In the fast-paced world of food and drink reporting, no two days are the same.

Businesses big and small open, close, revamp and relocate at such a pace that there will always be fresh stories to share from every corner of Scotland, whether your diary can keep up with it or not.

One of the few guarantees is a steady stream of award-winner announcements or best-of lists trickling its way into inboxes each and every week, boasting of ubiquitous ‘glitzy ceremonies’ and the latest prestigious accolades to be dished out at the DoubleTree by Hilton.

A Monday might bring with it a nod to the finest fry cooks with Fish and Chip Championships, followed by a countdown of cocktail aficionados on Tuesday and a celebration of all things fine dining before the weekend kicks off.

Naturally, some of these honours carry more weight than others.

The annual Michelin Guide updates, for example, are ushered in with a flurry of excited energy as we discover who has gained or retained a star for the next year.

A ‘top 10’ list compiled from internet data and hastily emailed en-masse in a bid for free publicity is less likely to strike a chord.

Today it’s one of the biggies, as the Good Food Guide shares its list of the 'Best Local Restaurants in Britain' for another year.

Read more: 'Restaurant review bible' names city seafood spot as best in Scotland

A huge congratulations goes to Bavette in Leeds, the French Bistro taking home the title of Best in Britain after just four months in business, an incredible achievement for owners Sandy Jarvis and Clément Cousin.

Joining them in the Top 100 is a handful of Scottish businesses including the Kinneuchar Inn, Gloriosa in Glasgow and Fin & Grape in Edinburgh, all of which easily demonstrate the hallmarks used to determine what makes a local restaurant "really great".

In the Good Food Guide's eyes, these range from ‘hands-on owners’ to ‘contented customers’ and a certain je ne sais quoi that makes a somewhere feel like the ‘place to be’.

There's no question that each of the 10 venues flying the flag for Scotland has earned their spot on the list, and I hope that they will have the opportunity to celebrate amongst regular customers, friends and family tonight.

It is, however, it’s hard to ignore a distinct lack of entries from anywhere further north than the central belt making the final cut.

Viewed on a map, pinpoints marking the Good Food Guide winners reach as far as The Whitehouse in Lochaline before dropping off entirely, leaving much of the Highlands, Islands and north east of the country sadly vacant.

Now, I know that the very nature of competition means that not everyone can be a winner.

In this case, the Top 100 list was based initially on votes from diners across Britain who were asked to nominate their local favourites to ensure they were in the running.

Following an ‘unprecedented 60,000 votes’ it was then over to the mystery inspectors to anonymously put these popular spots to the test.

As such it could be argued that Scotland is simply less likely to engage in the voting process leading to an inevitable lack of representation.

Fair enough. We’re a nation of folk who find it hard to shout about our achievements after all.

But the next question to ask is surely why the Good Food Guide chooses to split England into six separate regions from the Northeast to South West while Scotland is judged as a whole.

It’s worth noting that Wales suffers a similar fate, listed as the final region and awarded a total of only 11 winners.

Quizzed on the matter, a spokesperson for the publication (hailed as one of the most ‘trusted sources of where to eat well in Britain) assured me that ‘the division into eight regions across Britain is reflective of the concentration of nominations received and the number of eligible restaurants in the running’.

Still, a line from the press release announcing the results which praises efforts to highlight ‘fabulous independent restaurants from Scotland to Cornwall’ feels suspiciously like a lack of thought for anywhere too far away outside of London, a city that is still held up as the epicentre of fine dining and culinary excellence in the UK.

So much so that it has been counted as its own region in the rankings.

When it comes to ‘neighbourhood favourites that bring the local community together’, are we really to accept that the buck all but stops at the border?

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It is of course a joy to see the Scottish restaurants and the teams which make them great celebrated on a national scale and I can say for sure that this won’t be the last award announcement or Top 100 list you’ll find reported in The Herald.

Let this serve only as a reminder to take the findings with a pinch of salt and continue to search for your own winners to shout about.