James Thomson WinsCatey "Restaurateur of the Year" Award

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. July 28, 2009

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 29, 2009 - One of the hospitality industry's most coveted awards, "Restaurateur of the Year" was awarded to Edinburgh's own James Thomson, owner and creator of some of the highest-profile restaurants in the city, including the Witchery by the Castle, the Tower - set on the rooftop of the Museum of Scotland, and the glamorous Rhubarb.

The win, against the talents of the Galvin Brothers and Claude and Claire Bosi of the Michelin-starred Hibiscus, was especially poignant as Thomson celebrates the 30th anniversary of the opening of his first restaurant, The Witchery. Past winners have included Albert Roux, Terence Conran and Gordon Ramsay. Thomson, who employs more than 250 people in his three restaurants and two resorts, including the city's only Five Red-Star hotel - Prestonfield House, has developed establishments that are popular with both A-list celebrities and locals, and routinely evoke descriptions such as "theatrical", "romantic", "indulgent" and "decadently opulent" from reviewers.

Judges praised the longevity of his restaurants, noting "he's been a fixture on the Edinburgh hospitality scene for 30 years since becoming Edinburgh's youngest licensee when he opened the Witchery at age 20 in 1979;" "Thomson is a restaurateur who has been running a successful restaurant for 30 years and truly deserves the Catey;" "Thomson's high standards, business acumen and dedication to the industry have seen him rise way above many of his competitors."

The latest award is just one in a string Thomson has received over the years. His long-term commitment to the hospitality industry and Scottish tourism resulted in being recognised with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Queen Elizabeth in 2005; the coveted Silver Thistle in 2004, adding to his previously awarded Thistle Awards Manager of the Year; and recently, an Association of Colleges Gold Award. A member of several of Scottish and British restaurant, hospitality and tourism associations, Thomson has devoted years to touting Scotland as a destination. He has consistently encouraged both his own staff and many in the industry to continue to improve their skills and reinvested much of the earnings from his businesses back into the local community.

The Catey's are the hospitality industry's most coveted accolade as they are nominated and rigorously judged by their peers in the industry. Candidates are nominated by their peers in the hospitality industry and readers of Caterer & Hotelkeeper before entering a rigorous process of judging by industry experts. Judges included Richard Shepherd of Langans, Pascal Aussignac of Club Gascon, Paul Heathcote, Alan Yau of Hakkasan & Jacquie Pern of the Star Inn at Harome.

Connoisseurs Scotland's 23 members include four of the world's finest golf resorts including Gleneagles and Old Course, Inverlochy Castle - recently voted the best hotel in Europe, six outstanding city centre properties, Edinburgh's only 5 Red Star hotel (Prestonfield), a 19th-century castle health spa, a collection of intimate country house hotels, the Royal Scotsman luxury train, two exclusive use properties and three properties set in scenic coastal locations. Four properties boast Michelin-starred restaurants. Information on Connoisseurs Scotland, its member resorts and special offers can be found at www.luxuryscotland.co.uk.