Mortons vs McGhee's: My winner in the crispy roll debate

While it all comes down to personal preference, for this week's taste test I'm pitting two Scottish bakers famous for their morning rolls against each other to see who comes out on top.

I'm tasting crispy rolls with just a smidge of butter to start and then with bacon, egg and sauce to see how they hold up when filled with a few fry-up essentials.

Read on to find out which one is my winner.

Pictured: McGhee's was the first to be tasted (Image: Supplied)

McGhee's 

Purely motivated by convenience, McGhee's is my go-to when making breakfast rolls at home. Their red packaging is omnipresent in Scottish shops from my local Co-op to Iceland and Tesco Metro in town. 

The duo I've picked up today are dark brown on the lid, not well-fired but crisp enough to crack when pressed down upon. It adds a bit of that lovely, almost burnt, flavour but also dries the dough directly underneath out to the point that it no longer has that desired chewy texture.

This is remedied by the addition of egg and sauce which add a bit of life back to the bake, but I fear it might be too little, too late.

Some will argue that McGhee's has done its job here, creating a bake that's built to handle greasy breakfast items without falling to pieces. And that's fair, they certainly have.

I wouldn't dream of complaining if served a roll like this at a cafe or shop.

But under the close scrutiny of a taste test every little detail matters, and on this occasion, it does feel as though flavour has been sacrificed for structural integrity.

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Pictured: A crispy Mortons roll awaiting the addition of bacon and egg (Image: Supplied)

Mortons

From first impressions only, I was sure that Mortons would be my lesser favourite of the two. It felt drier when cut through, and an airy-looking texture paired with a slightly darker dough colouring suggested that could be the case.

But looks can be deceiving. A bite with just butter had that home-baked flavour that was missing from McGhee's. With the added bacon and egg, the more robust roll served as the perfect sponge, soaking in the salty fat and runny egg yolk without becoming soggy.

Although the outer layer here is wonderfully crisp, the dough underneath remains light and chewy, adding something to the experience rather than just acting as a vessel.

I would highlight the fact that locating a batch of Mortons rolls was somewhat of a mission compared to McGhee's. 

They weren't available in any of the larger supermarkets, which meant hopping about newsagents in Glasgow's Southside until I struck gold, even with the help of their clever store finder.

But now that I know where to return to the next time, this really isn't an issue at all.  In fact, I feel far happier parting with some change at a local, independent shop instead of the big guys.

Pictured: Both rolls were tasted with butter, and then egg, bacon and ketchup (Image: Newsquest)

Final verdict:

I'll be honest and admit that when preparing for this week's taste test, I was worried I would have to scrabble to find differences between these two Scottish brands.

In fact, prior to this, I'm not sure I've ever stopped to wonder if my roll is from Mortons or McGhee's unless it is explicitly stated on a menu.

But having tried them both side by side, I did have a preference.

While both are far superior to any supermarket's own brand, in my eyes Mortons was the overall winner by a very tight margin. Perhaps I subconsciously root for the underdog, but I'm very glad indeed that this bakery was saved from being lost forever back in 2023.