Julia Bryce uncovers how food really is at the heart of the community.
During lockdown I have done one thing I never normally do. I have baked.
Unlike many of my friends, I am no seasoned baker. I hate following a recipe, I have no patience when it comes to waiting for things to cool, and decorating? Don’t get me started.
But somehow, in this unusual situation I’ve found it quite therapeutic, relaxing almost.
Fortunately for my waistline, I live within walking distance of many of my friends. Which got me thinking about starting our own bake swap?
It started with a few bakes back and forth, some fudge, and then some cookies. We would walk along to each other’s homes and leave a perfectly positioned parcel packed to the brim with goodies.
My boyfriend’s granny then got involved, too. My friend even baked her own afternoon tea for me!
So here I was, the non-baker, baking up a whole tray full of goodies to dish out to the masses. And I’m certainly not the only one who has been doing so.
Aberdeen Bake Club
Take the members of Aberdeen Bake Club for example. Colene Woolcott, committee member (or head chefs as they are known in the group) said many of the group’s members have also been doing this.
Established in 2012 the group, which was formed as a result of the booming baking trend when The Great British Bake Off kicked off, meets monthly. However, due to lockdown, the group haven’t been able to meet in person, so have turned to one another for guidance and advice online.
She said: “One of the reasons we set up the group was there was nothing like it in the area and people had an appetite to do something. We wanted to celebrate the joy of baking, and part of the joy of it is that it doesn’t always go right. We celebrate those baking fails and everything else.
“Quite a few of our members said that bake swaps have been a great way to keep their kids in touch with others. A lot of them are missing their friends so they will maybe hold a virtual bake session and then drop something off at their door. We’ve had members who have held afternoon tea swaps and a few are doing cocktail drop offs. Sharing ingredients has been a huge thing for us.”
Free to join, the Aberdeen Bake Club members have been following the monthly theme offline which has kept up the groups community spirit.
She added: “We’ve kept the monthly themes going to keep everyone connected and we’ve been able to help each other out with ingredient shortages, or bulk buying ingredients and sharing them out. One of our members has been testing out bake at home kits for a local bakery, too.
“I think just now, there’s a bit of nostalgia too, it kind of feels like what our grannies would have done.
“For home baking, it’s something that’s good mentally and you just switch off. You can get creative and let go a bit. For those working at home, your home is now your office so it’s hard to switch off. You can just disappear into your kitchen for a bit of escapism – I’m just glad we have this platform to get through it together.”
Quite a few of our members said that bake swaps have been a great way to keep their kids in touch with others. A lot of them are missing their friends so they will maybe hold a virtual bake session and then drop something off at their door.”
Colene Woolcott, committee member of Aberdeen Bake Club
While group meet ups may have stopped indefinitely for now, the committee continues to challenge the bakers of all levels in the group to keep everyone motivated.
“The best way of describing our monthly meet up is the ultimate afternoon tea because everyone brings something they have made, and then you take home what you don’t eat,” said Colene.
“The plan is to keep engaging with our community and we get a lot of requests for help for substitutions and things like that. We plan on doing bake/cook-alongs on social media and keep up the themes we’ve been running. A lot of people are looking for comfort foods or family favourites so I think we’ll do a bit of that too.”
And it’s not just baking that has bought communities together.
The rise of the Facebook food community – ‘Cooking through the Corona’
Boasting more than 30,000 members, Ann-Elyse Finnie from Peterhead never imagined her Facebook group Cooking through the Corona would take off the way it has.
Having started to get people excited about home cooking, the page has now attracted members from across the world sharing different recipes from various cultures.
Ann-Elyse, said: “I started it because I’m a foodie and love cooking. I felt it was a way to help others with ingredients they had in their cupboards. I didn’t think it would go bigger than a few of my friends and their friends. It was set up for everyone to share their tips and it has really just snowballed from there.
“The positivity and messages from all different age groups is great. I’ve had a message from an elderly man who is 70 and he baked his first cake because of the page. There’s been so much positivity within it.
“I never thought it would become so big and it’s made me pleased to see it grow. There’s a lot of banter on my page and there’s a few local guys who will always give us a laugh with a funny food-related meme.”
Also participating in food swaps, Ann-Elyse says the idea has been popular with a lot of her pages’ members.
She said: “It’s definitely something I’ve been doing with family, friends and neighbours. Where I live our neighbours are all quite close but everyone’s certainly dropping off things to one another – there’s a real sense of community spirit. On my Facebook page, there’s also people doing it. Everyone’s super helpful. I’ve seen other people from across the world doing the same sort of thing. Food is definitely bringing people together.”
But it’s the drive to support local people and to help others which Ann-Elyse hopes everyone will remember and take on board once lockdown finally comes to an end.
“Local businesses have been going back to home deliveries so the baker van has been doing drops offs as has the fish van. Its just something I hope continues after lockdown,” said Ann-Elyse.
“It really has made such a difference and I do hope people continue to support local as they have been working throughout these hard times.
“I think I’m going to rename the page Cooking After The Corona once this is all over. I’m definitely going to keep it going. There’s been so many people I’ve met through it.
“Some of us have decided to do dinner parties together after all of this and my street has said we will do a street party and everyone will cook something for it. My other neighbour has suggested we should do a Come Dine With Me in our local area, so there’s lots of things that have come out of it, including friendships that never existed before.
“I’m working on a recipe book to raise funds for charity and its so nice to see the support of people wanting to buy it. Some have messaged to say it has helped them cope a bit better on days they feel lonely.”
Local businesses have been going back to home deliveries so the baker van has been doing drops offs as has the fish van. Its just something I hope continues after lockdown.”
Ann-Elyse, founder of Cooking through the Corona
Ann-Elyse isn’t alone in starting up a Facebook group, or looking to create her own recipe book.
‘The Great Self Isolation Bake-Off’
Kemnay resident Lisa Munro who started Facebook group The Great Self Isolation Bake-Off, which now has more nearly 4,500 members, is also developing a recipe book featuring dishes from her members.
She said: “My members have been screaming for a recipe book so we’re going to raise the funds for mental health from it. I’m so proud and humbled by the amount of people who have went berserk for the page.
“It was actually an idea formed after my youngest daughter and I had a chat and she wanted to do a weekly family or cooking challenge. I thought we could start a wee group and get friends and family involved. All of a sudden it grew and it was more about encouraging people who didn’t usually cook, to cook. There’s this whole feeling of togetherness.”
Having won the Community Hero gong at The New Day Awards, an online awards ceremony which highlights north-east businesses and groups supporting the local community, Lisa has also been giving local food and drink firms the opportunity to advertise their services on her page every Friday between 8am and 1pm.
She said: “It’s just about bringing people together. I comment on every single person’s posts, which can be really tough to keep up with, and interact with everyone. If they have taken the time to post on my page, produce something and share their recipe, then I want to support them.
“I’ve shared ingredients with others but there’s loads of people dropping off food to neighbours. It really is bringing the community together. The only complaint I’ve had is someone said they had put on four kilograms since joining the page. When you’re cooking all the time for your family you stick to what they like, but having this page is meaning I’m being a bit more adventurous in the kitchen and I’m willing to try lots of different recipes.
“I’m not planning on my page to end, even after the recipe book. I think it’s been such a fantastic thing to do, I don’t want it to end. I know it will end up being quieter with people going back to work. It has been lovely for my friends and family, too, and I’ve made friends from this as well.”
