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Glasgow Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
World Championship Scotch Pie Awards success for Glasgow
Many of the city's leading establishments bagged the prestigious accolades in several categories at the event, which marked its 25th anniversary on Saturday, May 10. The awards ceremony took place at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. The competition had a total of 539 entries from 88 companies, with each entry judged by 50 industry experts on taste, appearance, smell, and texture. Categories spanned from iconic scotch pies to football pies, macaroni pies, sausage rolls, vegetarian savouries, and more. Among Glasgow's winners were Beefcake Cafe, who took bronze in the vegetarian savoury category for their Provençale-style vegetable pie, and McGhee's Family Bakers, who scooped bronze in the 'Lighter Options' category for their 'Skinny Scotch Pie'. Cooper Quality Butcher Limited (Image: Supplied) Pars Foods Ltd demonstrated their prowess in the Football Pie & Savoury category by claiming the silver for their delicious Scotch Pie supplied to Queen's Park, as well as the bronze for their steak & gravy pie supplied to Stirling Albion. Pie Sports Ltd also made the city proud with their golden win in the Football Pie & Savoury category for their Chicken Chasni Pie served at Partick Thistle Football Club. Carol Smillie, who presented the awards to the winners, said: "I am always thrilled to be part of the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards, celebrating the incredible talent and dedication of Scotland's butchers, bakers and pie makers. "Every year, I am amazed by the passion and craftsmanship that goes into creating these delicious pies, and it's fantastic to see both familiar faces and exciting new talent taking part. "The high standard of entries proves that the industry continues to thrive, with more professionals than ever showcasing their skills. 'Congratulations to all of this year's winners, your hard work and commitment to quality truly deserve to be recognised." The Apple Pie Bakery (Image: Supplied) The awards event was launched at Hampden Park with football legend Kris Boyd and saw the inauguration of the Scottish Bakers' 'Pieoneers' campaign recognising 25 years of craftsmanship in Scotland's pie industry. The contest was designed to celebrate these culinary accomplishments and the individuals who work to maintain the nation's culinary heritage. Lesley Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Bakers, said: "This year marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 25 years of the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. "It's a true testament to the passion, skill, and dedication of our butchers, bakers, and pie makers who continue to set the standard for quality and innovation in our industry. "Our winners should be incredibly proud - to stand out in such a fiercely competitive field is an outstanding achievement. "We're delighted to celebrate Scotland's pie makers, our 'Pieoneers', who keep our rich culinary heritage alive while pushing the craft forward." More information about the award winners can be found on the Scotch Pie Awards website.
Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
The 17 Edinburgh and Lothians winners at 2025 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards
This year's awards, which were held at the Hilton Glasgow on Saturday (May 10), saw over 539 products entered by 88 companies from the country's finest butchers, bakers, and pie makers, each showcasing their skills, passion, and craft in pursuit of the coveted titles. Following an intense (and filling!) judging day, 50 expert judges assessed entries for taste, appearance, smell, and texture across multiple categories – from the iconic Scotch Pie to Football Pies & Savouries, Macaroni Pies, Steak Pies, Sausage Rolls, Hot and Vegetarian Savouries, Haggis Savouries, Bridies, and Apple Pies. Reflecting the ever-evolving pie industry, the 2025 competition also introduced two exciting new categories, Lighter Options and Retailer Pie Product of the Year, further raising the bar for innovation and excellence. Take a look through our photo gallery to see all the winners from Edinburgh and the Lothians. 1 . 2025 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards - local winners Take a look through our gallery to see all the local winners at 2025 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. Photo: Third Party Photo Sales
The Herald Scotland
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Wemyss Bay McCaskie's Butchers crowned world's haggis champion
Third-generation butcher Nigel Ovens admitted to being overwhelmed when he secured the global title at the Scottish Craft Butchers Trade Fair in Perth on Sunday. The haggis triumph sealed a double for Mr Ovens, whose Scotch Pie – crafted to an award-winning recipe created by James Pirrie & Son of Dundee – was also crowned World Scotch Pie Champion at the Scotch Pie Awards. Judges praised his haggis for being 'meaty, with a coarse but moist texture'. Its 'spicy peppery element', said to kick in at the end, made it 'a real champion'. Head judge Jon Wilkin said it 'couldn't be bettered'. 'I've spent years watching, tasting, tweaking and learning from others and I'm absolutely thrilled to be lifting the World Championship – it's a dream come true.' The haggis was said to be 'meaty, course and moist' (Image: Scottish Craft Butchers) Mr Ovens' haggis won the Scottish Championship 10 years ago and the butcher, who owns McCaskie's Butchers at Wemyss Bay, fought off stiff opposition from 55 other producers to be named world champion this time around. He refuses to part with the secrets of the recipe that makes his haggis a world-beater, but did allow a few key details to seep out. The butcher said: 'Let's just say lamb fat probably helps sweeten the haggis and give it broader appeal,' he said, 'but after a lifetime spent perfecting the recipe, I'll keep the rest a secret.' Nigel said the world title was a reward for his 24-strong team at Wemyss Bay who work to ensure that his haggis is enjoyed by customers across the UK. 