Stephen Leckie, Chairman and CEO of the Crieff Family of Hotels has been named the HIT Industry Award winner for 2021, in recognition of the work he has done looking after the interests of the hospitality industry over the past 19 months.

The Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland (HIT Scotland) held one of the biggest industry dinners seen in Scotland for almost two years, where 495 industry professionals enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at the Glasgow Hilton and raised over £42,000 for the inspirational HIT scholarship programme.

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Industry Award, in association with Brakes Scotland and The Caterer. This is the only award that HIT Scotland gives out and it is in celebration of an individual within the industry who is recognised as head and shoulders above his or her peer group for championing the interests of the industry in Scotland, going above and beyond their day job.

Stephen Leckie, Chairman and CEO of the Crieff Family of Hotels was the worthy winner on the night and the warmth of applause from the audience was tangible. The nomination was universally agreed without question by the judging panel.

Our winner has had a long spanning career within the industry. He actually started off life in the supply chain of sorts. This involved picking tatties and berries in his local area. Our winner has always been in hospitality and this led him to an 8 year stint with Moat House in England in his late teens before returning to his beloved Scotland. He has always worked in the family business and this carries on today with his wife and children all contributing to the life of the resort. He has many strings to his bow and his sphere of influence runs deep.

The theme of the dinner was “this is who we are” and was all about having pride in our industry and being proud of the people who work within it. Stephen has spent the last 19 months looking after the interests of the industry and in addition to managing his own portfolio of hotels, he has spent countless hours informing the politicians and industry groups of the strategy and route towards recovery. He is the epitome of someone who cares passionately about the industry and all the people who work within it.

There are many people in our industry who have looked for guidance from our winner during the pandemic and have benefitted from his wise counsel. Indeed most recently he has become the Lord Lieutenant for Perth and Kinross, acting on behalf of Her Majesty on local matters.