Early March and bread is still high on my agenda – but rest assured I’m not overlooking meats and seafood, vegetables and beverages, fruits and dairy, sweets and savouries. For just a few days more, the wash up continues with the all-important feedback to be typed up from the judging sheets, digital badges to be distributed and many thanks to share.
Hats off to every baker who entered: bakers who were awake half the night ensuring their creations would be freshly baked for the Championship. Some positively bounding in bearing bread; others taking cautious steps from their comfort zone as they submit their carefully curated dough, and the remainder using the drop-off points where Alison and Bosse were kindly waiting, tailgates at the ready and open to receive.
It’s a joy to meet the bakers and welcome their support of the Championship – I applaud them all. I understand competitions are not for everyone, and as someone who entered our book in a competition only to receive a virtual slap in the face with no feedback at all, I respect every one of you and it’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly about giving feedback, doing our best to ensure it is useful and valid. [Incidentally, we have received incredible book reviews so I’ll get over that rejection…one day!]
Friday 27th February was Championship Day, our 10th year, with record entries. Judging took place at Bowhouse where 14 good folk and true, gathered for an intense day. Award-winning chef Neil Forbes, Champion baker John Castley, food writer Tom Johnston, Rowett scientist Wendy Russell, Sinéad Fortune of Gaia Foundation Seed Sovereignty Programme, STB Board Member Iain Waghorn, Morag Hamilton from SAC, Morven Hastie, cookery presenter & former restaurateur, anthropologist Erik Crnkovich, specialising in food culture, Nourish’s Anna Chworow, Slow Food Scotland trustee Walter Mowatt, Edinburgh Bakers Trustees Lynne Halfpenny and Pat Jones, and Real Bread Campaign’s Chris Young, all with their expertise – and all love real bread, an essential requirement.
Behind the scenes, Douglas Scott and his dedicated team of Elizabeth, Susan and Margaret (pictured above) are running continually to and fro, carrying anonymously coded loaves to enable the well-oiled machine of adjudicating to be possible. They deserve a medal! Thanks also to Frank and Margaret (another one), the spreadsheet gurus, for entering all the results so perfectly.
Our judges deliberated and discussed, sliced and savoured an incredible range of creations from the revival of an ancient Roman recipe to modernist twists on classics, homage to heritage loaves from Hungary, France and Poland and celebrations of local Scottish grains – not forgetting the delectable and imaginative pastries entered too. Heartfelt thanks to our worthy team of judges who give of their time so generously.
Talking of hats, the Edinburgh Bakers Trust has consistently and enthusiastically sponsored this initiative so this year I commissioned a local Fife seamstress to create a Bakers Boy hat modelled on their logo – for the full story see here. Heroically, Erik agreed to do the honours of town crier at the festival and successfully filled his brief in style for which I thank him sincerely.
On the Saturday, our Scottish Festival of Real Bread was an opportunity to celebrate winners and share knowledge with contributions from Mathew of Old Quay Bakehouse, Mallaig, Fernando of XOKO, Inverness, workshops, threshing, mill tours, Bosse’s heritage grains grown at Ardross, a pop up choir, a Nourish Public Diner, and super informative stalls from the Edinburgh Bakers Trust and The Rowett – every day a school day.
Just as important, bakers, millers, cooks and farmers from across Scotland could meet and chat, with many staying for the whole weekend.
Before we leave the Scottish Bread Championship for another year, a big thank you to the many volunteers whose help is invaluable. Co-creator and organiser Andrew Whitley of Scotland The Bread and I could not manage without you all.
Hearty congratulations to: SUPREME CHAMPION – Courie Courie Bakery from Aboyne for their Sourdough Miche (photo Ron Cathro Photography)
RESERVE CHAMPION – Alastair Begg from Kilbarchan for his Classic Sourdough (photo Ron Cathro Photography)
Winning duo cover shot (photo Ron Cathro Photography)
Full press release here
Full awarded results here
