Me and My Buttery has featured a few far-flung buttery tales.
But none are as well-travelled as electrician Graeme Harrold’s rowie story.
During his career in the Army, the former soldier made sure his overseas postings were not buttery-free.
Which means he got the north-east’s favourite salty bread roll delivered to many of the world’s most recent hot zones, plus a few more countries besides.
We speak to Graeme, 53, about his special care packages, and whether the British Army needs to supply all its soldiers with a four-pack of rowies.
And we dive into Graeme’s addition to the growing pantheon of great buttery recipes – the Eggs Doric.
Hi, Graeme. Great to speak to you. Welcome to Me and My Buttery. Where are you right now?
I’m speaking to you from Pwllheli, a town in north-west Wales. I am originally from Aberdeen, but I left at 19 to join the Army and go off into the world. But wherever I went, I always got rowies sent to me.
Where did you get them sent to?
I got them sent to Saudi Arabia, sent to Iraq, Bosnia, Kosavo – they’ve been all over.
What did your fellow soldiers think?
They all thought I was mad. They would ask me what it is, and I would tell them: “Imagine a croissant but with 10 times the butter and fat.”
Was it a home comfort?
After joining up, I didn’t get to Aberdeen much, so for me it was a great lunchtime snack. At 10 o clock, pop them in the toaster and off you go.
How often would you get the parcels?
About once a month, I think. My family would send me eight or 12 at a time.
What about now?
Nowadays, I always have two or three packs in the freezer and either get them sent to me or stock up when I’m back in Aberdeen.
Recently, I’ve started making my own recipes. I saw someone do a pizza one. I thought I could do better than that so came up with the Eggs Doric.
What’s in that?
You have a slice of Stornoway haggis, with a poached egg on top and covered in hollandaise sauce.
And how does it taste?
Absolutely brilliant. Yeah, it might be a heart attack on a plate but the flavours all work together very well.
Was this a recipe you picked up on your travels at all?
No, back then I would just eat them straight out of the toaster. There was always a toaster available no matter where you we posted so that’s how I ate them.
I couldn’t put butter on them. There was no refrigeration in these places, and the margarine you got in the rations was rancid – you’d be better off with gear box oil.
It sounds like butteries work well in Army rations.
It’s a small snack with a high-energy content, so yeah, they work really well.
Do you think the military should put one in every ration box?
I’m surprised they haven’t escaped the north-east. I thought they’d be something that had spread a bit further by now.
More from Me and My Buttery…
Meet the bartender who deep fried a buttery and invented the rowie fritter
‘We used to eat three each!’: The Hairy Bikers reveal their weakness for butteries
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