Dunfermline Restaurant, Jack ‘O’Bryan’s, has been named Restaurant of the Year 2025 (Casual Dining) category, in annual awards run by Scottish License Trade News (or SLTN as its more commonly known).
First debuted in 1996, when just eight awards were given out, the SLTN Awards are now the premier awards scheme for the Scottish hospitality industry, celebrating the best operations and venues in Scottish hospitality, from restaurants and pubs, to hotels, late night venues and specialist cocktail bars, recognising both local and national operators in every corner of Scotland. This year’s Awards Night took place on Thursday 6th November at The Hilton in Glasgow. Over seven hundred members of the Scottish hospitality and drinks industries gathered to vie for a coveted corkscrew trophy.
Jack ‘O’ Bryan’s, which has been open in Dunfermline for nearly seven years, was a Runner Up in Restaurant of the Year at the SLTN Awards last year. It then went on to win Forth One’s Restaurant of the Year, with Head Chef, Jack Coghill, being named the Scottish Excellence Young Chef of the Year.
Commenting on the SLTN awards, Jack’s dad, Bryan Coghill, said: “We are beyond thrilled to pick up the prestigious award at an awards ceremony which sees us judged by our own fellow hospitality professionals. It means a great deal to me personally as my wife Michelle and I won one of the very first ever SLTN Awards when we were running a hotel up in the North-East of Scotland many years ago. Now we’re onto our next generation, with son Jack at the helm, and we could not be prouder of his many achievements. This award scheme will always represent the benchmark for excellence in our industry. It’s even more of an achievement given that only 16 weeks ago, we opened our second family restaurant, The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack in South Queensferry, so Jack has been extremely busy working at both locations. We’ve managed to get through to the top three in the National Fish & Chip Awards for Best Newcomer for The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack, so it really is shaping up to be a fantastic end to 2025 for us as a hospitality family.”
Bryan continued by saying that he wanted “to thank everybody at SLTN, as we always have the best time at the awards night, it’s great to catch up with old faces and meet new contacts as well. Everybody had the most incredible time as our sector certainly knows how to party!”
“Our congratulations go to everyone who came home with a prize. And even to be nominated is a major achievement. We would say to other restaurants and hospitality businesses of all sizes, that if you didn’t win the category you wanted, to make sure you keep on entering. Perseverance will really pay off!”
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In the Judges Notes, Jack ‘O’ Bryan’s was described as “a restaurant with a warm and contemporary setting where relaxed dining meets creative flair. This family-run business celebrates the best of local produce, with every dish thoughtfully crafted in-house and shaped by each family member’s unique strengths.”.
Further details on the SLTN awards 2025 at https://sltn.co.uk/sltn-awards/finalists-2025/.
