Finding Scotland’s best croissant
The Edinburgh Butter Company has officially named Maple Leaf Bakery, a home-based microbakery from Glasgow, as the winner of Scotland’s Best Croissant competition, recognising its croissant as the best in the country.
The competition took place on Monday the 28th of October at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, with HAVN in Bridge of Allan taking second place and Patina in Edinburgh finishing third.
Maple Leaf Bakery excelled among a strong field of competitors, which included renowned entrants from across Scotland such as Jeju Baked Goods, The Culinary Kiwi Bird, Kaf Coffee, Dune Bakery, The Palmerston, Station House Bakery, Sunrise Bakehouse, Freedom Bakery, HAVN, Patina, Broken Clock, Argyle Place, Le Petit Francais, Feingeback, The Fat Batard, Courie Courie, The Sheraton, Outlier and Wild Hearth.
A panel of distinguished judges, including Ross Sneddon, executive pastry chef at The Balmoral; Darcie Maher, owner of Lannan Bakery; Kayleigh Turner, head pastry chef at the two Michelin-starred The Glenturret Lalique; author of “Britain’s Best Bakeries”, Milly Kenny-Ryder and Director of Edinburgh Butter Company, Chloe Black, evaluated the pastries from some of Scotland’s best bakeries. Each entry was carefully assessed based on shape, colour, pastry development, texture, and taste.
Rebecca Slade, owner of Maple Leaf Bakery, expressed her excitement:
“It means so much to me to win this competition, particularly as a small home-based bakery. There is so much talent and dedication to the craft among the amazing artisan bakeries we have in Scotland, which is why I’m honoured to be recognised by these incredibly skilled judges. I am also indebted to Edinburgh Butter Company, whose pastry butter I’ve used since the very beginning. For me, baking has always been a labour of love, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share that with others.”
The competition was supported by other sponsors including The Balmoral Hotel, Rackmaster Baking & Catering Equipment, Mark Murphy, and Blackthorn Salt. It attracted an impressive range of entries from talented bakers across Scotland, reflecting the strength and creativity within the country’s artisanal baking scene.
Home-based in Glasgow, Maple Leaf Bakery has built a loyal following with its wide selection of baked goods, including its award-winning croissants. Run from a small home kitchen, Maple Leaf focuses on quality over quantity, crafting small batches with a dedication to traditional techniques and quality ingredients.
For more information about the competition and the Edinburgh Butter Company, please visit scotlandsbestcroissant.co.uk.
Author: Glasgow Foodie
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