Kevin MacGillivray leaves "heat" of the kitchen for SFQC

Award winning chef Kevin Macgillivray has left the “heat” of the kitchen at Ballathie House Hotel, Perthshire and accepted a role with SFQC (Scottish Food Quality Certification), to become EatScotland Director today (Wednesday 13 September 2006) - in a move that is seen as a real step change in the development of EatScotland.

As a hugely respected professional with over 25 years of experience garnered from the British Transport Hotel, Gleddoch House and Ballathie House Hotel, Kevin throughout his career, has endeavoured to put Scotland on the map as a first class culinary destination. He has worked with the Scottish Culinary Team and its participation at competitions worldwide, demonstrated his culinary skills in the Vanderbuilt Hall in New York during Tartan Week and won several awards including Scottish Chef of the Year, the Flavour of Scotland Awards and the Macallan Taste of Scotland Country House Hotel of the Year Award to name just a few.

As a new director of EatScotland, the quality assurance “where to eat” scheme owned by VisitScotland and run by SFQC, Kevin will “develop and progress the EatScotland scheme on a truly national level”. Fiercely passionate about Scottish cuisine and produce Kevin’s impetus in accepting the role was to “to do something to improve people’s perceptions at home and abroad of the quality of Scottish food and eating establishments”

Since its launch last year SFQC and the EatScotland scheme has now over 400 participants within the scheme with the aim to secure another 1,000 members to provide consumers with “a real guide of where to eat.”

The EatScotland scheme run by the SFQC is to help Scots and visitors easily find places to eat in Scotland and to continue to raise standards. Managing director Peter Brown commented: “It’s through the process of competent, professional certification, essentially helping consumers know more about the food they ea,t and in doing so, helping the food industry illustrate the depth of skill, care and enthusiasm that goes into producing food.”

Initially Kevin will be managing the SFQC team of assessors who carry out reviews of participating businesses evaluating characteristics such as quality, service, ambiance and of course hygiene. Long term there are plans for the scheme to launch an awards scheme, a training scheme and an advice package in order to help businesses grow and develop.
SFQC directors Margaret Seaton, David Whiteford and Peter Brown are hugely enthusiastic about the arrival of such a key, credible individual joining the team to help pioneer the scheme through a time of development and innovation.

Kevin who will work closely with SFQC Managing Director, Peter Brown commented “We’ve had a great response to EatScotland in the first year and the next couple of years promises to be a hugely exciting time of us at SFQC in developing the scheme to raise standards through Scotland on a national scale as well as providing businesses with the opportunity to gain first class advice and direction from someone as highly respected and passionate about Scottish produce and cuisine as Kevin.”