The football team might be in the doldrums but Aberdeen FC’s famous Pittodrie Pie has won a top honour at the 2023 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.
The Pittodrie Pie, made by Hatton baker Murdoch Allan and sold at the Aberdeen stadium every match day, took a silver medal in the football pie category of the prestigious awards, announced on Tuesday.
Proving to have a thicker crust than the Aberdeen squad, which slumped to a dramatic 1-0 loss to non-league Darvel in the Scottish Cup this week, the pie beat out competition from all over the Scottish football league.
And it managed equal honours to the silver-medal-winning pie from Heart of Midlothian, which last week trounced Aberdeen 5-0.
There was even better news in the football pie category. Aberdeen FC’s Macaroni Pie, which is also made by Murdoch Allan, won a gold medal.
Which north and north-east bakers won a medal?
Elsewhere in the championships, a lack of north and north-east representation in the top Scotch Pie category was offset by awards in other categories.
Along with Murdoch Allan’s silver medal for the Pittodrie Pie in the football category, Fraserburgh’s Bruce of the Broch took bronzes for its Fraserburgh FC fish pie and steak pie.
Inverurie’s JG Ross won a silver in the vegetarian category for a chickpea curry pie while Pie Aroma in Fraserburgh also took a silver in the sausage roll section.
Pie Aroma went one better in the macaroni pie category, taking a gold. Charles Macleod bakers in Stornoway also bagged a gold for its haggis savoury.
Scotch pie glory for Angus butcher James Pirie & Son
The day’s top prize went to Angus butcher James Pirie & Son, which scooped the World Championship Scotch Pie Award for the fourth time in six years.
The Newtyle butcher’s Scotch pie ran out the overall winner following victories in 2021, 2020 and 2018.
James Pirie & Son also took the top prize for its sausage roll, winning a diamond title, making it the best sausage roll in Scotland.
Finding out he won the pie championship again, champion butcher Alan Pirie said: “I am speechless and stunned.
“I was delighted to have won the competition twice and to take the Champion of Champion title, but to have once again been judged alongside literally the best pies in the land and to have come out on top is beyond my wildest dreams.
“I really do make the best Scotch Pies in the world.”
Scotch Pie Awards winners-
The award categories included Scotch Pie, Football Pies and Savouries, Macaroni Pies, Steak Pies, Sausage Rolls, Cold Savouries, Hot Savouries, Vegetarian Savouries, Haggis Savouries, Bridies and Apple Pies.
The judging panel considered taste, texture, appearance and smell when it came to picking the best of the best.
Scottish Bakers chief executive Alasdair Smith said: “With nearly 500 of the best pies on the market submitted by 78 of the best butchers, bakers and other pie makers for judging by 60 pie professionals, all of our winners can be proud of placing so highly in the competition.”
The awards were presented to the winners by Carol Smillie.
These are all the winners from the Press & Journal’s regions.
The north
- Charles Macleod Ltd, Stornoway – Gold medal, Haggis Savouries
- Macleans Highland Bakery, Forres – Gold, Lasagna Pie (Hot Savoury category); Bronze, Macaroni Pie
- Andrew Kirk Butcher, Nairn – Silver, Steak & Black Pudding Pie (Cold Savoury category)
The north-east
- Murdoch Allan, Hatton– Gold medal, Macaroni Pie (Football Pie or Savoury); Silver, Pittodrie Pie (Football Pie or Savoury
- Pie Aroma, Fraserburgh – Gold, Macaroni Pie; Silver, Sausage Roll; Silver, Cheeseburger Pie (Hot Savoury category);
- The Bread Guy, Torry – Silver, Breakfast Pie (Hot Savoury category)
- Bruce of the Broch, Fraserburgh – Bronze, Fish Pie (Football Pie category); Bronze, Steak Pie (Football Pie category)
- JG Ross, Inverurie – Silver, Chick Pea Curry Pie (Vegetarian Savoury category)
- The Hame Bakery, Peterhead – Bronze, Steak Pie