Newtyle butcher is scotch pie champion.

Newtyle business James Pirie & Son prepares for a surge in demand after experts deem pies beyond compare

An Angus butcher’s shop has been named this year’s world Scotch pie champion.

James Pirie & Son, in the village of Newtyle, beat off competition from more than 80 butchers and bakers to scoop the coveted annual award.

TV presenter Carol Smillie presented the trophy to Alan Pirie, of the winning firm, at the 19th World Championship Scotch Pie Awards held in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.

Mr Pirie said he was speechless upon receiving the award.

“To have been given the ultimate accolade today and to be able to call our pie the world champion as judged by a panel of experts is just excellent,” he said.

“This award is proof of what I have known for a long time, that the James Pirie & Son team is the best in the land.

“I am really looking forward to the year ahead and to selling more of our champion pies than ever.”

The ceremony came after judges assessed hundreds of products for the competition in November.

Ms Smillie said: “I have announced the winner for three years in a row now and I know what it means to win, so I am delighted for James Pirie & Son and for what the year ahead holds.”

Craig Mcphie, president of Scottish Bakers, said: “Once again we have brought together the best pies and baked goods in the land, and today we can really celebrate the achievement of our hard working butchers and bakers.

“My heartfelt congratulations go to our world champion and indeed everyone today taking away a prize, they are all winners in my book.” Newtyle is a tiny, tranquil and unassuming village on the Perthshire/angus border with a population of just 800.

A good hearty sneeze while you’re driving past and you could miss it completely.

But now the close-knit community is preparing for its moment in the limelight, all thanks to champion butcher James Pirie & Son.

The outlet has been part of the village since the early 1960s and has no shortage of awards under its belt – around 170 at the last count.

Its walls are covered with gold and silver certificates celebrating a variety of mouth-watering produce.

However, this is the first time the shop has put itself forward for the World Championship title.

And for the people of Newtyle, it comes as little surprise that their local butcher has walked away with the food equivalent of the best picture Oscar.

For a start, its pies are pretty. They’re the sort of pies you’d expect to find in Ladybird books. And they taste great too. According to their makers, there’s no big secret behind them – just top quality meat and spices.

Now that word is out, Newtyle should expect the pie-eating masses to descend from all over.

Picture: PA. Alan Pirie from James Pirie & Son with the coveted award.