Flora Shedden »

portrait by the very lovely Ciara Menzies

hello all.

how have the last two years treated you?

you may or may not have guessed it but mine were pretty busy. Who would have thought running your own business, doing up a house and trying to figure out what the heck I really wanted to do all along would take up so much time? Alas, we are here and so is ARAN Bakery. A year and a half in I have learnt so much, and slept so little. All in all it has been brilliantly painful.

I did however lose touch of everything else in the process. My social life is pretty dire, and I never seem to keep on top of things (this being a number one example) but I am surrounded by a truly glorious team who have nothing but patience for my particularly scatty ways, thank goodness. Maybe, just maybe this will be the year I find my groove…

Last week we were taking photos for an exciting new project I have been working on, in amongst the chaos of course, and it did nothing but inspire and remind me of the fun I used to have cooking and snapping (albeit amatuer) photos at home, podcast on and sink full of dishes. I loved the peacefulness of it all. And so with that in mind, and on the back of spending time with ladies I completely and totally admire (Laura Edwards, Jess Dennison, Kajal Mistry) I have returned to this wee space of mine, slightly nervously, and charged my camera for the first time in well over a year.

I hope to share recipes and inspiration from here, at the beginning of the highlands of Scotland, and tales from the bakery at the village. After all so much of my day to day comes from the little town I call home. I hope to share pictures and mishaps and all the things I love as they come into season. I hope to hear from you all, with any requests or stories. More than anything, I hope to stick to it!

Who knows? I might learn a trick or two this time…

If you do have any ideas, thoughts or requests please email me at flora@aran-bakery.com or drop me a comment/message on instagram @sheddenflora. I cannae wait to be in touch with you all again.

(We need to wash our windows…)

Well. Its been a while. Again. Its also been an even busier period than it was during my last stint of silence. I have composed a list of what has been happening to keep you in the loop.

• We bought a house. Two days before Christmas. Madness. Since then we have spent 3 months working on it intensively. I posted lots of updates on instagram if you are interested in seeing the process. It was very run down when we got the keys, and proved to be triple the work I had naively thought it would be (turns out stripping wall paper and a lick of paint doesn’t always cut it, que re wiring the whole property, new boiler, new radiators, new walls, new ceilings, the whole shebang). Now having moved in though it all feels like a foggy – very dusty – memory.
• We also bought a shop. Well the building we bought is split over three floors, the top two being the flat and the ground floor and basement making up a small shop. It seemed a bit too good to be true frankly as James was looking for a flat, and I was looking for a shop. At 21 I had no plans to buy anything let alone a flat and a shop, I was simply looking for somewhere to rent. Surprisingly the price and timing was right and as we bought it jointly it was just about manageable. The price was right because of the amount of work required, but after lots of youtube videos and a willingness to get dirty we managed to do a pretty hands on job of it all. Cake icing and decorating are very much transferable skills when it comes to plastering. And I can now open a beer bottle with a screw driver. Lots of important things learnt.
• During the stripping, plastering, filling, sanding and painting my book was released at long last. Gatherings was published on January 26th by Mitchell Beazley and is available here. I had a great time running all over the country meeting wonderful people at signings and Q&As. And it was a good excuse to get out of my overalls. I have also really enjoyed being sent images of what you are all making from Gatherings. Tweet me pictures @florashedden or on Instagram @sheddenflora. I love seeing them and hearing your stories. I will post a separate blog about the book as well as sharing a few recipes and images very very soon.
• A new job. I am now one of three new presenters for BBC Radio Scotland’s weekly food programme The Kitchen Cafe. It’s such a joy to blether about food and be paid for it. An added bonus is that as it is radio I can blether about food and not even have to worry about how I look. I love radio. We are on every Thursday at 1.30pm, and all previous episodes are on iPlayer. Tune in for some treats!
• Another new job. As well as blethering about food on the radio I am now blethering about food in the papers. More specifically baking in the new weekend supplement in The Sunday Telegraph. Read my column every Sunday where I discuss recipes, ingredients and keep you up to date on my other exciting new project (see below). Its great fun coming up with two new seasonal baking recipes each week and has provided the perfect excuse to play about with classic recipes I have been doing for years.
• And last but not least my other wee project. Well when I say wee, I am opening a bakery. Of course this was going to be what I did with our shop downstairs. It has been a long term dream of mine and so to see it being realised so soon still leaves me speechless. After a long wait for planning permission and a building warrant work is finally commencing next week. You can read the full story about ARAN over at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/aranbakery. I am busy building the website so I will share that with you as soon as it is finished, but in the meantime we are on Facebook, on Instagram @aranbakery and on Twitter @aranbakery if you want to keep up to date with developments (good and bad).

So I think that is about it from me. Its been a busy busy 4 months and I am so sorry you have been so neglected – I will be back soon with lots more snaps, stories and recipes. I promise.

Some poached ginger pears and some highlights from 2015:

• This thing called GBBO. And this very entertaining review of the bakers. Written by an insider surely.
• Blue Peter. And a SILVER badge!
• Being described by the Daily Mail as being “pretty in a sturdy way”. You just can’t make that stuff up.
• Ladz.
• Wittertainment Bond Special. The dream.
• Being listed as a chef – I got the giggles when it happened.
• Also this. An absolute gentleman.
• My apron.
• A cringe worthy quote people still say to me on the street.
• Moving to St Andrews.
• You and Yours!! Radio 4 guys. I squealed.
• Possibly the most entertaining man I have met.
• Recipes in the Scotsman – look out for more next year!
• Appearing in the Broons. Joe, you can visit with flour anytime!
• Extra Slice loveliness – including this.
• The foodie folk I have met.
• A total honour.
• This, obvs.
• Youths eh?
• all the insta love
• Hitting 20 – and all the birthday love that came my way.
• And Christmas.
• And every single thing I have left of or forgotten. Sorry.
• Many many more giggles, (BAFTA dinner, all the lovely folk that stop for a natter on the street, food demos, book signings to name but a few) so a mega thanks for all the laughs you lot. Its been a privilege.