COULD the humble buttery – the salty, fat-filled, squashed croissant of Scotland’s north east – go the way of the dinosaurs?

That’s the fear of food fans who have managed to get the Aberdeenshire delicacy included in the Ark of Taste, a global attempt to preserve recipes and food stuffs on the brink of extinction.

While Noah limited his ark to “land-dwelling animals in which was the breath of life,” the Slow Food collective, who are behind the global initiative, are more interested in filling their vessel with“fruits, vegetables, animal breeds, cheeses, breads, sweets and cured meats”.

Their aim is to save “small-scale quality productions that belong to the cultures, history and traditions of the entire planet” that could be wiped off the face of the earth as the world slugs down convenience food, and mass production.

Campaigners in Aberdeen have now succeeded in convincing the group to include the buttery. But with that acceptance, Martin Gillespie of Slow Food Aberdeen says, came the realisation that, if the buttery, also known as a rowie, is to be saved from extinction fully, then it needs to celebrated.

That’s why last week he and colleagues launched the first-ever World Buttery Championship.

He believes changing fads in diet during the 80s and 90s led to the decline of the salt and fat heavy baked good.

“The traditional recipe for the buttery has been eroded, partly by commercialisation, and partly because of the striving for supposedly ‘healthier products’,” Gillespie said.

“Ten or 20 years ago, butter was basically outlawed in the country, lard was certainly outlawed, if you even looked at those, you’d be expecting have a stroke or a heart attack. A lot of water has flown under the bridge since then, there’s a kind of reappraisal of how those things are.

“We’re not saying the buttery is a health food,” Gillespie added, “but a little bit of what you fancy does you good.“

The contest, to be held next month, will see amateurs and professionals compete for the title.

Though it’s a global competition, it’s not clear how many people from the world, or certainly the world south of Brechin, will be entering.

The buttery is a particularly north-eastern delicacy.

The late Terry Wogan once almost caused a diplomatic incident when took a bite of one while presenting his BBC Radio 2 morning show.

“It’s like a mouthful of seaweed,” he spluttered on air. “I’m sorry, but it is an acquired taste. Maybe they would be better with a bit of butter or perhaps a dash of marmalade.”

He added: “I am finding them a bit salty. It’s like eating dried sea water.”

A rowie recipe can be found at the Slow Food Aberdeen website by clicking this link