Scottish Bakers has announced the dates for the 18th World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.
Butchers and bakers throughout the land have until Friday 21st October 2016 to enter the most prestigious pie competition in the land.
With the launch of a new website, www.worldchampionshipscotchpieawards.org to make it easier for entrants to register their perfect pies, potential prize winners are being urged to enter as wide a range of 'products at their peak' than ever before with accolades on offer for the best:
Scotch Pie
Football Pies & Savouries
Macaroni Pie
Steak Pie
Sausage Roll
Cold Savoury
Hot Savoury
Vegetarian Savoury
Haggis Savoury
Bridie
Apple Pie
This year sees the introduction of celebrity judges to judge the football category. Former Scotland player Darren Jackson and Partick Thistle manager and SPFL Board Member Ian Maxwell will come together with professional judges to pick the best pies & savouries sold at a football match in Scotland. David Beattie chairman of Patrick Thistle was excited about this and said: "It's important to remember that managers and players are customers too and this gives us the opportunity to celebrate the great pies that are served every week in grounds all across Scotland."
And The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards is also delighted to announce the introduction of a new category for Macaroni Pies. Ian Nelson, head judge said: "The macaroni pie is a unique Scottish product and we want to recognise this and have created a category all of its own. This means that butchers and bakers now have more chances to win in our vegetarian savoury products category."
Judging for the competition will take place on Wednesday 9 November 2016 and products should be delivered to Carnegie Conference Centre, Halbeath Road, Dunfermline, KY11 8DY between 9.00am and 11.30am on this day.
The winner will be announced at a prestigious luncheon on 11th January 2017 at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld. "With a nip in the air and a 'soggy bottom' underfoot, customers will be looking for warming flavour-filled snacks and the ever-popular Scotch Pie more than fits the bill" commented Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers which manages the competition on behalf of The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. "And this year the competition promises to be higher profile than ever before with a number of new initiatives designed to celebrate the peak of pie perfection."