'Excellent' family-run bakery named best in Scotland at national awards
A long-standing bakery was named best in the country at this year’s Scottish Baker of the Year Awards.
Scotland’s finest bakers were celebrated at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2026, with the winners revealed at a prestigious ceremony on 16 May.
Hosted by radio DJ and TV personality Edith Bowman at the Hilton Hotel, Glasgow, the event saw Inverness based Harry Gow Bakery claim the industry’s top honour as Scottish Baker of the Year for a record third time, the only bakery ever to achieve this accolade. The bakery also secured multiple Best in Scotland product awards on the night.
This win follows the competition’s launch event earlier this year, where Harry Gow made headlines as the unofficial record breaker for the world’s largest Empire Biscuit, creating an impressive 78-inch biscuit.
Speaking at the time of this win David Gow, managing director at Harry Gow said: “We’re absolutely so chuffed to win the world’s largest empire biscuit. It has been a lot of work and a big challenge but we came through in the end and the judges seemed to love it.
“Being part of the Empire Biscuit Challenge has been an absolute blast. The scale, the detail, the friendly rivalry, it was all amazing. Huge congratulations to everyone who took part, and we’re delighted to bring the win home for the icons today.”
This year’s competition introduced a brand new format, designed to better reflect today’s bakery industry and celebrate the businesses at the heart of communities across the country. The refreshed structure placed a spotlight on both local heroes, small to medium artisan bakeries who are at the heart of their communities, and Icons, larger bakers who combine tradition and craft with modern technology to produce quality baked treats we enjoy every day.
To be in the running for the ultimate title of Scottish Baker of the Year, bakeries entered The Baker’s Den, the business-focused stage of the awards.
Judges selected local heroes, Company Bakery and WEECOOK, and icons, Harry Gow and Pars Foods Ltd, who then went head-to-head for the overall title.
David Gow said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be crowned Scottish Baker of the Year 2026.
“This award is a huge honour for our whole team and reflects the hard work, passion and pride that goes into everything we do.
“To be recognised alongside so many talented bakeries from across Scotland makes this achievement even more special.
“We are in this position thanks to our father, who sadly passed away 18 months ago. He was an outstanding baker and confectioner, and we are good at what we do because of him.”
With more than 500 products entered by over 60 bakeries from across Scotland, this year’s competition showcased an exceptional standard of talent and craftsmanship.
Entries were carefully judged on appearance, baking quality and taste across 11 categories, including biscuits, bread, sweet treats, scone, morning roll, morning goods, doughnuts, celebration cakes, better for you/free from, multiple retailer product and innovation.
Lesley Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Bakers said: “This year’s Scottish Baker of the Year Awards have been a fantastic celebration of the passion, creativity and dedication that exists across Scotland’s bakery industry.
“From our local heroes to our icons, the standard of entries was exceptional and showcased the incredible talent we have right across the country.
“A huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners, and especially to Harry Gow on being crowned Scottish Baker of the Year 2026. To receive this title is a tremendous achievement and a real reflection of the hard work, innovation and commitment that goes into their business every day.
“We would also like to thank everyone who took part in this year’s competition, our judges, partners and sponsors for their continued support in helping us celebrate and champion Scotland’s bakery sector.”
Since 2012, Scottish Baker of the Year has celebrated skill and excellence in Scottish baking, creating opportunities for bakeries of all sizes to showcase their work, gain recognition and grow their businesses.
The awards come at a time when Scottish bakeries are part of a drive in tourism, as visitors seek more local experiences and are driven by social media content to visit certain businesses.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.