Glasgow's Hinba Bakery Claims Multiple Golds at Scottish Bread Championships 2026

Hinba Bakery, the sourdough and pastry specialist based at Lauderdale Gardens in Glasgow's West End, returned from this year's Scottish Bread Championships with six awards across four categories, headlined by double gold for its rye sourdough entries at the Scottish Festival of Real Bread in Bowhouse, Fife.

The results, announced on Saturday 28 February at Bowhouse as part of Scotland's Real Bread Week, saw Hinba take gold in the rye sourdough category for both its enriched bread and true loaf. The bakery also collected silver in the white sourdough division for its white sourdough bread and true loaf, silver in the sea salt and rosemary focaccia category for its enriched bread and "Reflecting Scotland's Food Culture" entry, and silver in the croissant category for its pastries. Awards were presented by Pat Jones, Deacon of the Incorporation of Bakers and Trustee of the Edinburgh Bakers Trust. The Edinburgh Bakers Trust's published class results additionally list The Bakery Hinba's Classic White Sourdough as a Gold Award winner in Class 3, Bread from Scottish-grown grain milled in Scotland, a category that also saw golds go to Bruntlands Bread, Company Bakery, Mhor Bread, Selkie Bakery, and The Culinary Kiwi Bird. That listing appears to conflict with the silver placing for white sourdough reported across several media outlets, and the full picture of Hinba's white sourdough results across all classes has not yet been confirmed by the event organisers.

Head baker Rachel Palmer, who leads an all-female team at Hinba's Hyndland site, described the rye sourdough golds as particularly meaningful given the process involved. "Rye sourdough is one of our most labour-intensive breads, so winning two golds for it feels especially rewarding," she said. "Our focus is always on flavour, craft, and consistency, and these awards reassure us we're on the right track." Palmer, a Glasgow-born baker who has been working with dough since her teens, has become central to Hinba's reputation not just for sourdough but for its pastry programme and its work supplying the bakery's restaurant partners.

Fergus McCoss, owner of Hinba Hospitality Group, credited Palmer and her team by name. "Rachel and her team Victoria, Kerry, Greta & Arin has built something extraordinary at Hinba Bakery," he said. "These awards are a testament not only to her technical skill, but to her ethos, championing Real Bread, Scottish ingredients, and true craftsmanship." McCoss also pointed to ambitions beyond the baking competition circuit: "We're excited about what comes next as Hinba continues to grow and supply more of Scotland's restaurants, cafés, and hotels. These wins are just the beginning."

Palmer's own summary of the bakery's approach cuts to the core of what Real Bread judges are looking for: "We bake every loaf with care, using traditional methods, long fermentation, and the best Scottish produce we can source. To have that recognised on a national stage is a huge boost for our whole team."

Elsewhere at the championships, Dunbar Community Bakery claimed the Gold Award and Reserve Champion title in Class 5 for its 100% Rye Loaf with Coriander and Sunflower Seeds, underlining the strength of Scottish rye baking across the board this year.