The winner will be able to visit each participating venue throughout next year, as several businesses come together to create the ultimate foodie prize.
Following a tumultuous year for Scotland’s hospitality industry, 15 restaurants from across the central belt, Fife and the Borders, have come together to give one winner the chance to have the ultimate foodie experience.
Though no restaurants from the north are participating, the competition is open to everyone.
The Facebook-based competition, organised by Vikki Wood, owner of The Wee Restaurant in North Queensferry, will bring cheer to Scottish foodies who haven’t been able to support their favourite eateries as usual.
The winner will be able to enjoy a free meal at each venue throughout 2021, with the prize being worth up to £1,500.
Those wanting to enter the competition must visit each participating restaurant’s Facebook page, like the post about the competition and comment on who they would want to take – would it be the same person all 15 times or a different person each time?
Several restaurants from Fife and Tayside are taking part, including: The Wee Restaurant, North Queensferry; Craig Millar @ 16WestEnd, St Monans; The Roost, Bridge of Earn; The Newport, Newport-on-Tay and Barley Bree, Crieff.
Other restaurants participating from the central belt and the borders include Nick Nairn’s restaurant in Bridge of Allan, The Allanton Inn in the Scottish Borders, Three Birds Edinburgh, Dine Edinburgh, Tiffney’s Steakhouse in Glasgow, Cafe St Honore in Edinburgh, Osso in Peebles, Cafe Grande in Edinburgh, Harajuku Kitchen Edinburgh and The Stockbridge Restaurant, also in Edinburgh.
The lucky winner’s name will be drawn on December 20 and the prize can only be claimed between January 1 and December 31, 2021.
Two restaurants (Tiffney’s Steakhouse and The Stockbridge Restaurant) don’t open for lunch and will be offering up dinner, whereas the remaining 13 will be offering up a free lunch to the lucky winner.
Organiser Vikki Wood said the idea came about as she wanted to create something positive for an industry that “isn’t being listened to”.
She said: “I contacted all of the restaurateurs I regularly speak to on social media as we’re quite a close-knit community in Scotland. I told them I had this idea to promote all of us as a sort of feel-good thing, rather than all the doom and gloom we’re experiencing and they all wanted to jump on board.
“I was thinking about how we were able to promote not just us, because I don’t think it’s just us as a restaurant that’s hurting in the industry, it’s all of us collectively. So let’s contact people who I think would want to be involved and they all came back. I actually had too many people in the end so there are some I will get next time.
“Everyone who got back to me said it was a great idea and that they can’t wait to be involved.
“The winner will get lunch at all of the restaurants throughout next year. There are two places that don’t open for lunch, so they’re going to offer dinner. But it’s a lunch for two at each of the restaurants, meaning you can eat out for free 15 times.
“We realise it’s been a bit rubbish for the foodies as well because they’ve not been able to get out and about as much as they want. It was to promote us as restaurants and to get people excited again about dining out. Things are tough, people don’t have much money and are losing their jobs.
“We’re all doing a lot of great things to ensure we’re keeping our customers safe, but we’re not really being listened to. So we came up with this competition to make it into something more positive. The restaurant community is a little family, we are a tight-knit industry and it’s not just about helping ourselves – we want to help everybody. We’re all foodies too and we like dining out but unfortunately I can’t take part in my own competition!
“It’s gained quite a lot of traction so far and a lot of the other restaurants who don’t do social media as much as I do are saying they’re getting really good returns from it. It’s not about getting something back, it’s more about giving.”
