A NORTH Ayrshire bakers picked up more awards than any other across the country at the recent Scottish Baker of the Year Awards. 

Irvine’s of Beith picked up ten gongs, including the title of Best Scone in Scotland with their Chocolate Orange scone winning the title for the second year in a row. 

Their prizes were presented by Mich Turner MBE at a glittering ceremony hosted by Scottish Bakers, the association that supports and promotes the interests of Scottish bakers across the country.

They won the following awards: Steak Pie - Regional Bronze, Chicken & Black Pudding Pie - National Silver and Regional Winner, Chocolate Orange Scone - National Winner and Regional Winner, French Fancy - National Bronze and Regional Bronze, Jap Cake - National Gold and Regional Winner and Potato Scone - National Gold. 

“We are extremely pleased to be recognised as one of Scotland’s best bakers” said Maurice Irvine, owner of Irvine’s, “We take our business very seriously and use traditional methods and craftsmen’s skills to deliver quality every time. But we could not have come this far in the competition without the votes of all of our customers. Thank you.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers Alan Clarke commented: “It’s been a long journey to get to this point. Over 11,000 customers from across Scotland voted for their favourite bakery products across eight categories. In April, more than 115 bakers delivered 850 of the most popular products in the land for scrutiny by a panel of 56 expert and independent judges led by artisan baker Robert Ross. With products from Stranraer to Shetland, we now have a ringing endorsement for our industry.”

The Scottish Baker of the Year Awards is the brainchild of Scottish Bakers, the Trade Association for bakers in Scotland who decided to search for the best baker in the land in 2012.

Alan added: “With thousands upon thousands of pies, scones, loaves, savoury items, morning rolls, individual cakes and biscuits sold in Scotland every day, our bakers work hard to keep us all going.”