A bakery boss has described being crowned the winner of the World Scotch Pie Championship as the "icing on the cake".

JB Christie bakers of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, took home the title after judges taste-tested a record number of pastry products.

More than 100 butchers and bakers submitted 500 pies, pasties, sausage rolls, bridies and savouries into the competition, now in its 14th year, which culminates with the naming of the maker of the best Scotch pie in the world.

Andrew Chisholm only bought the bakers, which has shops in Airdrie and Coatbridge, three months ago and praised the staff as "the best in the land".

He said: "It's overwhelming, it's just unbelievable.

"I could never have expected this at all. I've bought a fantastic company and they've been recognised for what they do.

"We hadn't entered it for a couple of years, it was the biggest field ever entered and to win it is fantastic.

"The staff are all long-serving, they know the business very well and know the standard that's expected, and it's great to be recognised for it today.

He added: "It's the icing on the cake, what a great start to go into 2013 on the top of this and hopefully lots of people come and want to try the pie."

Mr Chisholm said the secret to being the best could lie in the spice used in the pie.

He said: "John Christie, who owned the business before me, made a comment to say that it's better the pie to be too spicy than to not be spicy at all and I think the Christie's pie does have a bit of a kick to it and it has good flavour to it."

The company also took a gold award for its speciality onion pie in the hot savoury category.

Second prize in the Scotch pie category went to The Little Bakery of Dumfries, with Denholm Bakers of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, taking the third spot at a ceremony in Dunfermline, Fife, today.

Competition founder Alan Stuart said: "I am a proud man.

"Once again we have brought together the best pies and baked goods in the land and today we can really celebrate the achievement of our hard-working butchers and bakers.

"My heartfelt congratulations go to our winner, and indeed everyone today taking away a prize, they are all winners in my book."