KILMARNOCK baker Brownings has backed a campaign seeking UNESCO heritage status for Scotland’s traditional morning roll.
The fourth-generation family business has joined Aldi Scotland in supporting calls for the popular breakfast item to receive international recognition.
Aldi says it sells more than 35,000 Scottish morning rolls each day, making them one of its most popular products. The supermarket works with Scottish bakery suppliers, including Brownings and family-run Murdoch Allan.
The campaign was launched by Peter Gilchrist and aims to have the Scottish morning roll recognised as part of Scotland’s intangible cultural heritage. Supporters say recognition would celebrate not only the roll, but also the skills, customs and communities connected with making and eating it.
Brownings, which was established in 1945, supplies traditional Scottish morning rolls to Aldi stores. The products have become one of the retailer’s best-selling Scottish bakery lines.
John Gall, chairman of Brownings, said: “As a family business now in its fourth generation, we’ve watched the morning roll stay at the heart of Scottish life since we started baking in 1945.
“It's more than a product to us, it’s part of the culture we grew up in and the one we're proud to keep going.
“That's exactly why this campaign matters, and why we’re right behind it.”
Brownings’ support comes alongside that of Murdoch Allan, which began supplying Aldi in 2023. The company now provides six product lines to Aldi stores across Scotland.
Paul Allan, who owns Murdoch Allan with his wife Katrina, said: “The skill and craftsmanship that goes into the morning roll has been developed over generations and passed from baker to baker.
“From selecting and blending the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients to preparing and shaping the dough and knowing the perfect baking process to achieve each roll's distinctive texture and character that Scots recognise as an integral start to their day.”
Aldi said the morning roll has been part of Scottish breakfasts, bakeries, communities and traditions for hundreds of years. It is eaten across the country, regardless of region or occasion.
The campaign follows France’s successful bid to have its traditional baguette-making culture included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022. That recognition covered the skills and traditions involved in making baguettes, as well as the bread itself.
Alan Leslie, buying director at Aldi Scotland, said: “The Scottish morning roll is so much more than a breakfast item – it’s part of everyday Scottish life and a tradition that has been enjoyed for generations.
“We’re proud to support calls for it to receive the recognition it deserves. And we’re equally proud that, through our partnerships with Scottish suppliers, we can play a small part in keeping these much-loved traditions alive.
“UNESCO might still be deciding, but as far as we’re concerned, the morning roll is already a Scottish national treasure.”
The campaign is seeking recognition for the wider tradition surrounding the roll, including baking knowledge passed through generations and its place in daily life.
For Brownings, the backing links the Kilmarnock business’s long history with a product that remains a regular part of breakfasts across Scotland. Aldi’s sales figures underline the roll’s continued popularity among shoppers.
No decision by UNESCO has been announced.
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