When Colin Morgan was made redundant from his oil and gas job in 2020, he turned to Aberdeenshire’s famous butteries to carve himself a whole new global career.
Colin, 55, is the inventor of Col’s Buttery Kits, the original at-home baking kit for butteries and rowies. Started in 2021, Colin now sends the kits all over the UK from his base in Ellon.
And, as his chat with Me and My Buttery, reveals, his kits have ended up in some far-flung places, giving locals abroad a comforting taste of home.
Hi, there, Colin. We are talking to a buttery expert here, so tell us: how do you eat yours?
Usually straight out of the oven when they are made. Everybody’s different but that’s how I like them.
Is there a correct way to have a buttery?
There are so many different variations of how people eat them so it’s hard to judge which is the right way. The classic way would be to pick it up from the bakery and just eat it. Maybe with a bit of butter on it.
Hot or cold?
Cold. If you’re going to have it hot then it needs to be straight out of the oven. My baking kits give people the opportunity to make their own butteries at home, so they can taste how good they are out of the oven. They have a totally different texture compared to when cold.
Is this why you came up with the kit?
It was because of the age-old story – when someone from Grampian goes to visit relatives, they are always asked to go to the local baker and bring butteries.
The butteries will then sit in a car for a few hours, and people will have to eat as many as they can in a few days.
But with my kits, you can post them for next-day delivery and people can have them at their freshest.
Where have you sent them to?
I’m only sending them to the UK, but there’s nothing stopping people buying a kit and sending it to friends and relatives abroad.
Where have your kits ended up?
I just had a guy posting pictures of his butteries in the Philippines. He’s looking out over a valley and all you see his buttery with a slice of cheese.
There’s also been Australia, New Zealand and the Falkland Isles.
Did you expect your kits to be so well-travelled?
No, I thought it would just be a UK thing but then I found out people were shipping them to their friends abroad.
Do people experiment with the recipe?
Oh, yes. Nothing shocks me nowadays. I’ve had people telling me they’ve added some chilli flakes, cheese and black pudding.
You can make it your own. I mean, you could do garlic and herbs, though why you’d want to I don’t know.
I’m also rolling out a vegan buttery, which should be ready from my online store by the end of the month.
If you have an unusual or interesting way to eat your buttery, we’d love to hear about it.
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