THE CROSS AT KINGUSSIE RECEIVES THE AA WINE AWARD FOR SCOTLAND

Photo caption (l - r): Natasha Kaplinsky, host of the AA Hospitality Awards; David Young, owner; Trevor Hughes, sponsor; Katie Young, owner.

The Cross at Kingussie received nationwide recognition recently when it received the Wine Award for Scotland at the AA Hospitality Awards 2009 - 2010. The AA, celebrating the best in hospitality for over 100 years, held the glamorous black-tie ceremony, hosted by Natasha Kaplinsky, at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

David Young, owner of The Cross at Kingussie, received the award in front of a high profile audience of 800 members of the hospitality industry, including world-renowned ‘celebrity’ chefs, prominent hoteliers, hospitality gurus and key industry media. David said: “Most restaurants, especially hotel restaurants, offer wine lists that are a poor second to the food and we’re delighted that The Cross has been recognised as somewhere where the quality of the cooking can be matched with a great bottle of wine at a reasonable price”.

He added, “We work hard at putting together a unique wine list every year. The selections reflect our own tastes and many appear on our list only after we have visited the vineyard ourselves. We hope that the list offers diners the opportunity of trying something new and interesting. Our wines by the glass change regularly, we have, I think, one of the best lists of half bottles and of pudding wines in the UK, and we don’t overlook whisky drinkers either with a range of over 40 premium malts”.

“Of course, none of this would be possible without first class growers, wineries and suppliers who understand and support what we seek to achieve at The Cross and they, too, must take credit for the part they have played in our success”.

The Cross, a converted tweed mill with 8 en-suite bedrooms, is located in the lovely Highland village of Kingussie within the stunning Cairngorm National Park, surrounded by mountains, rivers and lochs. Situated in four acres of riverside grounds - with an abundance of native trees, flowers and wildlife – The Cross combines quality with simplicity and good food with a warm welcome.

AA Hotel Services Group Area Manager Giovanna Grossi said of the award “We selected The Cross at Kingussie for the Wine Award for Scotland because David and Katie’s passion for wines is clearly reflected in the carefully selected value for money list that can be justifiably enthused about and is regularly updated to feature new vintages and interesting additions.”

The Cross has also been awarded three AA Rosettes for the quality of the cooking and is now one of only twenty five restaurants in Scotland to achieve this standard. According to the 2010 edition of the AA’s Restaurant Guide “the food is both fabulous and unfussy in keeping with its surroundings”.

The AA Hospitality Awards recognise and reward the excellent services provided by the UK’s very best establishments and launches the 2010 AA guides to UK hotels and restaurants.

This year, guests at the awards ceremony were treated to a sensational three course gourmet meal prepared by three of the industry’s most highly esteemed chefs - Eric Chavot, Chris Galvin and Gary Rhodes - in conjunction with the Hilton Park Lane kitchen team. The guests also enjoyed a special performance by Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity.

The Cross was named Scottish Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009 in February and is once again featured as one of Scotland’s top thirty restaurants in the 2010 edition of the Good Food Guide.

Autumn and Winter Offers at The Cross:

Three-night dinner inclusive midweek breaks from £255 per person
Two-night dinner inclusive romantic breaks from £195 per person (including a bottle of champagne)
Three-night inclusive highland hogmanay package from £490 per person

For more information about the AA Awards go to http://www.aahospitalityawards.com/
For more information about The Cross at Kingussie go to http://www.thecross.co.uk/.

The Cross at Kingussie Awarded "Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009"

The Cross at Kingussie Awarded "Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009"

The Cross at Kingussie was handed the title at last weekend's Scottish Hotel Awards, in a glitzy ceremony held at Glasgow's Crowne Plaza Hotel. The award was presented to owners David and Katie Young and chef Becca Henderson by celebrity chef and fellow hotelier Baroness Claire Macdonald and Alex Fergusson the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. It follows a comprehensive inspection and judging process carried out by the organisers, The Scottish Hotel Awards & Review Guides. "We're thrilled to have been honoured with such a prestigous accolade" said Katie, "it's a reward for all of our team who work so hard to maintain and improve the standards that make The Cross such a special place".

Owners David and Katie Young are delighted that The Cross has been recognised by a Scottish guide in this way. "Michelin, The Good Hotel Guide, and the AA, amongst others, have been very enthusiastic about what we have done here at The Cross in the past seven years", says David, "but it's something special when the praise comes from closer to home!"Previously winners in 2004, it's the second time that The Cross has been voted "Scottish Restaurant with Rooms of the Year" The Cross is situated in it's own idyllic four acres of riverside grounds - with an abundance of native trees, flowers and wildlife - and combines quality with simplicity and good food with a warm welcome. Built as a water powered tweed mill in the late 1800's at a time when the village of Kingussie was being developed by the local laird, The Cross maintains the character and some of the original features of the mill. Champagne is served on the terrace in the summer - and drams in one of the cosy lounges in winter. AA three-rosette award winning dinners are served by the flicker of an open fire in the stone walled and wood beamed restaurant. Menus feature carefully prepared fresh and seasonal Scottish produce and the wine list too, has been voted Scotland's best. There are eight comfortable bedrooms, all with king, queen or twin beds and spacious en-suite bathrooms including some with separate showers. Each room has TV, CD radio cube, hospitality tray, fully controllable heating, glenlivet water & arran aromatics toiletries - and in half you can nod off to the sound of the bubbling river below. Breakfasts include fresh squeezed juice, fruits & compotes, baked croissants and a daily-changing hot dish featuring produce from local farms and estates and delicacies like freshly picked chanterelles. There's a wealth of things to do in the area. Walking, climbing, mountain biking, ski-ing, boarding, off-roading, sailing, canoeing, horse-riding, sight-seeing, shopping, gliding, whisky tasting, golfing, fishing, shooting.............or just relaxing. The Cross offers special breaks in the Spring and Autumn, great Winter weekend rates, a popular three-night Hogmanay package, and promotional prices all year round.

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk