Fighting off stiff competition from 77 other butchers, bakers and pie makers, James Pirie & Son of Blairgowrie has been crowned World Scotch Pie Champion of 2024.
The traditional family-owned butcher was established in 1960 by James Pirie and it was his son Alan who was presented with the winner’s trophy by TV personality Carol Smillie at an awards lunch held in Cumbernauld’s Westerwood Hotel (16 January 2024).
This is the fourth win for the business, with previous victories coming in 2018, 2020 and 2022. It was also named World Scotch Pie Champion of Champions in 2021.
The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards recognised nine other categories including Football Pies & Savouries, Macaroni Pie, Steak Pie, Sausage Roll, Hot Savoury, Vegetarian Savoury, Haggis Savoury, Bridie and Apple Pies.
Launched in 1999, the annual event is organised by bakery trade association Scottish Bakers to highlight the craft skills the nation’s pie makers demonstrate every day making pies from scratch from locally sourced ingredients.
Whittled down from almost 500 entries, the winning products were all considered by a 50-strong judging panel to be the best of the best when it came to taste, touch, appearance and smell.
Scottish Bakers CEO Lesley Cameron said the winners “should all be very proud”.
Long-term Pie Award presenter Carol Smillie commented: “These bakers and butchers consistently provide such high quality, and the new faces tell me that the sector continues to thrive and prosper with more professionals than ever throwing their hats into the ring. Well done to all our winners.”
