Caithness bakeries rise to occasion and win top prizes at national awards
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TWO Caithness firms rose to the occasion by winning top prizes at the prestigious Scottish Baker of the Year Awards in Glasgow at the weekend.
Reid's of Caithness were crowned Wholesale Baker of the Year and also took the honours in two other sections, winning won the top awards (gold) in the regional (Highlands and Islands and Grampian) and national category for its Jam Heart biscuit and for its Corn Bread. In addition, the firm received a national silver award for its buttery while its luxury caramel shortbread took regional silver and national bronze.
Annie's Bakery, based at Upper Gills, Canisbay also had a great night, winning the national Customer Choice Award for the bakery cafe of the year – an award it won last year.
The firm, which was started by Annie Body in 2013, also won a regional gold and national silver prize for its Lotus Biscoff Highland Cow (individual cake) award; a regional silver in the fruit scone category and regional bronze medals for its Leon Vienenese biscuit, its savoury cheese scone and its steak and haggis pie.
Gary Reid, who has been running the bakery with his wife Tracy for 20 years, described the atmosphere at the Hilton in Glasgow on Saturday night as "electric".
He said: "We did better than we expected and are delighted with the awards. We were up against 70 bakeries from all over Scotland and a total of almost 700 products. I am very, very proud. This is massive for us and shows what we stand for as a business. It has been a long journey and has not been easy. We have constantly been facing challenges and at times, you feel you are flying against the wind but we are getting there. This has been our most successful year so far."
Mr Reid, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Tracy, Kevin Cormack, technical and quality assurance manager, Lauren Mackenzie, bakery floor manager and Sarah Meiklejohn from the administration team, said the company has just received an order for its shortbread from Taiwan while last year it won orders from Costa Rica and Saudia Arabia.
Annie Body was very pleased with the awards her business received and said: "We are delighted to have retained the best bakery cafe in Scotland award. We won it last year but were unable to attend so it was great to pick it up in person this year.
"It was a great event and well organised. It was good to catch up with everybody and hear how they have been doing over the past year. It is great there are so many business doing so well still."
Annie's Bakery produces a range of savoury and sweet products, including gluten free and dairy free items.
Mimi's Bakehouse from Edinburgh was crowned Scottish Baker of the Year.
The competition is organised by Scottish Bakers, which supports and protects the interests of Scotland's bakery trade, and it was once again hotly contested with bakers each asked to put forward up to 12 of their products to be taste tested by 50 industry experts.
"With 630 products from 70 bakers in the running, each and every one of which was assessed for appearance, the quality of the bake and taste they can be rightly proud of their win," said Scottish Baker of the Year ambassador and star baker Mich Turner.
