Great Scots! Flocking to the flour show

Saturday 25 February 2023 saw more than 1000 people gather for the first-ever Scottish Real Bread Festival.

Organised by Scotland the Bread at the home of their mill, Bowhouse in Fife, the programme included:

• Working for an Honest Crust: a panel discussion with thoughts on grain security, health, diversity, equity and inclusion from professor Lindsay Jaacks (Edinburgh University), writer and artist Neel Paul, professor Wendy Russell (University of Aberdeen) and Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young.
• The premiere of a short film celebrating a new wave of agroecological Scottish grain, flour and Real Bread.
• A Taste of Diversity: A chance to try heritage and ancient varieties; as well as landraces and other mixed populations.
• The Big Thrash, giving children a hands-on chance to follow the trail from sheaf to sourdough.
• Bannocks & Ballads: stories and songs from Marie Louise Cochrane, aka Mrs. Mash the Storytelling Cook
• Straw weaving with Elaine Lindsay.
• Heritage grains workshop with Bosse Dahlgren.
• Flour to the People: Breaducation in Comrie with Wild Hearth Bakery.
• The People’s Bread: Real Bread demos.
• A market of Real Bread and more.

Photos of the event

• Real Bread Campaign's album 
• Scotland the Bread's album

Scottish Bread Championship winners

The event also included announcement of the Scottish Bread Championship results. Gold awards, including the supreme and reserve champion, were presented by Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Islands.

• Supreme Champion: New York Rye Sourdough by Company Bakery, Edinburgh
• Reserve Champion: Beremeal Boule by The Culinary Kiwi Bird, Insch, Aberdeenshire.

From nearly 140 entries from 36 bakers (double the number in 2022) those chosen to receive gold awards in each category were:

Classic Sourdough Bread
(Made using only flour, water and salt)

• Company Bakery - Baguette
• Station House Bakery - Station House Sourdough

Enriched Sourdough Bread 
(with additional natural ingredients - seeds, fruit etc.)

• Wild Hearth Bakery - Light Seeded Sourdough
• Mhor Bread - Walnut Sourdough
• Mhor Bread - Oatmeal Sourdough
• Cadzow Bakehouse - Seeded Sourdough
• Cukie Patisserie - Farmer
• Company Bakery - White Family Sunflower
• Knapdale Artisan Bread - Cranberry & Pecan Sourdough

Bread Made From Scottish-Grown Grain, Milled In Scotland

• Beremeal Boule by The Culinary Kiwi Bird, Insch, Aberdeenshire
• Station House Bakery - Spelt Sourdough

Bread Reflecting Scotland’s Food Culture 
(e.g. made with historic grains, or drawing on the nation's diverse and evolving food heritage)

• New York Rye Sourdough by Company Bakery, Edinburgh
• City Market Bakery - Struan
• Mhor Bread - Garlic Foccaccia Sourdough
• Mhor Bread - Choc Chip Sourdough Brioche

Bread Excelling In Nutritional Quality

• Wild Hearth Bakery - Rye, Wheat & Sunflower Schotbrott
• Bruntlands Bread - Balcaskie Landrace Organic

Sourdough Pastries

• Wild Hearth Bakery - Sourdough Pain Au Chocolat
• Wild Hearth Bakery - Sourdough Cornetto
• Wild Hearth Bakery - Rhubarb & Blueberry Danish
• Wild Hearth Bakery - Sourdough Almond Croissant
• Wild Hearth Bakery - Sourdough Cinnamon & Walnut Buns
• Wild Hearth Bakery - Sourdough Bomboloni & Vanilla Creme
• Ante Coffee - Sourdough Rhubarb Cobnut Danish

Cottage Loaf
(inspired by the benefits of baking at home for the family)

There were no gold awards but Warout 6/7 was awarded a bronze in the school category. 

The full list of gold, silver and bronze awards can be found on the Edinburgh Bakers Trust website.

Photo (L/R) Andrew Whitley, Chris Young, professor Wendy Russell, professor Lindsay Jaacks, Neel Paul.

See also

• Wild Hearth Bakery’s Highland hat trick
• Scottish Bread Championship winners announced
• Tartan triumph
• Scottish Bread Champion announced
• A breid apart