Scottish bakery, a Highland cornerstone, recognised for significant global export growth on 60th anniversary of the UK’s highest business honour.
Walker’s Shortbread, the iconic Scottish bakery, has been formally presented with The King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, marking its fifth royal accolade for export achievement. The honour, bestowed yesterday at Aberlour House in Speyside by Andrew Simpson, the Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire, acknowledges the company’s substantial and sustained commercial expansion across global markets.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise, established in 1965 as The Queen’s Award to Industry, represents the UK’s most esteemed business recognition programme and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Renamed in 2023 following the accession of His Majesty King Charles III, the awards celebrate outstanding achievements by British businesses in four categories: International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility. Recipients of the International Trade award, like Walker’s, must demonstrate outstanding growth in overseas earnings relative to their size and sector, showing either steep year-on-year growth over three years or substantial growth over six years.
Walker’s Shortbread is one of only eight Scottish firms to receive a King’s Award this year, from a total of 76 businesses recognised nationwide in the International Trade category. This latest award solidifies Walker’s position as the most decorated food brand in the history of this category, having previously secured the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement on four occasions in 1984, 1988, 1999, and 2010.
From its production facilities nestled in Speyside, the 128-year-old family-owned enterprise exports its premium, tartan-packaged shortbread to nearly 100 countries worldwide. Founded by Joseph Walker in 1898, the company remains steadfast in its commitment to traditional recipes, utilising only four core ingredients: flour, pure creamery butter, sugar, and salt, free from artificial colours, flavourings, or preservatives. Walker’s also holds multiple Royal Warrants, including one granted by His Majesty The King in 2024 for the supply of shortbread and oatcakes, continuing a legacy of royal recognition from both the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother.
As one of the Highlands’ largest private sector employers, Walker’s Shortbread sustains over 1,400 jobs in the region. The company’s continued export success comes despite navigating a complex trading environment; while sales reached a record £201 million in 2024, the business reported a slight reduction to £197 million in 2025, alongside a decline in operating profit, attributed to factors such as US tariffs, shifting customer ordering patterns, and increased butter prices.
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Nicky Walker, Managing Director at Walker’s Shortbread, expressed the company’s pride, stating: “It was both a privilege and an honour to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire to Aberlour House and officially receive The King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. This is a proud milestone for Walker’s Shortbread, and it is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our entire team to uphold the standards of quality and innovation that my family has stood for since my great-grandfather started the business. From our home in Speyside, we have taken the finest Scottish baking to the world. This award celebrates not only our commercial success but also our role as ambassadors for Scottish craftsmanship.”
Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire, Andrew Simpson, remarked on the wider significance of the accolade: “It was a great pleasure to present this award to Walker’s Shortbread. While this prestigious accolade officially recognises their outstanding international trade success, Walker’s also remains a cornerstone of our local community. Their continued growth is a brilliant achievement for the entire company based here in Speyside.”
Walker’s success contributes to Scotland’s robust food and drink export sector, which accounted for a fifth of Scotland’s international exports in 2023, valued at £7.5 billion, and represented 27.4% of the UK’s total food and drink export value in 2025-26.
