
Molly's Bistro were one of the 70-plus eateries taking part in the award-winning Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks earlier this month. Image - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen Inspired is celebrating the sweet taste of success after its Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks won a prestigious tourism award.
The “Foodie Fortnight” campaign was named the Best Community Tourism & Events Initiative for 2025 in the Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards in a glittering ceremony at the weekend.
Judges praised Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks for “their ambitious growth, accessibility, and wide-reaching marketing that put the city firmly on the food map”.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said the whole team was delighted by the accolade, which was accepted on behalf of the Business Improvement District by its chair, Jeanette Forbes, at the awards night in the Chester Hotel on Friday.
Adrian said: “It is a real honour for Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks to be recognised in this year’s prestigious and high-profile Thistle Awards.
“We first launched this event in 2018 to celebrate Aberdeen’s outstanding food and drink scene, give our vital hospitality sector a boost in quieter times, while also attracting more people into the city centre. It has more than achieved those aims.
“Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks has now grown into a fortnight-long event running twice a year, taking in more than 70 venues and has become one of the most popular events in the north-east’s calendar, attracting people from across the city and shire.
“Figures suggest that Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks can inject some £500,000 into the Granite City’s economy while boosting city centre footfall by some 20%. That really is something for everyone to savour.”

Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired. Image - Aberdeen Inspired
The most recent Foodie Fortnight ran from September 1 to 14 with more than 70 restaurants, cafes and bars joining in, boasting cuisines from across the globe, from Latin American to Mediterranean, Mexican to traditional Scottish fayre.
Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks will now go on to the national Thistle awards, which will take place on Thursday, November 20, in Glasgow.
Adrian also praised the other winners in the Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards, which are open to businesses of all sizes across the region’s hospitality and tourism sectors.
“The list of winning events, businesses and attractions show that the north-east is second to none when it comes to offering visitors – and locals – the best experiences possible,” he said.
The Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards 2025 winners were:
- Climate Action – Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums
- Best Self-Catering or Unique Stay – Logie Newton Lodges Unique Self-Catering Stay
- Best B&B or Guesthouse – Lys-Na-Greyne
- Best Visitor Attraction – Glen Garioch Distillery
- Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience – Tarland Trails
- Best Community Tourism & Events Initiative – Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks
- Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival – Spectra Scotland’s Festival of Light 2025
- Best Bar or Pub – The Craftsman Company
- Best Eating Experience – The Fish Shop
- Best Hotel Experience – Kildrummy Inn
- Employer of the Year – The Fife Arms
- Individual of the Year – Claire Bruce, Glen Tanar Estate
- MacRobert Trust Rising Star – Blaine Lyons, Twin Peakes