Hinba Bakery’s all-female team has taken a spectacular run of awards at the baking industry Oscars, the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2026.
The busy Glasgow west end bakery, a neighbourhood favourite for it croissants, pastries and sourdough bread, scooped no less than five awards, including two Golds and a Best in Scotland category.
These accolades crown 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 a Californian bread specialist and a vegan pastry chef.
It is also further endorsement for Fergus McCoss of the Hinba hospitality group, who recently added the bakery to his roster of coffee shops in Glasgow and Oban, and Tusco restaurant, formerly Eighty-Eight, on Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road, as well as Ziques on Hyndland Street.
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 the Gold Regional award for its Empire Biscuit; the Gold Regional award for its Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, which also won Best in Scotland; plus a Silver Regional award for its Pain au Chocolat; and a Bronze Regional award for its white sourdough.
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.”
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.
