James Pirie & Son has won the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards for an unprecedented fifth time.
The traditional family butcher – based in the village of Newtyle, Blairgowrie, around 10 miles northwest of Dundee – was crowned overall champion this year having triumphed at the previous competition as well as in 2018 and 2020. It also took the title of title World Scotch Pie Champion of Champions in 2021.
James Pirie set up his eponymous business in 1960, with his son Alan joining five years later. In addition to its Scotch pie honours, it has picked up awards in Scottish haggis and sausage competitions.
Bathgate’s David Stein Butchers claimed the first runner up spot in the Scotch Pie category, while Irvines Ltd of Beith was named the second runner up during the award ceremony held at the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld yesterday (16 January).
“With nearly 500 of the best pies on the market entered by 78 of the best butchers, bakers and other pie makers and with each and every entry put to the test by 50 pie professionals who were looking for the ‘best of the best’, the annual winners have now been announced and they should all be very proud,” said Lesley Cameron, CEO of Scottish Bakers, the trade body that organises the annual event.
Other winners considered by the judges to be the best of the best when it came to taste, touch, appearance, and smell among the 10 different categories included:
- James Aitken Butchers, Alloa – Sausage Roll category
- The Little Bakery, Dumfries – Bridie category
- The Kandy Bar Bakery, Saltcoats – Macaroni Pie category
- The Kandy Bar Bakery, Saltcoats (for its Meat, Veg & Potato Pie) – Hot Savoury category
- Brownings the Bakers Ltd, Kilmarnock (for its Kilmarnock Steak Pie) – Steak Pie category
- Beefcake Cafe, Glasgow (for its Beefcake Trinidadian Black Bean & Vegetable Pie) – Vegetarian Savoury category
- WeeCook, Carnoustie (for its WeeCook MacChook) – Haggis Savoury category
- Fisher & Donaldson, Cupar – Apple Pie category
- Brownings the Bakers Ltd, Kilmarnock (for its Kilmarnock Steak Pie at Kilmarnock FC), and D H Robertson, Arbroath (for its Steak & Black Pudding Pie at Arbroath FC) – Football Pie & Savoury category gold winners
The competition, launched in 1999 by butcher and baker Alan Stuart, aims to shine a light on the craft skills demonstrated on a daily basis by Scottish pie makers making bakery products from scratch using locally-sourced ingredients.
TV presenter Carol Smillie returned to host the event once again. “I am always delighted to present these awards, to meet so many faces old and new and of course all those delicious pies,” she said.
“These bakers and butchers consistently provide such high quality and the new faces tell me that the sector continues to thrive and prosper with more professionals than ever throwing their hats into the ring. Well done to all our winners.”
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