however.

George Kelso, of Haldanes, in Edinburgh, was named Scottish City Chef of the Year; Dan Styles, of the Shore, in Edinburgh, won the Casual Dining Award; Keith Marley and Mary Runciman, of La Potinière, at Gullane, were named Rural Chef of the Year; and Graham Kirk, of Santini, in Edinburgh, won the Young Chef of the Year gong for under-25s and Fife chef Bruce Sangster, of Sangsters, in Elie, won the New Restaurant of the Year Award. Elsewhere, Ashley Gallant, of Shieldhill Castle, in Quothquan, won the Gourmet Dinner Award. Alan Burns, of Gingerhill, in Milngavie, won the Wine Dinner Award.

Russell Robertson, 18, of the Plumed Horse, Crossmichael, in Dumfries and Galloway, won the Clarks Young Chef of the Year Award (under-22) and Perth chef Tony Heath, of Let’s Eat, won a Scottish Chef Award Fellowship for his contribution to the trade.

www.ballachulishhouse.com