An Edinburgh hotel and East Lothian restaurant have both come away with prestigious industry awards after a special ceremony in London on Monday evening.
The five-star Edinburgh city centre hotel The Balmoral, on Princes Street, was recognised as AA's Hotel of the Year as it pipped thousands of competitors across Scotland.
Tom Kitchin's East Lothian restaurant and hotel, the Bonnie Badger, won AA's Restaurant With Rooms Award, with Scotland's youngest Michelin Star winner no stranger to scooping up industry prizes for his Edinburgh establishments.
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The event, which was held in-person for the first time in three years, and hosted by TV presenter Gabby Logan, shone a light on some of the highest performing and prestigious hotels and restaurants in Scotland.
The Balmoral hotel was given the special award while celebrating its 120th anniversary, hosting guests such as JK Rowling and Paul McCartney. An AA Inspector commented: “This Edinburgh landmark hotel has really redefined itself as one of Scotland’s finest in recent years”.
Richard Cooke, General Manager at The Balmoral, commented: “We are both proud and humbled to have been awarded this accolade. To have recognition for our passion and enthusiasm of providing our guests with memorable five-star experiences is an extremely rewarding feeling for the team. I am honoured to work with such a dedicated team of ladies and gentlemen. With them, The Balmoral will go from strength to strength, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire team for their hard work in what has been a challenging few years for all of us.”
In East Lothian, The Bonnie Badger was referred to as "renowned for its links golf, wonderful beaches and coastline, The Bonnie Badger is Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s first ‘restaurant with rooms’ venture. Rescued from near dereliction, it continues to evolve and develop, displaying the same high quality and attention to detail as his other restaurants."
Tom Kitchin, Chef at The Bonnie Badger, said: “This is a really proud achievement for our entire team. Having been up and running for three years now, we have worked hard to lead the way in hospitality, offering an exceptional experience to our guests whether they are staying, dining, or visiting us at The Bonnie Badger.
"We are constantly evolving our menus and we believe our passion and commitment to working with the Scottish seasons really shines through in our menus and experiences on offer to our guests. We never sit still and we always strive to constantly innovate when it comes to the guest experience too, offering a calendar of immersive and exciting events and constantly improving every aspect of our guests’ journey.”
The special ceremony was hosted at the Grosvenor House and also celebrated the success of restaurants and hotels across the rest of the UK. Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, said that the awards highlight how the industry has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and cost of living crisis to create "unforgettable experiences for the public."
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