Whether you call it mince or mutton, eat it on a plate or in tinfoil casing, with or without sauce, there is room in many hearts and stomachs for the famous Scotch pie.

It is a staple which filled working men throughout the mid-20th century and continues to fill football fans week in week out across the country.

On Wednesday the Kandy Bar of Saltcoats was crowned the World Scotch Pie Champion 2016 in Cumbernauld and it has become a highly coveted accolade since the award was introduced in 2002.

Nearly 100 butchers and bakers all competed to have their name in lights and to be recognised for the delicacy. But where did it come from? Where did the Scotch pie actually originate?

Alan Clarke is one of the men behind the Scottish Bakers, who help run the World Championship with the Scotch Pie Club who have grown strength to strength over the years through the competition they created.

He told STV News the snack can be traced to the upper crust of the country in the Highlands when mutton became more readily available to Scots after being considered a "luxury" in the middle ages.

Mr Clarke said: "Scotch pies were originally known as mutton pies, as mutton was a cheaper yet very flavoursome cut of meat that was used as the savoury filling. The mutton was normally finely chopped or minced before being added to the other ingredients in the filling.

"It was considered not uncommon for the home baker to slow cook the mutton to release the flavour before being cooled, thickened and added to the pastry case.

"Centuries ago, mutton was a cut of meat more readily available in Scotland than beef, particularly in the Scottish Highlands. Mutton was widely used in stews and Scotch broths.

"Mutton pies, in the middle ages, were considered a luxury and even frowned upon by the Scottish church, as a self-indulgent food.

"In later times they proved to be a convenient and sustaining meal for working people and fast became a national favourite. The pies could be bought fresh baked from the bakery, still hot or from pie-sellers in the citys streets."

Mr Clarke added: "The characteristic shell would be hand-raised with a pastry consisting of wheat flour, lard, salt and water which, once formed into the traditional shape, would be allowed to dry at the oven for a few days before being filled and finished with a pastry lid made from trimmings of the pastry shell.

"The filling would perhaps be fine minced or chopped mutton, seasoned to taste and thickened with ground dry bread crumbs. The pie would then be baked till bubbling hot and golden brown.

"In present times the shell is machine-raised and the filling is more likely to be minced beef, although often a blend of mutton or lamb and beef is used. Traditional recipes for the shell, pie crust and filling are still used.

"The secret, in addition to a crisp flavoursome pastry, is the blend of a traditional seasoning which is added to the meat, this remains strictly guarded by butchers and bakers as a mark of their originality.

"The space on top of the pie is sometimes filled with gravy or beans, but nothing beats the anticipation of a real Scotch Pie, fresh from the baker's or butcher's oven with a crisp shell and a delicious, moist savoury filling."

Having judged the entries to the World Championship in November, Wednesday brought the announcement for who would be crowned the best scotch pie in the land.

The Kandy Bar won the overall award in 2014 before going onto win the "best football pie" accolade last year and claiming the top prize again on Wednesday.

Owner Stephen McAllister told STV News: "We feel absolutely over the moon. Delighted. Fantastic. Amazing.

"I think everyone comes here and the prize they'd like to win is the scotch pie world champion award - but you don't want to be over confident.

"To be crowned the world champion is just fantastic."

Mr Clarke has been involved from the very beginning and insists the bakers continue to impress the judges year on year.

He said: "This is the 17th year we have presented the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards rewarding the pie making skills of butchers and bakers across Scotland from Stranraer to Shetlands.

"The aim of the competition is to continually raise standards and we have seen many innovations in healthy recipes in recent years.

"At the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards to recognise the butchers and bakers that go the extra mile every day of the year to bring succulent and tasty pies to customers all across Scotland and further afield."