A GOUROCK restaurant owner has hailed the area's 'top quality food' after triumphing at a national awards ceremony.

My Kitchen in Gourock was crowned casual dining restaurant of the year at the Scottish hospitality awards, the latest in a series of gongs for the venue.

Owner and classically-trained chef Sushil Kc told the Tele that the win proved that locals didn't have to look outside of Inverclyde to find good food.

Sushil has worked in the hospitality industry for decades, holding top jobs at high-end chains like Marriott and Crowne Plaza.

Since opening his Kempock Place establishment in 2016, My Kitchen has won a succession of awards, with further honours being bestowed by The Food Awards and TripAdvisor.

The veteran cook said that restaurants in Inverclyde continuing to win national awards demonstrates the quality of local cuisine.

He said: "It feels very good to have won.

"When we win awards it feels like we're helping the local area through our food.

"I came to this area in 2014, first opening a tapas place in Greenock and then moving down here to make comfort food for everyone.

"We had a tough time with Covid but now we're building things back up.

"This isn't an award for us, this is for local people in Gourock and Inverclyde who helped us win."

The restaurateur says that the anonymous judging process for the awards kept him and his staff on their toes for months.

He added: "I was quite nervous, we didn't know when they were going to come in.

"Even though we have won awards before I still didn't expect it.

"I'm really proud of my team and my restaurant.

"I try to hire local young people when I can, as we should all do our bit for the area when we can.

"Helping this community is what's important.

"It's about having pride in Inverclyde, there are a lot of very good restaurants with top quality food around here and we're happy to be part of that.

"Winning this award will be good for everyone around here because it shows that Inverclyde's food is just as good as other places."