'Haggis is no longer a Burns Night and burst product,' he said. 'It is a versatile foodstuff used to create a multitude of haggis products enjoyed throughout the year. 'It's one of Scotland's most iconic products and this World Haggis Championship title is the one that every butcher in the country aspires to. 'This means so much to me. It literally is a lifetime's achievement – I'm so honoured, so humbled and so thrilled.' Head judge Mr Wilkin, Reader in Food Innovation and Knowledge Exchange at Abertay University, said McCaskie's haggis was the very best the world could showcase and a worthy winner of the championship. 'It's absolutely fantastic and I can't imagine there's a better haggis anywhere,' he said. 'The judges had a tough time because the standard this year was extraordinary, but Nigel's haggis had something special. 'It was meaty, with a coarse but moist texture, just the right amount of offal to flavour but not overwhelm, a really good salt level and a wonderful spicy peppery element that kicks in at the end – a real champion.' Mr Ovens' Scotch Pie also won the top award (Image: Scottish Craft Butchers) Louise Harley from championship sponsor Grampian Oat Products added her congratulations to McCaskie's after playing her part on the judging panel. 'It was an honour to be part of such a prestigious event as both a judge and a sponsor,' she said. 'The standard was incredibly high and, although scoring was tight, we congratulate Nigel Ovens and McCaskie's on an outstanding product. 'Oats are an integral part of the haggis recipe and Grampian Oat Products was delighted to sponsor the World Championships again this year.' READ MORE: Mr Ovens is only the second butcher ever to win the World Haggis Championship – a competition staged for the first time by Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB) in 2023 and held every two years. SCB President, Laura Black of Coopers of Bellshill and previous holder of the title, said she was delighted to see the extremely high standard of entry for such an iconic dish and congratulated Nigel for reaching his lifetime goal. 'McCaskie's are well known for their multi-award-winning products and for Nigel to add this World Haggis Championship to his plaudits is just wonderful,' said Laura. 'There are few butchers who wouldn't want to add that accolade to their honours and we're thrilled for him.'
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Scotland's 'World Scotch Pie Champion' crowned at prestigious awards
The winners of the 2025 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards have been announced. Scotland's best Scotch pie has been named as part of a prestigious award ceremony. An Inverclyde butchers took home the top prize at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. On Saturday, May 10, the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards were held at the Hilton Glasgow. The awards recognise the best of the best from more than 500 entries submitted by the top bakers, butchers, and pie makers across Scotland. The coveted World Scotch Pie Champion 2025 award went to James Pirie and Son of Wemyss Bay. The first runner-up for the gong was WF Stark in Buckhaven. According to the judges, a Scotch Pie must consist of a machine-raised, automatic or manual round shell of pie pastry. Ingredients for the filling must feature minced beef, lamb, mutton or a combination, with the addition of seasoning, rusk, stock, or water. In addition to being crowned World Scotch Pie Champion 2025, James Pirie and Son took home another top prize at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. The butchers also received a Gold award for their family -sized steak pie. Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers Lesley Cameron commented: "This year marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 25 years of the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. It's a true testament to the passion, skill, and dedication of our butchers, bakers, and pie makers who continue to set the standard for quality and innovation in our industry. "Our winners should be incredibly proud—to stand out in such a fiercely competitive field is an outstanding achievement. We're delighted to celebrate Scotland's pie makers, our 'Pieoneers', who keep our rich culinary heritage alive while pushing the craft forward." Scottish Bakers is the association supporting Scotland's bakery trade. It organises the competition to showcase the skills behind the nation's much-loved pies. Presenting the awards to the winners, Carol Smillie stated: "I am always thrilled to be part of the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards, celebrating the incredible talent and dedication of Scotland's butchers, bakers and pie makers. "Every year, I am amazed by the passion and craftsmanship that goes into creating these delicious pies, and it's fantastic to see both familiar faces and exciting new talent taking part. The high standard of entries proves that the industry continues to thrive, with more professionals than ever showcasing their skills. "Congratulations to all of this year's winners, your hard work and commitment to quality truly deserve to be recognised." The 2025 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards were officially launched at Hampden Park, with football legend Kris Boyd kicking off the countdown. It also saw the introduction of Scottish Bakers' 'Pieoneers' campaign, celebrating 25 years of craftsmanship, innovation, and dedication in Scotland's thriving pie industry. This year's World Championship Scotch Pie Awards saw more than 539 products entered by 88 companies from butchers, bakers, and pie makers across Scotland. The competition consisted of an "intense judging day", during which 50 expert judges assessed entries for taste, appearance, and smell. Other categories at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards included Macaroni Pie and Sausage Roll. The top prize for the former was awarded to D.G Lindsay and Son in Perth, while David Stein Butchers in Bathgate won the Sausage Roll award.
