GREENOCK bakers Aulds have made the shortlist for The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards.

The company is in the running for the prestigious title following the annual judging day, when nearly 500 of the best pies on the market were put to the taste test by no fewer than 60 'pie professionals' who selected the best of the best.

The winners will be crowned on January 16 at the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld by TV personality and long-term pie award presenter Carol Smillie.

Scottish Bakers organises the annual competition to shine a light on the craft skills pie makers demonstrate day in, day out.

Chief executive of Scottish Bakers Lesley Cameron said: “This is my first World Championship Scotch Pie Awards as CEO of Scottish Bakers and I have been amazed at the passion of each and every entrant, not to mention the creativity, quality and innovation of the entries submitted for consideration by our professional judges.

“Announcing the shortlist is always a great moment as it’s the first time our entrants get an inkling that their pies have been judged as amongst the best in the country and it’s always great to be recognising products which have been lovingly made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, freshly made daily by skilled craftspeople.”