THEY came from all over Scotland – with one even making the journey from the USA – to present their carefully baked creations for scrutiny in the hope that their product might be crowned the best in the world at the 2020 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.

All roads lead to Dunfermline as bakers and butchers – 75 of them – cart in boxes of Scotch pies, sausage rolls, steak pies and savouries to be judged by a 60-strong panel of experts. As teams from trade association Scottish Bakers sort them into categories, head judge Ian Nelson rallies his troops and lays down a few ground rules. More than a few, actually.

Nelson runs judging day like a military operation and is the sergeant major who must be obeyed. His rules, however, are there for a reason – to ensure fairness and transparency at all stages of the judging process which will see 459 products scrutinised. And on more than one occasion his superior knowledge of all things pies is called upon if, for example, the judges don’t agree with each other or there’s a technical question that needs answered.

Think you’ve signed up for a fun day out eating pies? Yes, in a manner of speaking. But this is hard core and definitely not for the faint-hearted. And if you’re assigned the flagship Scotch pie category, you’re taking on a role that can make or break a piemaker’s spirit. It’s a level of responsibility that can weigh a judge down before you’ve tasted your first morsel.

This is serious business. The winner of the coveted Scotch pie category will be crowned world champion – and with that accolade comes a flood of publicity, coverage in the national and local press, usually a slot on the teatime TV news and, crucially for a small, independent business, a huge boost in sales. Everyone wants a slice of your award-winning pie and people will travel to your shop from far and wide to taste the perfect product.

As a seasoned food and drink judge and a regular member of the panel at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards, I reckon I know a good pie when I see one. It wasn’t always like that though – you have to earn the right to lend your taste buds to the Scotch pie judging jury, and over the years I’ve munched my way through everything from the vegetarian and hot savoury categories to steak pies and speciality pies before landing the plum job.

For a first-time judge, it’s initially quite a daunting experience so I was happy to offer a few words of reassurance – and advice – to some of the newbies, Outlander star Scott Kyle being one of them. Kyle, invited to participate this year as guest judge, was under the illusion that he would have to, quite literally, eat all the pies. “I’ve never seen so many pies in my life,” says the actor. “It’s absolutely incredible.”

Self-confessed pie-lover Kyle, resplendent in his kilt for the occasion, was a quick learner, however, and soon got to grips with the rules of pie judging. Check the bake, smell the product, what’s the texture and general appearance like, both inside and out? Then taste it. Just a little bit though – you’ve got at least 20 to get through!

Along with my judging partner John Murray, I identified two outstanding pies. Indeed, we both liked them so much we ate probably more than we should have. Others we classed as good, some – with apologies to the pie-makers responsible – were bad and there were a couple of soggy bottoms.

Some looked better than they tasted while some tasted great but looked awful. That’s the nature of this competition. The quest is to find the best in the world and some, frankly, just don’t make the grade.

This year’s competition saw the not-so-humble Scotch pie come of age as it was the 21st World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. The event was launched in 1999 by Fife butcher and baker Alan Stuart whose vision was to promote the quality and innovation being shown by the trade across the country – and, of course, celebrate a stalwart of Scotland’s baking heritage.

In addition to Scotch pies, the awards scrutinise football pies, macaroni pies, steak pies, sausage rolls and bridies. Other categories were cold savoury, hot savoury, vegetarian savoury, haggis savoury and apple pies. All products are judged anonymously – the maker isn’t identified – and that’s what attracts some entrants to the competition.

Jane Eaton, who owns the artisan Keptie Bakery in Angus with her baker husband Allan, has been entering the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards for a few years now. “We’ve won a selection of silver and bronze awards across various categories, including a silver for our apple round – our steak bridies have done well too, winning gold in 2014,” she says. “But everyone wants to walk away as Scotch pie champion – that’s the aim.

“We’re very pleased with our products because our recipes are consistent and our customers love them and, for us, it’s all about using the best ingredients including premium-grade flour,” she continues. “At Keptie, we make everything by hand, including our own puff pastry, and we do it with a huge level of passion because we care about our business and our customers.”

With three shops – in Letham, Forfar and Arbroath – the couple employs about 25 people. They bought the business nine years ago and are constantly innovating by introducing new products and services. “Our chicken jalfrezi poppadum pie is one of our newer inventions,” says Eaton. “We introduced it as a weekly special but it really took off and is now a regular product for us.

“You have to keep pushing boundaries and trying new things to keep your customers interested because they don’t have to shop with you. It’s all about working hard and providing products that people want along with service with a smile.

“When you’re an independent family business you appreciate the local support and that’s why we do all our personal shopping locally too – shops like ours can thrive in their communities if you give back to that community.”

For Alasdair Smith, chief executive of Scottish Bakers, the fact that so many bakers and butchers continue to buy into the competition is great news for the industry. “The Scotch pie is such an iconic product, one that is known across the country,” he says.

“While no two pies are the same, they all have one thing in common in that they are essentially a wholesome product with no additives. It’s not ultra processed and the only thing that has changed over the years is that most piemakers use less salt and fat.”

Smith also points to the benefits of winning an award. “You can’t underestimate the boost to your business because it shines a spotlight not just on your pies but the other handcrafted and artisan products in your shop. While most of us are asleep, there’s an army of bakers working their magic to turn humble and simple ingredients into an array of terrific products that are fresh and tasty.

“It’s great to see these butchers and bakers taking such pride in their products and entering the awards, showcasing skills that we can’t afford lose. Scottish Bakers is the largest independent provider of apprentices in Scotland through our training arm, National Food and Drink Training (NFDT), and we work with other food and drink sectors too, not just bakery.”

Meanwhile, all eyes are on the pies although the butchers and bakers will have to wait until January to find out who will claim the world champion’s crown. Previous winners include Kilmarnock-based Brownings the Bakers, The Kandy Bar, another popular Ayrshire bakery chain, and the most recent champion, The Little Bakery in Dumfries.

Entries shortlisted on Friday will now go through a secondary judging process with mystery shopper visits. Next time you buy a Scotch pie from your local baker or butcher, just think – it may be a world champion.