Ashers Bakery and Inverness cafe make shortlist for The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards
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Two Highland businesses have been shortlisted the 22nd World Championship Scotch Pie Awards following the annual judging day.
Both Ashers Bakery of Nairn – who have a shop in Aviemore – and Cafev8 of Inverness have made it through to the finals.
More than 70 butchers and bakers delivered over 400 of the nation’s best pies for judging by over 50 experts in their field.
Under the watchful eye of head judge Ian Nelson, each entry was carefully assessed for its appearance, consistency and of course taste.
The judges selected a series of best in category pies including the 2022 World Champion Scotch Pie, although for this ultimate category there is still one final stage to determine the winner – a 'mystery shop' – to ensure the Scotch Pie entered into the awards is exactly the same pie that is sold day in and day out to happy customers.
As always, the judges were looking for pie perfection across entrants in 11 categories; Scotch Pie, Football Pies and Savouries, Macaroni Pie, Steak Pie, Sausage Roll, Cold Savoury, Hot Savoury, Vegetarian Savoury, Haggis Savoury, Bridie and Apple Pies and the winners will be announced at a prestigious lunch on January 18, 2022, at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld hosted by Carole Smilie.
Alasdair Smith, the chief executive of Scottish Bakers who run the competition on behalf of bakery and butchery trades, said: "Announcing the shortlist is such a momentous moment as it’s the first inkling our entrants get that their pies have been judged to be the best of a very good field, so it is with great pleasure that we can announce that both Ashers Bakery and Cafev8 have made it through.
“We took delivery of over 400 entries this year, so to be on the shortlist is a huge achievement.
"And for me it’s great to be recognising products which have been lovingly made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, freshly made daily by skilled craftspeople. Roll on the 18th.”
