Walker’s Shortbread, one of America’s most beloved Scottish brands, made a spectacular return to the annual NYC Tartan Week parade on Saturday, 11 April, unveiling an impressive Scottie dog sculpture made entirely from its world-famous shortbread.
The giant Scottie dog, masterfully created by UK food artist Prudence Staite from over 1,400 individual shortbread pieces, was revealed by Walker’s Managing Director Nicky Walker at the Algonquin Hotel. The sculpture proved a popular attraction with spectators, situated at the heart of the Tartan Day Parade itself on Sixth Avenue.
Every April, a wave of tartan sweeps through the city, and this year Walker’s continued its tradition of creating show-stopping art, following its popular shortbread Empire State Building sculpture in 2024.
As part of the celebrations, Walker’s invited this year’s Tartan Day Parade Grand Marshal, Sam Heughan, to congratulate the winner of the popular Celtic Canine Competition. The event, sponsored by Walker’s and judged by Joseph Gadaleta, CEO at Walker’s Shortbread US, highlighted the brand’s partnership with The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to support animal welfare.
As proud Tartan Day sponsors, representatives from Walker’s Shortbread also took part in the Tartan Day parade, marching down Sixth Avenue led by the Robert Gordon’s College pipe band.
The Giant Scottie Dog sculpture is a fitting tribute from Walker’s, brining to life one of the brands most iconic and popular shortbread shapes. The structure also honours the company’s long-standing ties with the USA. The USA was the brand’s first export market in 1976 and home to Walker’s first international office, and the family-owned business has now been sharing the joy of shortbread with Americans for 50 years.
Nicky Walker, Managing Director at Walker’s Shortbread, said: “The United States holds a truly special place in the history and heart of our family business.
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“It was our first export market, welcoming our shortbread in 1976 and it remains our largest export market today.
“To commemorate our 50th anniversary in the US, we wanted to create a truly memorable tribute during Tartan Week.
“The giant shortbread Scottie Dog celebrates our shared heritage, and we were thrilled to have Sam Heughan join us to crown the winner of the Celtic Canine Competition.”
