Two Ayrshire bakeries are in the running for the 2023 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.
Beth Browning’s Bakery and Irvine's Bakery have been shortlisted for the prestigious title set to be announced next month.
Irvine's Bakery is based in Beith while Beth Browning's Bakery has outlets in Kilwinning, Kilmarnock, Kilmaurs and Stevenston
The bakeries battled its way to the finals after a tough day of judging where 60 experts munched through 500 entries from 78 butchers and bakers.
Beth Browning's Bakery manager, George McMillan, said: "Hopefully this will be our year. It would be a great achievement for us and the town if we won it but it's a huge honour to be nominated.
"I can't reveal any of our secrets to what makes a great pie but I will say we only use the freshest and best quality ingredients.
"I've worked here all of my life and we've always kept the same recipe with the best stuff you can possibly buy going into our pies.
"I'm proud as hell about the nomination.
"Even though times are tough and the costs of things are getting higher, we are keeping the costs minimal to our customers without sacrificing the freshest, best quality ingredients.
"We want to say a massive thank you to our amazing customers who keep us going."
The winner of the Scotch Pie category will be declared world champion along with all best in category winners at a prestigious awards lunch on January 24 at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld by TV personality and long-term pie award presenter Carol Smillie.
Scottish Bakers organises the annual competition to shine a light on the craft skills pie makers demonstrate day in and day out in producing Scotland’s iconic football, macaroni, steak and apple pies.
Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers Alasdair Smith said: “Announcing the shortlist is always a great moment as it’s the first time our entrants get an inkling that their pies have been judged as amongst the best in the land but it’s always great to be recognising products which have been lovingly made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, freshly made daily by skilled craftspeople.”
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