Highland Shortbread Showdown 2025
Who's ready to taste round 3, the tasty tradition returns!
The Highland Shortbread Showdown is back for 2025, proudly supported by Williamsons Food Service! Join us for these much-loved events where you can taste, judge, and celebrate the finest shortbread creations from across the region, wider Highlands and Scotland.
Save the Dates:
Shortlisting Event
đź“… Saturday, 22nd February
đź“Ť Inverness Botanic Gardens
Help decide who will represent Inverness and Loch Ness in the Grand Final! Sample a variety of incredible bakes, meet the makers, and discover the stories behind their recipes.
Grand Final
đź“… Saturday, 8th March
đź“Ť Eden Court
The ultimate showdown! Enjoy tasting the best shortbread from across the Highlands and Scotland as the finalists compete for the top spot. Cast your vote in the public poll, cheer on your favourites, and celebrate alongside our expert judges as they crown the overall winner.
Bring your appetite and your love for Scotland’s most iconic treat, it’s going to be a deliciously fun experience for all!
2025 Judges
The Highland Shortbread Showdown wouldn't be complete without two of our original judges. Jeni, the legendary Badgirl from Bad Girl Bakery, and KJ, the creative mastermind behind KJ's Bothy Bakery. Their expertise and passion have been a cornerstone of this competition from the very start.
This year, we’re excited to shake things up with a new face on the panel! After claiming victory for two years in a row, it’s only fitting to welcome Paul from Mackenzies Bakery on Skye to join our esteemed judges. With his award-winning skills and insider perspective, Paul brings fresh insights to the 2025 competition.
We can’t wait to see these talented judges in action as they help crown the best shortbread of the Highlands and beyond!
Continuing the excitement of the 2025 Highland Shortbread Showdown, we are thrilled to welcome back the wonderful Sarah Rankin as our host. A celebrated MasterChef finalist and talented author, Sarah brings her charm, expertise, and passion for Scottish food to the event.
She joins our judging panel to compare the day’s festivities, Sarah will guide you through all the delicious action, share her culinary insights, and help crown the best shortbread in the Highlands.
Don’t miss the chance to see Sarah in action!
2025 Showdown Sponsors
This year’s Shortbread Showdown wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our event sponsor, Williamsons Food Service. As the North’s leading fresh fruit and vegetable distributor and a trusted full-service wholesaler for the foodservice, catering, and retail industries, their involvement is invaluable to making this event a success.
A family-run business for over 60 years, Williamsons Food Service is renowned for its dedication to quality and reliability. Supplying some of the biggest names in food and hospitality, their ever-growing product range spans everything from fresh produce and dairy to speciality delicatessen items, soft drinks, and pantry essentials.
Their passion for excellence makes them the perfect partner for celebrating Scotland’s most iconic treat. Thank you, Williamsons Food Service.
2025 Showdown Supporters
Supporting the 3rd year of the Shortbread Showdown, our thanks go to Scotland Food and drink and The Highland Council Common Good Fund.
Looking back at 2024!
A huge thank you to everyone who took part and attended the 2024 Shortbread Showdown grand final at Eden Court on the 17th March, wow do you like your shortbread! It was a fantastic day hosted by Sarah Rankin with hundreds of you coming to taste test the finalists bakes.
We are delighted that 11 Destination Management Organisations from across Scotland were represented in the final, businesses from each area competed with amazing creative, flavoured and traditional bakes. Some of the flavours included Arran Gold, pistachio, lemon, smoked Raasy whisky,Yuzu, Stem Ginger and Chai and more.
The wonderful bakes were able to be washed down with a delicious drink of coffee or tea with compliments from one of the event sponsors Grain and Grind.
The judges decided that the over all winner of the 2024 Shortbread Showdown was Mackenzie's Bakery from the Isle of Skye crowned champion for the second year in a row. Their bake was a Scottish honey and rolled oats shortbread that really impressed the judges – who said that saying that his “creativity, using oats to create the texture, was outstanding”.
After being named overall champion, Raymond Stewart from MacKenzie’s Bakery said: “I’ve had the idea for the shortbread for a while, but didn’t have the chance to try it. I couldn’t have done it without the rest of the bakery and their support – we all chip in and work as a team. Believe it or not, the first time we tried this version of the shortbread everyone liked it and we didn’t tweak it again. We are definitely going to introduce it to our bakery. Now we have to plan for next year!”
Our 2024 Winners
The winner for best flavoured shortbread was The Bake Hive, who represented the South of Scotland destination. Moira served up an incredibly popular and mouth watering Stem ginger and chai bake to take the trophy.
Taking the trophy for the best traditional bake was David from Oversteps Care home in Dornoch.
“Congratulations to the winners of the Highland Shortbread Showdown 2024,” said judge Coinneach MacLeod. “As the Hebridean Baker, I have always been passionate about the traditions of shortbread so I was excited to see how the competitors would share the techniques, artistry and flavours of our national biscuit – and they did not disappoint!
“With so many delicious bakes and interesting flavours, choosing our favourites was tough but well done to MacKenzie’s Bakery, Oversteps Care Home and The Bake Hive, as well as the winner of the public’s choice, R Macdonald & Son.”
The people tasted in their hundreds and voted the peoples choice winner to be Dorothy, she was representing R MacDonald & Sons. Her bake was a traditional shortbread that was extremely popular with the attending crowds.
Our youngest competitor, aged just 14 was Charlotte who's wonderful lemon bake that was presented so beautifully with an Easter, Spring theme won best stall on the day.
The event was hosted by MasterChef finalist Sarah Rankin, who commented: “I was thrilled to host the Highland Shortbread Showdown this year and see how creative the finalists got with such a traditional teatime treat! They certainly gave the judges and the public difficult decisions to make in choosing their winners. Well done to everyone who took part – it certainly was a sweet day!”
Fernando, owner of Xoko Bakehouse in Inverness, gave an engaging baking demonstration around the world of croissants. Something that you will find as a staple in the cafe on Bridge street alongside all their other delicious bakes and offerings.
A huge thanks to everyone who took part in another successful Shortbread Showdown, our sponsors, judges, host and to all who came along to be part of the day! We very much look forward to 2025! Get perfecting your bakes and enjoy some more photos from the day below.
A huge thanks to everyone who took part in another successful Shortbread Showdown, our sponsors, judges, host and to all who came along to be part of the day! We very much look forward to 2025! Get perfecting your bakes and enjoy some more photos from the day below.
Shortbread Showdown 2024
2023 Shortbread Showdown gallery
Inspired to enter Shortbread Showdown 2025?Â
The show must go on, and the Shortbread Showdown 2025 final will take place on Saturday 8th March 2025.
We welcome all interested businesses to register their interested HERE
Please note - you will be invited to a shortlisting event before the grand final on the 8th March, and no more than 3 businesses will be taken through to the final from one DMO (Destination Management Organisation) area.
What are you waiting for? Sign up today!