Scottish Bakers held it’s inaugural meeting in the Royal British Hotel in Edinburgh, on 22 October 1891, set up with the core purpose to promote and protect the interests of the region’s bakery industry, ensuring it remains competitive and equipped for growth. It does this by providing its members with skills development, technical information and assistance, along with hosting competitions, providing sector intelligence, legal advice, financial discounts, and social and business networking occasions.
“Our association is going from strength to strength and we made the most of the BIA Awards to celebrate our own success and, more importantly, that of our fantastic trade,” said Scottish Bakers CEO Aladair Smith.
“For 130 years, Scottish Bakers has been an integral part of its members’ businesses, providing specialist support services for bakeries of all sizes and I for one am proud to have been a small part of that journey in recent years.”
He added, “The Baking Industry Awards are a key date on the calendar each year, but of course, the past two years have been somewhat different, so to attend this years’ event alongside our president Linda Hill, is an ideal opportunity not only to celebrate the resilience of our sector but also to highlight bakers who have been delivering excellence daily in what they create.”
‘Congratulations to all’
The annual Baking Industry Awards – hosted by our sister publication, British Baker – is the most glamorous and eagerly awaited event on the UK’s bakery industry calendar, acknowledging the efforts of those who have not only thrived but shone over the past year. Not an easy feat in this current landscape dominated by the pandemic.
The glittering event saw Scottish Baker's member Stephens Bakery take the title of Craft Bakery Business.
Other members to be nominated as finalists included Beefcake Café in the Free-from Bakery Product of the Year category, JG Ross in the Customer Focus category and Mimi’s Bakehouse in the Craft Bakery Business category. Carr's got the nod for its Kids Mix in the New Bakery Product of the Year and also showed its team spirit in the Team of the Year category.
“We are immensely proud of all of our members shortlisted but also extend our congratulations to all the winners and runners up on the night doing our sector proud,” said Smith.
He added bakers in Scotland continue to strive as the unsung heroes in feeding communities with fresh daily bread, along with providing celebration cakes and special creations for weddings, christenings and sporting events as well as memorials.
“Three hundred bakery businesses embody their communities across Scotland by bringing folks from all walks of life together,” he added, noting that it’s not only about providing the freshly baked treats, but also about the £1.4bn the sector drives into the economy, a fifth of all food and drink manufacturing.
“The sector employs some 11,000 people in over 300 business of all sizes in communities across the country; that’s 34% of all food and drink manufacturing jobs in Scotland.
“And with the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards currently open for entries, we are proud to produce 30 million iconic Scotch Pies a year, too, contributing not just to the economy but to the happiness of the nation.”
