Bellshill butcher has scooped first ever national title for prime sirloin steaks!

Coopers of Bellshill has lifted the coveted Diamond award for the best steaks in Scotland in the nationwide "Naked Steak" evaluation by Scottish Craft Butchers.

And co-owner Laura Black said it was the many years of working hand-in-hand with the country's beef farmers and the traditional methods of maturation that saw her product come out tops.

Laura said: "Scottish beef is among the best in the world thanks to the dedication and hard work of our farmers and processors. "It allows our butchers to handle the best and pass that on to our customers. My team - and my father's before me - visit the local farms, markets and abattoirs regularly and have built up long-standing relationships with our suppliers dating back more than 40 years that ensure continuity of quality. t's an absolute thrill to win the award for the best steak in Scotland.

The award-winning "Naked Steak" chosen for entry from Coopers of Bellshill was a Limousin/Aberdeen Angus cross sirloin

Coopers, which employs 13 staff including six qualified butchers and two apprentices, has owned its Main Street premises for more than 40 years.

Laura left her 18-year career in business banking to take over the running of the business from her father in 2017 and is overjoyed that her first foray into competition struck gold.

Judges described Coopers' entry as "almost perfect", praising its presentation, texture and taste.