Baker makes 'world's hottest pie'

Robert Ross, chief judge, from Edinburgh, samples some of the pies

A record number of butchers and bakers are to vie for the 11th World Scotch Pie Championship title in Fife.

Eighty competitors, 79 from Scotland have entered with one baker claiming to have created the 'world's hottest pie'.

Paul Boyle of Boghall Butchers, Bathgate, West Lothian, is the defending champion.

Judging at Carnegie College in Dunfermline takes place from noon on Tuesday with the winners announced on Wednesday 25 November.

The one English entrant is Graeme Trotter from Seahouses in Northumberland.

Sausage rolls, bridies and speciality product awards are also being judged.

In developing the pie two men have cried and one has felt faint but we feel there is a market for the pie Alan Stuart R T Stuart

Among the speciality pies is a five-a-day pie and arguably the "world's hottest pie".

The five-a-day pie is being developed by Jim Paterson of Kassey's Kitchen in Cowdenbeath, Fife.

One of his two daughters, Lissa, who works in his shop, is a vegetarian and she urged her father to come up with an all-vegetable pie.

The "world's hottest pie" is being worked on by bakers at R T Stuart of Buckhaven.

Alan Stuart, who is managing director of R T Stuart, said: "The guys thought it would be a good idea to go one better than a vindaloo and so we're using phaal curry, apparently three times the strength of that curry.

"In developing the pie two men have cried and one has felt faint but we feel there is a market for the pie."

Buckhaven-based baker and butcher, Alan Stuart, the event organiser, said the competition aimed to boost standards in the industry.

He said: "We're delighted to confirm that 80 companies have entered this year.

"We're also encouraged to see a number of new entrants, 15 in total, and everything is ready for the judging."