Seven bakers set for Caithness and Sutherland heat of Shortbread Showdown
Seven keen bakers are in the mix for the Caithness and Sutherland regional heat of this year’s Highland Shortbread Showdown.
The competition is back for a third year, organised by Visit Inverness Loch Ness with support from other destination management organisations including Venture North. It is open to businesses across the region.
The 2025 regional heat for the far north takes place on Thursday, February 20, at the Pentland Hotel in Thurso.
The judging panel will consist of Fiona Polson, from the River Bothy at Berriedale, Gary Reid from Reid’s Bakery and Rebecca Wymer from No Nonsense Nutrition.
They will taste and assess shortbread submissions from Fiona Beattie (Royal Marine Hotel, Brora), Patricia Custer (Mrs Baverstock’s Bakery), Emma Gordon (Bonbon Bakery), Connor Macleod (Pentland Hotel, Thurso), Sarah Malcolm (Bydand Restaurant, Thurso), Connor Miller (Norseman Hotel, Wick) and Darren Munro (Northern Sands Hotel, Dunnet).
The judges will select three shortbreads to represent Caithness and Sutherland at the grand final at Eden Court, Inverness, on Saturday, March 8.
The 2025 Highland Shortbread Showdown judges will award prizes to the bakers of the best flavoured shortbread and best traditional shortbread as well as an overall winner.
There will also be a winner based on a public tasting of the shortbreads.
Susan Barrie, tourism engagement coordinator at Venture North, said: “We’re delighted to see a record number of entries for this year’s Highland Shortbread Showdown, from our tourism and hospitality industry across the region. Our judges will have a hard task.
“We’re sure that whoever is chosen as our finalists will make the north Highlands proud.”
Standards were so high in last year’s Caithness and Sutherland heat in Mackays Hotel, Wick, that the judges had to go back for a second tasting before they announced the three entries to represent the far north in the Highland final. They opted for two versions of shortbread made by Patricia Custer and one by David Buchanan.
The Highland Shortbread Showdown is supported by Williamson Foodservice.
The competition was given a high-profile mention on TV at New Year courtesy of former Great British Bake Off contestant Norman Calder, from Buckie. He took part in the Highland Shortbread Showdown in 2023 and mentioned it on the latest edition of Channel 4’s Great New Year Bake Off.
