Sweet success for Dornoch care home chef at Highland shortbread finals
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A care home chef from Dornoch says he felt "over the moon" when he scooped the award for best traditional shortbread at Sunday's Highland Shortbread Showdown.
David Macdonald, who works as a full-time chef for Crossreach Oversteps Care Home in the east Sutherland village, took the plaudits with his grandmother's 80-year-old heirloom recipe.
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Organised by Visit Inverness Loch Ness (VILN), the final took place at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness with finalists from 11 Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) across Scotland battling it out with their best bakes.
When it came to the crunch, Mr Macdonald's traditional offering bested competition from 10 other Highland candidates in its category. He finished fourth in the overall champion judging.
Mr Macdonald said: "I am over the moon. I was pleased to win it for the guys at Visit Dornoch, and for the care home. On a personal note, I am really chuffed and I'm delighted for my family too – having used my granny's recipe, and also having my wife and kids there with me.
"I'm pleased for the family at Oversteps too. We all support each other, and it's brilliant for them.
"I'd like say a big thank you to Luke Watson at Visit Dornoch and to Emma Harrison from Visit Inverness Loch Ness. Their support has been excellent."
The 48-year-old secured the title with a traditional shortbread biscuit prepared using a recipe book inherited from his granny, Madge.
Mr Macdonald says that some of the recipes in his granny's book date as far back as the 1940s.
He said: "I rescued my granny's recipe book from her house when she passed in 2000. I still use it to this day. She was a massive baker and she always had a big spread laid out for visitors. She must have baked every single day.
"I took inspiration from her recipe for my traditional shortbread. The only tweak is that she used margarine, but I use a vegan liquid butter, so its a dairy-free version."
The care home chef believes that his achievement is a feather in the cap for Oversteps, where he caters for around 24 residents – providing "restaurant style" meals.
"Care home chefing is an important and thoroughly rewarding job," he added. "I can't vouch for any other care home chefs, but residents' meals at lunchtime are restaurant style.
"I feel that they deserve the best. They have good food to look forward and that is a massive thing. It has to look good, taste good and be nutritional. I am passionate about flying the flag for the social care side of chefing."
In the other categories of the competition, Scottish Borders-based The Bake Hive won ‘best flavoured shortbread’ and Dorothy from R Macdonald & Son in Inverness was named as ‘the public's choice’. 14-year-old Charlotte of Charlotte’s Cakes & Bakes in Buckie won the award for the best stall.
Raymond Stewart from MacKenzie’s Bakery in Skye was crowned overall champion.
Entrants had to impress expert judges Coinneach MacLeod, more famously known as the Hebridean Baker; Jeni Iannetta of Bad Girl Bakery; Kirsten Gilmour of KJ’s Bothy Bakery; and Gary Reid, director of Scottish Bakers and managing director of Reids of Caithness, while the ‘public’s choice’ was chosen by those attending the final. The event was hosted by MasterChef finalist Sarah Rankin.
“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.”
Emma Harrison, destination development manager at VILN, said: “What a fantastic day at the final of the Highland Shortbread Showdown 2024! Eden Court was packed, and everyone had a lot of fun trying the delicious shortbread made by our finalists. The judges and the public chose some worthy champions. Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to the winners!”
The event also raised funds for Befrienders Highland via a raffle, and children attending enjoyed a treasure hunt. Other highlights from the final included a baking demonstration by Fernando from XOKO Bakery and free tea and coffee from Grain & Grind.
Host for the final, MasterChef finalist Sarah Rankin added: “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!”
