Angus Butcher Crowned the World Scotch Pie Champion

An Angus-based butcher has won the 2018 World Scotch Pie Champion award run by Scottish Bakers.

Scotch Butchers Club member, James Pirie and Son of Newtyle, scooped the top award after beating off the competition of over 80 butchers and bakers with their world-class Scotch pie.

The annual awards, which are in their 19th year, feature categories such as Scotch pie, steak pie, sausage roll and football pie with each product submitted being judged by a panel of industry experts.

Several of this year’s award-winners are members of the Scotch Butchers Club, run by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

Tom Courts Quality Foods of Burntisland won first runner-up for the top award of Scotch Pie Champion, gold award for their steak and haggis pie, bronze award for their steak bridie and bronze award in the sausage roll category.

Other winners in the Scotch Pie category included J B Houston Butchers of Dumfries, who took home the gold award, WTS Forsyth & Sons of Peebles who were awarded with the silver Award and W F Stark of Buckhaven won the bronze award.

Minick of St Andrews were awarded silver award in the Football Pie Category for their steak and gravy pie which is sold at Kettle Football Club.

Hugh Black & Sons Butchers of Bathgate took home the gold award for their apple pie and a silver award for their chicken and madras curry pie.

Scott Brothers of Dundee were awarded the gold award for their mince bridie.

D. Faulds & Son of Kilmarnock were awarded silver award in the Hot Savory category for their honey lamb and redcurrant pie with a Seville orange glaze. They also took home a bronze award in the Steak Pie category for their steak and gravy pie.

John Lawson Butchers of West Lothian took home bronze award for their curried lamb pie.

The Scotch Butchers Club has around 250 members committed to sourcing top quality Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork from approved suppliers and this year sponsored the Sausage Roll category.

Alan Pirie of James Pirie and Son said: "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.

“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" said Mr Pirie.

Graeme Sharp, Marketing Executive, QMS said the 2018 awards were once again a great opportunity to showcase the innovation and skills of Scotch Butchers Club members, who have featured strongly as prize-winners in the awards over the past few years.

“It’s great to see members of the Scotch Butchers Club once again featuring in the awards. All of the finalists and winners have complete dedication to their craft and it is very rewarding to see them get the recognition they deserve.

“Massive congratulations to James Pirie & Son on their triumph and all of the winning butchers, bakers and the finalists in this year’s awards.”