Emma 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.
“We were impressed with the extremely high standard of all the entries, but Maple Leaf’s croissant really stood out for us and we unanimously agreed that that croissant deserved the trophy” said Chloe Black. “We were thrilled to award Rebecca with a restaurant voucher for top Edinburgh restaurant Tipo alongside a specially commissioned trophy created by O&Co Blacksmiths. We wanted to create a special trophy for the winner to proudly display in their bakery and we are really pleased with what Olly fabricated for us.”
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.
