Top award win is 'dream come true' for Beith bakers

Irvine's Bakers claimed a pair of prizes in the highly-esteemed World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.

The Garnock Valley business was recognised in two of the most sought-after categories.

Irvine's, which has three stores in Beith, Kilbirnie and Dalry, with a further coffee shop in Beith, was named the second runner-up in the main award of the night - the World Champion Scotch Pie award.

But their biggest win of the evening came in the football pie category, where their steak pie offered at Beith Juniors matches was honoured with the top-placed diamond award.

It is not the first win for owner and managing director Maurice Irvine, who has been entering the competition since its inception.

The bakers won the top gong for its Scotch pie in 2011 and Maurice says that their continued success helps drive the business on for more.

He said: "It was good to be up close to the top for our Scotch Pies. For the football pies to come top of the pile, we can't argue with that.

"To do well in competitions, it gives you the hunger to be even better at your job.

"If you're better at your job the business will be better and the customers are going to benefit as well.

"That's what drives me on to do well in these contests, it makes you want to raise your game.

"It rubs off on the staff and customers, they're quite happy to know what they're buying is good."

READ MORE: Irvine's Bakers: Beith pies considered amongst worlds best

Maurice also hailed the competition itself for how it has helped highlight the amazing work carried out by bakers and butchers across the region since the awards began some 24 years ago.

He said: "The whole Scotch pie championship started because Scotch pies were getting such press.

"They wanted to show that there are a lot of good pies out there. Who's not going to want to win that. We won in 2011 and you actually see the difference in the footfall, so it's a very positive thing.

"The real benefit is it lifts everybody, it drives you on, everybody wants to be part of a winning team – you’ve got to work as a team.

"It's not really about beating other bakers, you've got to look a bit deeper than that and see that everyone can be a winner.

"The amount of worldwide publicity you can get from it is amazing."

The bakery boss said that the win not only means a lot to the business, but also to the people of Beith who know they have award-winning products right on their doorstep.

Maurice added: "You put a lot of hard work into these things but the satisfaction you get out of these things is great.

"Because we are only a small town here, everybody in town gets on board as well. It’s great to see these places getting publicity nationwide."

The Irvine boss said that winning awards was always fantastic.

He said: "The whole point was to put pies back on the plate, to show that we are all capable of making world championship winning pies. That's always the most positive thing of it.

"It's a dream come true to become a world champion.

"It just shows you how popular pies are in Scotland that this has had such a long lifespan."

It was also a great day for Beith Juniors, as the success of Irvine's steak pie means the club serve products that trump some of the Goliaths of the industry, such as the famous Kilmarnock Pie and those offered at Arbroath.

Maurice said: "It's good for the club as well. It's good that people see that there's good quality there in the football pies.

"The football aspect has certainly helped to raise the profile of piles because it's such a traditional pie and Bovril type thing.

"All these websites, there is people saying they've been to Beith and the pies are the best there have been – they do a full report on them.

"It's unusual for a club like Beith - who sell a number of our pies - it's a good positive thing for the club."

Maurice also wished to pass his appreciation on to all those he made these victories possible.

He added: "I would like to thank the staff and customers for their input and their effort.

"Being a baker, it's not the easiest job in the world, but they stick to it and they turn out quality products every single day.

"They are turning out award-winning products every single day, getting up at three in the morning to do that. I couldn't be happier with my staff.

"Our customers are very loyal and very discerning. As far as the staff are concerned this is their victory, it’s great for them to get noticed and get some sort of praise.

"Without staff or customers, we wouldn’t have a job, we need both in equal measures and that’s why we've got to do our best to keep these people happy."