Scottish Bread Championship 2024 Winners
The Scottish Bread Championship had a record number of entries this year – a breadcrumb short of 200 loaves. That certainly kept the excellent team of dedicated judges on their toes.
This year our diligent team of judges, giving freely of their time, were:
- Ameena Mur, of Jeju Baked Goods, Glasgow
- Chris Young, Real Bread Campaign Co-ordinator
- Donald Wilson, Deacon of the Incorporation of Baxters & Trustee of Edinburgh Bakers Trust
- Jennie Macdiarmid, Rowett Institute
- Jock Sharp, baker & past double winner of the Championship
- Johnny Aitken, Lodge on Loch Lomond Hotel
- Morven Hastie, former restaurateur and cookery presenter
- Professor Lindsay Jaacks, University of Edinburgh
- Professor Wendy Russell, Rowett Institute
- Rachel Barclay, cook, fermenter
- Tony Heath, home baker & former chef proprietor Let’s Eat, Perth
- Walter Mowat, Slow Food Scotland
The one and only of its kind, The Scottish Bread Championship, sponsored by The Edinburgh Bakers Trust Scottish Food Guide and Scotland The Bread brings together Real Bread makers from across the nation. Unique to this Championship, entrants could deliver their loaves (judged behind closed doors) then head for a cuppa and networking with fellow entrants before enjoying free time in Fife: visiting friends, walking in nature, exploring the region’s culture… or perhaps even indulging in wild swimming, a popular pastime along Fife’s shoreline! There were pre-arranged loaf “drop-off” options but many bakers car-shared and spent the weekend in Fife. Friday supper offered further opportunities to meet over good food and bread conversations; a precursor to the Scottish Festival of Real Bread and Awards Ceremony the following day, also at Bowhouse.
With eight classes ranging from Classic Sourdoughs to imaginative entries reflecting our diverse food cultures, flamboyant patisserie and The People’s Bread, promoting an everyday nutritious, tasty and achievable family loaf, there was something for everyone and a plethora of fabulous flavours for the judges to appraise.
WINNERS
Supreme Champion: Spelt Sourdough from Station House Bakery, Haddington
Reserve Champion: Tortano (Potato Crown) from Wild Hearth Bakery, Comrie
The Champion Certificates and Gold Awards were presented at The Scottish Festival of Real Bread, at Bowhouse, by Chris Young, Co-ordinator of the Real Bread Campaign. The event is now established in the foodie calendar, with bread stalls and workshops, meet the baker, learn to thresh, plus the Scottish premiere of Six Inches of Soil and a live performance of the new showstopper, “Arise!”
Wendy says, “What a wonderful range of loaves on display: from babka to spelt sourdough, brioche to acorn bread, focaccia to bannocks. The skills and imagination among these bakers give us wonderful flavour combinations from humble ingredients.