New pie filling scoops national award

AN Arbroath schoolgirl’s unique pie filling helped her family impress judges and secure a national award.

Town family butchers DH Robertson won a hat-trick of gold medals, as well as a further three silvers in the Scottish Craft Butchers Savoury Pastry Products Awards 2018.

Delighted owners Steven and Pamela Bennett were quick to acknowledge that one of their gold-winning pies — a shredded chicken burrito creation — owed its success to their teenage daughter, Ariane.

Pamela said: “It’s a nod to modern food trends in a pie. It reflects the tastes of the younger generation.

“We worked on it together with Ariane at home before introducing it to our range and then decided to enter it in the awards.”

The family’s Scotch pies and bridies also earned gold status at the awards, while the mealie, chicken and white pudding and hand-held steak versions each brought home silver awards to mark a successful night for the Arbroath business.

DH Robertson was one of about 60 butchers from all over Scotland who collectively submitted nearly 300 different handcrafted pies, sausage rolls and bridies.

Entries were judged across six categories in one of the industry’s most keenly-contested awards.

Douglas Scott, chief executive of Scottish Craft Butchers, said this year’s contest had seen a record number of entrants.