Take a butcher’s at Allan’s award!
Steak and ale pies win gold honour in contest
An Auchterarder butcher has struck gold with his prize-winning products.
Allan’s ale and steak pies have been judged among the best in Scotland.
The tasty favourites scooped a coveted Gold Award in the Scottish Craft Butchers Savoury Pastry Products Awards 2017.
The High Street butchers also scooped a Silver Award for five other products – Scotch pies, bridies, sausage rolls, handheld steak pies and chicken and ham pies.
Delighted owner Kenneth Allan was “thrilled” to be recognised in the meaty New Year honours list. And he said the secrets of the winning products lay with his wife Christine, who develops the recipes, and Polish baker Elzbieta Brozyna who puts them into production.
Kenneth said: “To win recognition from our industry shows we are getting things right and endorses what we are doing and the standards of quality we set.”
The company also has a butcher’s shop in Blairgowrie – H W Irvine – and employs a total of 14 staff.
Kenneth has been employed in the meat trade since leaving school, aged 17. He trained as a livestock auctioneer and then worked in abattoirs before training as a butcher. He took over the Auchterarder shop three years ago.
Allan’s was one of around 60 butchers from all over Scotland who collectively submitted nearly 300 different handcrafted pies, sausage rolls and bridies which 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 standard of entry had raised the bar for the industry awards.
“Customers are demanding top quality and an ever- increasing range of outstanding products and Scottish butchers like Allan’s in Auchterarder are leading the way with outstanding products made to their own recipes on their own premises.
“His speciality pies were judged to be among the very best you can buy in your local Scottish butchers and we’re delighted they’ve secured a Gold Award from their industry.
“These awards show customers just what a high standard their local butcher sets.”