Taste of success for five Fife bakeries at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2023

Bayne’s the Family Bakers, GH Barnett and Sons, Stephens Bakery, Fisher and Donaldson and Cukie Patisserie were among those to bring home prizes at the weekend.

The competition, organised by Scottish Bakers which supports and protects the interests of Scotland’s bakery trade, saw bakers across the country put forward up to 12 of their star products to be taste tested by 50 industry experts.

Bayne’s, based in Lochore, scooped two national awards at the ceremony in Glasgow on Saturday night. The family bakery was named Retail Craft Baker of the Year and won the national award in the savoury category for their macaroni pie.

While north east Fife’s GH Barnett and Sons was the national winner for the best scones in Scotland with its fruit scone. The Anstruther bakery also won the gold award for central Scotland with their cheese and leak bread in the bread (yeasted) category.

Dunfermline’s Cukie Patisserie claimed the gold award for central Scotland in the bread (sourdough) category with its farmer loaf.

Stephens Bakery received two silver awards for bakeries in central Scotland – in the scone category for their cherry offering and in the individual cake category for their chocolate orange cupcake.

There were also two awards for Fisher and Donaldson, bronze in central Scotland for both their sourdough bread and their fudge doughnut.

Ian McGhee, Scottish Bakers president, said: “Each year our judges look for the best scones, loaves, savoury items, morning rolls, individual cakes and biscuits, as well as French and Danish style pastries and free-from bread, biscuits and cakes and the competition was once again close run. It was great to see the best iconic Scottish bakes entered alongside some fantastic new innovation on show, a real celebration of our fantastic sector.”

He added: “Each and every winner should be justifiably proud and we hope that for every well deserved prize there is a corresponding business boost.”

The overall prize of Scottish Baker of the Year was awarded to Edinburgh-based Mimi’s Bakehouse.