January 2025; The Highland Shortbread Showdown is back for its third edition in 2025, with businesses from across the region and beyond being encouraged to enter their best bakes.
Entrants will follow in the footsteps of former Great British Bake Off contestant Norman Calder from Buckie, who entered the Highland Shortbread Showdown in 2023 and mentioned the popular shortbread competition on Channel 4’s The Great New Year Bake Off last week.
Businesses have until 3rd February to register for the Highland Shortbread Showdown, and you don’t have to be a bakery or sell shortbread, so long as you have an amazing baker in your team!
The Highland Shortbread Showdown, sponsored by Williamson Foodservice, is part of Inverness and Loch Ness Food and Drink Festival, organised by Visit Inverness Loch Ness (VILN), from 22nd February until 8th March.
Working with Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) from across the Highlands and Islands and some from mainland Scotland, businesses will compete at their local shortlisting event with the top three businesses from each event going through to the final at Eden Court in Inverness on 8th March.
“The Highland Shortbread Showdown and Food and Drink Festival are great events to start 2025,” says Jo Page, Digital Engagement Manager at VILN. “The Highland Shortbread Showdown has become so popular and now bookends the foodie festival fortnight, a great reason to visit Inverness and Loch Ness in the spring!
“We would welcome any businesses with shortbread aficionados in their team to enter this year for the chance to be crowned Highland Shortbread Showdown champion 2025!”
The shortlisting events and grand final are open to the public who can taste all the shortbread for themselves and vote for the Public’s Choice Winner. There will also be a Best Flavoured Shortbread and Best Traditional Shortbread winner, as well as the overall winner.
DMOs taking part in 2025 are Visit Moray Speyside, Visit Cairngorms, Visit Nairn, Visit Dornoch, Venture North, Outdoor Capital of the UK, Skye Connect, Visit Inverness Loch Ness, Visit Arran, Visit Mull and Iona, Food from Fife and South of Scotland.
The Highland Shortbread Showdown is part of Inverness and Loch Ness Food and Drink Festival. Over the two weeks of the festival, restaurants, bars, cafes and venues across Inverness and Loch Ness will be offering a variety of deals, exclusive tastings, special packages and unique experiences. Details of the deals on offer can be found here.
Also taking place during the festival is Taste of Inverness. Held at the Kingsmills Hotel on 1st March, the event will showcase the incredible local food and drink producers, suppliers, businesses, restaurants and experiences found in and around Inverness and Loch Ness.
To find out more about all of the events, please visit www.visitinvernesslochness.com/food-and-drink-festival-2025.
