Bayne's the Family Bakers have risen to the challenge and claimed four top prizes in the 22nd World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.

The winners were announced this week and the Lochore-based company proved the belong among the upper crust with two gold and two silver medals for their baked goods.

Judges gave top marks to their macaroni pie and small steak pie, with Bayne's sausage roll and mince bridie rated in the second highest category.

Alasdair Smith, chief executive of Scottish Bakers who run the competition on behalf of the bakery and butchery trades, said, “We have overcome everything Covid could throw at us this year to celebrate the best pies and as always the results do not disappoint.

"It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Bayne's the Family Bakers has taken a prize and they can be rightly very proud of their achievements.

"We took delivery of over 400 entries this year, so to win is no small feat and to know that every winning product was lovingly made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, freshly made daily by skilled craftspeople just goes to show the skill, creativity and hard work of each and every entrant."

The annual awards recognise excellence in the production of the perfect pie and are a firm favourite in the calendar with bakers and butchers vying for a top prize in 11 categories.

As well as the iconic Scotch pie, categories include football pies and savouries, macaroni pie, steak pie, sausage roll, cold savoury, hot savoury, vegetarian savoury, haggis savoury, bridie and apple pies.

The annual judging day, which was held in a Covid safe setting late last year, saw more than 70 butchers and bakers enter more than 400 of the nation’s best pies for judging by over 50 experts in their field.