Winner of the Scottish Food Scholarship 2007 embarks on a week-long internship at Restaurant Martin Wishart

Liam Mckenna begins an internship at Restaurant Martin Wishart

After a whirling year, the young and talented winner of the Scottish Food Scholarship 2007 Liam Mckenna begins an internship at Restaurant Martin Wishart next week.

Throughout 2007, Liam has been involved in many culinary events such Taste of Edinburgh with Antony Worral Thompson, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Shirley Spears and Martin Wishart and preparing at Scottish Food Fortnight. This week he will broaden his horizons and further develop his cooking skills at Wishart’s eponymous restaurant.

Liam also won a three day tourist pass to Edinburgh visitor attractions with two nights’ accommodation at an Edinburgh hotel from main sponsor Edinburgh Inspiring Cuisine and a week’s training and accommodation at the French ski resort Sainte Foy with luxury ski holiday provider Première Neige. Other prizes included a meat master-class with Quality Meat Scotland and various product prizes from Graham’s The Family Dairy, All Clad, Bragard, Catering in Scotland and Villeroy & Boch.

Top prizes for the 2008 competition include a trip to Luxembourg with Villeroy & Boch, an internship at Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and Restaurant Martin Wishart, a trip to Terra Madre in Turin with Slow Food, and the opportunities to cook on board of The Flying Scotsman and at Taste Festival 2008.

The main sponsor of the Scottish Food Scholarship 2007 & 2008 is Edinburgh Inspiring Cuisine, a body established by the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian to promote Edinburgh’s restaurants and local food and drink producers in a bid to attract new visitors to the city. The winner of the Scholarship will be required to create a recipe inspired by the capital, ‘Edinburgh’s Signature Dish’, which will be included on different menus around the city over the course of the year, including Restaurant Martin Wishart’s lunch menu.