The all-female team at the hugely successful Hinba Bakery in Glasgow’s West End has put the icing on the cake with a spectacular run of awards at the industry Oscars, the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2026.
The busy neighbourhood bakery, a favourite among West Enders for its golden croissants, pastries and sourdough bread, has scooped no less than five awards, including two Golds and a Best in Scotland category.
The massive accolade crowns another year of oven-perfect achievement for the artisanal outlet, run by 35-year-old mother of two and bakery professional Rachel Palmer and her five-strong team, which includes including a Californian bread specialist and a vegan pastry chef.
It is also a ringing endorsement for Fergus McCoss of Hinba, who recently added the bakery to his hospitality group, which includes coffee shops in Glasgow and Oban and Tusco restaurant, formerly Eighty-Eight, on Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road, as well as Ziques on Hyndland Street.
Rachel Palmer said: “Winning at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards means earning the respect of your fellow professionals, and to have taken so many awards is an enormous tribute to the skill and dedication of the Hinba team.
“We get up early in the morning to make sure that the racks are filled with fresh bread and pastries for our growing band of devoted customers and it is clear that the people of Hyndland and the surrounding neighbourhoods are loving what we do.
“People really care about what they eat and we use only the best ingredients – preferably Scottish, if possible – and our aim now is to continue to improve and make the bakery all it can be.”
Hinba won:
- Gold Regional for its Empire Biscuit;
- Gold Regional for its Chocolate Olive Oil Cake;
- Silver Regional for its Pain au Chocolat;
- Bronze Regional for its white sourdough.
It also won Best in Scotland for its Chocolate Olive Oil Cake.
The Scottish Baker of the Year Awards were presented by TV personality Edith Bowman at a glittering ceremony in the Hilton Hotel, Glasgow, earlier this month.
This year’s event put the spotlight on both Local Heroes – small to medium artisan bakeries at the heart of their communities – and Icons, larger bakers who combine tradition and craft with modern technology to produce quality baking every day.
Hinba director Fergus McCoss said: “Rachel and her team can be very proud of this amazing recognition from the best in the business and I’m sure they will redouble their efforts to give the West End another year of tasty treats.”
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Hinba is also preparing to expand its reach beyond the bakery counter, with plans to launch a wholesale operation that will bring its award-winning bakes to restaurants, cafés and delis across Glasgow and beyond.
The move will allow more people to enjoy Hinba’s award winning sourdough, pastries and bespoke creations, with the team working flat-out to ensure that the same standards and hand-crafted quality that have earned its national recognition will be at the heart of every wholesale order.
