Eyes on the pies
Butchers take another two prizes
An upper-crust Cambuslang butchers has scooped a delicious double success at the British pie awards just two months after their mouth-watering chicken pies were judged the best in Scotland.
Hugh Black & Sons’ crowning glory at the UK-wide contest – which saw them beat over 900 other pies to their prizes – was even more remarkable as this was the first time the popular firm had entered the highly prestigious competition.
They received the highest possible industry recognition for their steak and haggis pie and their chicken and smoked ham hough with parsley sauce pie, which won silver and bronze awards respectively.
Both tasty favourites also brought home the bacon at the Scottish craft butchers savoury pastry products awards in January, with the chicken treat named the country’s finest and the steak pie scooping a gold award.
Hugh Black & Sons, who have a shop on Main Street, Cambuslang, also secured a gold award for their Scotch pies and silver awards for their bridies, handheld steak pies and chicken Madras curry pies in the Scottish competition.
Factory manager and product development chief Willie Kemp devised the new recipes and is thrilled to follow on Scottish success with British commendation.
He said: “This was the first time we had entered the British pie awards and we were up against well over 900 other pies from across the UK.
“But, because we won the awards at the Scottish craft butchers contest earlier this year, we decided to go for it and put our pies forward in the British event.
“We are absolutely delighted to scoop two awards and to receive this recognition from such a wide selection of our industry peers is very humbling.”
Willie added: “We have our own abattoir and bakery, so we know the provenance and quality of all our ingredients.
“I create a sauce and meat combination that I know will work and then we taste-test it with staff and customers.”
Thrilled partner Craig Black said the award-winning chicken pie was one of their new premium range recipes launched recently.
He added: “We produce thousands of pastry products every week and a national industry endorsement will undoubtedly increase demand for the award-winning products.”
British pie awards judges sampled 963 entries from 180 producers at the 10th annual ceremony, held in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
There were 21 different categories involved in the contest, ranging from pork and steak and ale to pub pies, free-from pies, dessert pies and pasties.
Chairman of the British pie awards, Dr Matthew O’Callaghan OBE, said: “Winning an award against 963 other pies at the British pie awards is no mean feat.
“Our judges comprise the top professionals in baking and the culinary world so standards are high and this has been a very competitive year.
“Congratulations to Hugh Black & Sons for their achievement; quite rightly they should be very proud.
“I am sure their customers already know how good their pies are; now the whole world knows.”