Butchers across kingdom taste success at national awards

Fife’s butchers are proving they are the upper crust.

Several have walked off with top honours in the Scottish Craft Butchers Savoury Pastry Products Awards of 2018.

Hugh Black & Sons’ chicken and smoked ham hough pies were judged the best chicken pies in Scotland, scooping a coveted diamond award.

The butchers, with shops in Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly, also secured two gold awards for scotch pies and steak and haggis pies as well as three silver trophies.

The company was one of around 60 butchers from across Scotland who submitted nearly 300 different pies, sausage rolls and bridies.

Scottish Craft Butchers chief executive Douglas Scott said this year’s evaluation had seen a record number of entrants, reflecting the growing importance of independent assessment of pastry products.

“The evaluation drives up standards year after year, all to the benefit of the customer,” he added.

“Awards are not given out lightly. These awards show customers just what a high standard their local butcher sets.”

Scotch pies and sausage rolls have secured two gold awards for Buckhaven butcher WF Stark.

The Butcher’s Shop in Kinghorn also struck gold with awards for bridies and chicken, leek and cheese sauce pies and two silvers.

A gold award, for sausage rolls, and six silvers provided a glittering start to 2018 for Burntisland butcher Tom Courts.

Buckhaven’s RT Stuart struck gold for a hand-held steak pie and three silvers, while Cardenden’s Andrew Kirk took silver for their bridies.