Inverness is preparing to become the global home of shortbread as organisers confirmed that the first ever World Shortbread Championships will take place in the Highland Capital exactly one year from today.
The event will be held on twenty one November twenty twenty six and marks a major expansion of the enormously popular Shortbread Showdown which has been a highlight of the Visit Inverness Loch Ness calendar for the past three years.
High Life Highland will now take the lead in transforming the much loved local competition into a worldwide celebration of Scotland’s famous biscuit with home bakers, professionals and shortbread enthusiasts of every kind invited to take part.
Organisers say the event will honour eight centuries of tradition while leaving plenty of room for creative bakers to push the boundaries in new and surprising ways.
Categories will include everything from classic shortbread to contemporary and experimental styles with a new junior category added for talented bakers under the age of sixteen.
The ambition is simple.
Celebrate a global icon in its rightful home.
Emma Harrison of Visit Inverness Loch Ness reflected on the journey from the early days of the Showdown to its new international chapter.
She said:
“We have loved organising and hosting the Shortbread Showdown and seeing its popularity we know it has the ability to grow into something bigger.
“We have been exploring ways to expand and grow the event, which is why we decided to speak to our friends at High Life Highland, who I am delighted to say are picking up the reins.”
James Martin, Director of Sport, Leisure and Safeguarding at High Life Highland, said the organisation is proud to carry the event forward and sees it as a natural extension of its work showcasing Highland culture.
He said:
“High Life Highland is not just about leisure and libraries, we are also about promoting our rich Highland culture and heritage, you just have to take a look at the brand new Inverness Castle Experience or any of our many museums such as the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore or our award winning Archive Service.
“So for us, delivering the World Shortbread Championships from the Highland Capital in the form of a celebratory competitive event is a perfect fit for High Life Highland.
“While the detail of the event is still to be refined, we can announce today that the first ever World Shortbread Championships will take place at Inverness Leisure on 21 November 2026 so if you think you have what it takes, then you have exactly 365 days to perfect your recipe.
“The countdown clock has now started.”
Shortbread has a long and much loved history in Scotland with early versions believed to date as far back as the twelfth century and the first printed recipe appearing in seventeen thirty six.
For generations it was considered a luxury reserved for celebrations such as Christmas, Hogmanay and weddings before becoming one of Scotland’s most recognisable bakes at home and abroad.
The launch of the World Shortbread Championships signals a fresh chapter for the Highland capital and an opportunity for bakers from every corner of the world to bring their best to Inverness.
Organisers will announce further details in the coming months as plans for judging, categories, prizes and international entries continue to take shape.
