Butcher, Baker and Great Banter in Scotch Pie Bake-off!

The butcher v baker Scotch Pie show-down in Quality Meat Scotland’s Scotch Kitchen at the Royal Highland Show produced some fantastic banter as well as a great spectacle of pie-making talent!

The bake-off contestants, with 80 years of experience between them, were John Gall of Brownings the Bakers in Kilmarnock and Paul Boyle of Boghall Butchers in Bathgate.

The pies were made with Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb and a large crowd gathered to watch the contest with butcher Paul Boyle narrowly emerging as the overall winner.

Both competitors have a long heritage in their respective trades. Brownings the Bakers currently holds the title of World Scotch Pie champions. The family-run business was established in 1945 by the grandparents of the current Managing Director, John Gall.

John Gall is a past president of trade association, Scottish Bakers, and butcher Paul Boyle is the current president of the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders Associations.

Paul Boyle runs two acclaimed butchers’ shops in Boghall and Broxburn and has previously held the coveted title of World Scotch Pie Champion. His business is a member of QMS’s Scotch Butchers Club and won Scottish Butchers Shop of the Year in 2015.

Paul’s father, William, started the business in 1975 and Paul entered the business after first training as a chef and working for five years at the North British Hotel in Edinburgh (now The Balmoral Hotel).

Presenter Bryan Burnett commentated on the bake-off which also highlighted for the career opportunities which exist in their respective trades.