The pies have it for winners

A host of bakeries and butchers from Perthshire, Kinross-shire and Newburgh tickled the tastebuds of judges at the World Scotch Pie competition.

James Pirie and Son of Newtyle, Tower Bakery, MacDonald Brothers of Pitlochry, Mr C’s Handcrafted Pies of Newburgh and Sugar and Spice of Auchterarder all emerged with a host of accolades.

James Pirie and Son walked off from the 18th competition with bronzes in the Scotch pie and haggis savories categories, with the latter thanks to its steak and haggis offering.

Perth’s Tower Bakery scooped bronze for its sausage roll, silver for its steak pie in the handheld category and gold for its tortilla pie in the hot savoury section.

MacDonald Brothers’sausage roll earned a bronze.

Past winner Murrays Bakers won bronze for its Scotch Pie, and golds for its mince bridie and apple pie.

A steak bridie won gold for Auchterarder’s Sugar and Spice, while there was a diamond award for Mr C’s of Newburgh which impressed with a salmon and smoked seafood charcuterie pie.

Awards presenter Carol Smillie said:“I am delighted to have been asked to come along today and present the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards for a second time. Each and every butcher and baker here today knows they make something special so a confirmation of this kind is the real icing on the cake.”