An Edinburgh Chef has impressed the judges and taken home the winning title at this year’s ‘Scotch Lamb Surf ‘n’ Turf Chef of the Year’ competition.

Battling it out against tough competition from top chefs at some of Scotland’s most renowned restaurants, Borthwick Castle’s head chef Craig Gibb came out on top, wowing the judges with his creative dish that expertly championed some of Scotland’s best natural produce from land and sea.

The competition, an annual joint initiative from Quality Meat Scotland’s Scotch Beef Club and Seafood Scotland, was judged by esteemed industry professionals from Scottish Chefs, Seafood Scotland and the National Sheep Association.

Serving up a dish of Saddle of Lamb, Lamb Sweetbreads, Crispy Oysters, Cucumber and Lamb Jus, Craig Gibb was heralded as this year’s winner due to the creative flair and evident passion present in each element of the delicately balanced plate.

On winning this year’s ‘Scotch Lamb, Surf ‘n’ Turf Chef of the Year’ competition, Craig said: “It feels fantastic to be recognised as this year’s ‘Scotch Lamb, Surf ‘n’ Turf Chef of the Year’. I loved the challenge of creating a dish that would allow me to perfectly balance the Scotch Lamb with the seafood and I’d like to think that I managed to pull it off.

“It’s an honour to have been given this title, especially as I was up against some really tough competition, we all put in a huge effort both creating our dishes and then cooking them for the judges. We had a lot of fun but taking home the winning title and prize is an extra bonus, I can’t thank the judges enough.”

Craig was announced as the winner in front of a wide audience of industry professionals at this year’s annual Chef’s Conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Lesley Cameron, Director of Marketing and Communications, said: “Every year, the Scotch Lamb Surf ‘n’ Turf Chef of the Year competition gives some of the industry’s hottest talent the chance to create delicious dishes with fresh ingredients sourced from Scotland’s land and sea.

“The judges certainly had their work cut out for them at this year’s competition, choosing from a range of amazing dishes that brought together some of Scotland’s best natural produce.

“But in the end it had to be Craig who took home the title. The passion and care he put in to preparing his Scotch Lamb and seafood dish was evident with every bite- he really did himself proud against an amazing standard of competition.”

To find out more about Scotch Lamb, Scotch Beef and Specially Selected Pork brands including recipes, videos and tips, visit www.scotchkitchen.com or follow Scotch Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.