The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Championship attracts pie world’s upper crust
Top bakers gather to show off their wares and dream of winning top prizes
Food fans were pie-eyed yesterday as Scotland’s top bakers converged on Dunfermline for one of the industry’s top prizes.
The heat was on at the Carnegie Conference Centre as judging got under way for this year’s World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.
A 50-strong panel assembled to sample thousands of pastries from across the world ahead of a glittering ceremony to be held in the new year.
With tasty financial rewards on offer to the most brilliant of the bakers, head judge Ian Nelson said strict security had been put in place to keep the contest fair.
He also insisted it was the customer who was the ultimate victor.
Mr Nelson said: “It means a massive uplift in sales for whoever wins the categories and every year we’ve tried to improve the quality, so if you or I buy a pie or a sausage roll then it gets better and better.
“Over the years the quality has improved constantly and that is to the benefit of everybody.
“But when it comes to judging it is consistency that is ultimately king.”
This year’s event is the 19th time the World Championships have taken place and the competition has been expanded to take in 11 categories.
Sausage rolls, bridies, macaroni pies, vegetarian pies and even apple pies were among the goodies being subjected to tough scrutiny, before the upper crust of the pastry-making world is announced at an awards lunch in January.
Craig Mcphie, president of Scottish Bakers, which manages the competition, said the event was far from an industry
“There’s true passion but a respect as well
jolly, with serious bragging rights at stake.
“It’s all about pride,” he said. “There’s a true passion but a respect as well, but bakers and butchers put that time and effort in and want to be the best.
“We have bakers from the very north of Scotland, England and even America, so we’re now truly an international competition.”
jowatson@thecourier.co.uk