A Bangor bakery has won the Irish Wheaten Loaf supported by Andrew Ingredients category of this year’s Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food, the UK’s leading celebration of the art of bread-baking.

Scott McDonald of Olive Tree Bakes in Bangor, Co Down was declared the winner of the category by Stephen Hallam, Chair of the Judges, on Wednesday 26 October in front of stars of the bread-baking world who, for the first time in three years, had gathered together at St John’s Church, Hyde Park, London for the much-anticipated awards ceremony.

In addition to scooping the top place in the Irish Wheaten Loaf category, Scott also won Third place with his special ‘Guinness & Treacle’ Wheaten Loaf.


Claire Andrew, Brand Manager, Andrew Ingredients collected the trophy on behalf of Scott McDonalnd of Olive Tree Bakes, winner of the Irish Wheaten Loaf supported by Andrew Ingredients category, at the awards ceremony in St John’s Church, Hyde Park, London. Credit: Henry Kenyon

Scott opened Olive Tree Bakes in 2020, just before the nationwide lockdown; forcing him to change his business plan from baking for markets to delivery directly to customers. After the great success of his bakery, which grew to additionally supply several retail outlets, Scott established the Olive Tree Café earlier this year.

Scott’s winning bread creation was one of just under 500 loaves submitted to the Awards from around the United Kingdom. On the morning of Judging Day, which took place at Cathedral Hall in Westminster, the hundreds of loaves were delivered by courier, taxi and also in person to ensure maximum freshness.

“Seeing the high quality of the loaves submitted into this year’s Awards, it is hugely satisfying to know the skill and passion for baking good bread here in the UK is not only in good hands, but has to bode well for the successful future of our Craft,” says Hallam, whose fellow judges, all 70 of them, included Carl Shavitz, Founder & Director, Artisan Bread School, Cindy Zurias, Artisan Baker Consultant, Claire Andrew, Brand Manager, Andrew Ingredients, Jane Mason, Founder & Director, Virtuous Bread, Nick Harris, Chairman, Craft Bakers Association and Juliet Sear, Baking Expert, Cook, Food Stylist, Author & TV Presenter, The Wonder Baker.


Scores of judges gathered at Cathedral Hall, Westminster to assess the hundreds of loaves submitted from around the UK for this year’s Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food. Credit: Henry Kenyon

“It is great to be reunited with the bread baking community in real life, we welcomed some new judges to the family and were very impressed as always, by the expertise and passion during the judging process,” said Scott Goodfellow. “The standard of loaves submitted was very high, reflecting the excellent quality of the UK bread industry.”

Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food, launched in January 2013, is open to all bakers: amateur and professional, young and old. “What a joy to be back in the ‘real’ world,” says Caroline Kenyon, Director of the Awards. “Seeing the remarkable array of bread on display at Cathedral Hall when we held our Judging Day, it was clear the UK bread industry has really held its own despite all the slings and arrows. What heroes they are.”

FULL LIST OF CATEGORY WINNERS

Overall Winner (and Brook Food Plain Authentic Sourdough)
Pain au Levain by Marta Nagy, M’s Bakery, Pokesdown, Bournemouth

Brook Food Authentic Sourdough with Added Ingredients
Toasted Sesame Seed Sourdough by David Sargent, Sourdough Dave the Artisan Bread Man, Matlock, Derbyshire

Ciabatta
Ischia Sourdough Ciabatta by Carl Ashworth, Boys Bakery, Quedgeley, Gloucestershire

Flatbread
Turkish Pide by Gulsum Genc Koc, Mill Hill Artisan Bakery, London

Food NI Potato Bread in memory of Charles Campion
Potato Bread by Mark Douglas, Krazi Baker, Dromore, Northern Ireland

Fruit
Organic Fruit Bread by Michael Engler, Daylesford Organic, Daylesford, Gloucestershire

Gluten-Free
Blood Orange and Chocolate Chip Brioche by Vicky Robertson, The Little Bakery of Happiness, Welford, Northamptonshire

Irish Wheaten Loaf supported by Andrew Ingredients
Wheaten Loaf by Scott McDonald, Olive Tree Bakes, Bangor, Northern Ireland

KitchenAid Home Baker - Open
Farmhouse Loaf by Graham Kinnear, Isham, Northamptonshire

KitchenAid Home Baker - Sourdough
Olives Sourdough by Borislav Petrov, London

People’s Choice
M’s Bakery, Pokesdown, Bournemouth

Real Bread Campaign sponsored by Shipton Mill
Heritage Wholemeal by Maisie Collins, Hearth, London

Speciality Savoury
Sourdough Simit - Turkish Sesame Rings by Gulsum Genc Koc, Mill Hill Artisan Bakery, London

Speciality Sweet
Brioche Bun by Sandor Bagameri, Stir Bakery, Cambridge

The Edinburgh Butter Co. Baguette
Tradi Baguette by Bassem Yahia, Chocolatine Bakery, London

Tiptree Patisserie Trainee Baker Award
Kai Green, Oxfords Bakery, Alweston, Dorset

The Tiptree Showstopper
Marmalade and Dark Chocolate Bun by Nicola Cooper, Blake's Kitchen, Clanfield, Oxfordshire

Vegan
Potato & Thyme Sourdough, Artur Wroblewski, Capital Bread, Greenford, Middlesex

Wholegrain
Rye 3 Grains by Dorian Grudzien, Polish Village Bread, Hayes, Middlesex

Wright’s Flour Great British White
White Tin by Paul Jones, Paul's Bread, Penzance, Cornwall