- Tennis icon Andy Murray has landed a fresh gig and starred in an advertisement
- He used to take a particular item on tour and he is now involved with the product
Andy Murray is swapping serves for shortbread as he has starred in an advert for a traditional Scottish biscuit brand.
The retired tennis ace is now a brand ambassador for Walker’s Shortbread – the first in the company’s 117-year history.
And Murray is the face of a tongue-in-cheek advert which speaks of an icon ‘loved by mums’ – before he takes a delicate bite out of the crumbly snack.
But the 38-year-old may want a word with his family – after years of tucking into his grandmother Shirley Erskine’s own recipe while playing around the world.
Erskine’s shortbread has graced Strictly Come Dancing, Sunday Brunch, and Mrs Brown’s Saturday night spin-off talk show – but Murray’s loyalties may now be divided, at least publicly.
‘I’m proudly Scottish, and partnering with Walker’s, a brand that has been representing Scotland around the world for well over a century, felt like a great fit for me,’ said Murray as he began a multi-year deal.
Andy Murray is a brand ambassador for Walker’s shortbread… just don’t tell his grandmother!
The tennis legend becomes the first brand ambassador in the company’s 117-year history
Murray’s grandmother Shirley Erskine has prepared shortbread for him and Jamie in the past
‘I come from a small tight-knit community and when I look back at where I have come from, I am proud of what I’ve achieved, which is something I share with Walker’s.
‘It’s a real honour to be part of this next chapter for such a well-loved Scottish brand.
‘I’ve been eating shortbread since I was a kid – my gran would make it all the time for us. We even celebrated my Wimbledon win with shortbread.
‘Shortbread is one of my simple pleasures. No matter where I am in the world, a piece of Walker’s Shortbread always transports me back home.’
Murray’s shortbread ad will be displayed at train stations across the UK.
Founded in 1898 with humble roots, Walker’s is a huge brand which employed 1,500 people and had an annual revenue of £184million as of 2023.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Murrya bowed out of professional tennis last summer after the Paris Olympic Games.
The Dunblane star shocked the tennis world when he revealed he would start coaching his erstwhile rival Novak Djokovic, though they split in May – six weeks before Wimbledon – after just six months together.
The tennis icon would often enjoy his grandmother’s shortbread while on his tennis trips
Grandmother Shirley pictured with grandfather Roy at Wimbledon Centre Court in 2012
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in September, he said: ‘The thing that I always found difficult in recent years was that there was always a guilt associated with what I was doing.
‘If I was going away for a trip of like three to four weeks I would feel guilty leaving my children at home or being away from my wife for a long time with them, so missing the kids I found hard.
‘(Now) I can dedicate time to my children and have free time to play golf or go to the gym on my own terms. It is really nice and I didn’t expect that.’
Even though he is an ambassador for Walker’s, one imagines there is no prohibitions on him tucking into the occasional family treat.
In a Sunday Brunch appearance in 2018, mother Judy Murray explained: ‘It’s her now very famous shortbread. She started making it for Andy and Jamie when they were travelling all around the world.
‘It was a little slice of something from home when they were on teh road. And it became a thing when they were doing the Davis Cup. They had it in the tea room. And it has become quite famous. It’s quite good.
‘She shares the recipe with everybody, but nobody makes it like her, so we reckon she puts something in it.’
