I remember when Vegan Bay Baker first sprouted onto the north-east food and drink scene in 2019.
Steve Buchan started out working from his home kitchen, which is where we first caught up to talk all things business and what his main aspirations were.
“A goal of mine is to take on Vegan Bay Baker full-time,” is one thing the passionate baker said to me back in January 2020. It feels like it was just yesterday.
“I’d also love to say I’ll have a bakery premises this time next year – in Aberdeen or Ellon, preferably.”
Well, it’s safe to say Steve has achieved more than he set out to.
Vegan Bay Baker is in fact his full-time role – and has been for some time now. Not only that but he also has two bakeries under his belt, one in Peterhead and the other in the Granite City.
I have sampled some of the business’ goods in the past, of course, picking them up at several local farmers’ markets and the Aberdeen branch as soon as it opened its doors last August.
Peterhead was a different story, given that I’m very rarely in the area. However, my Too Good To Go (TGTG) app once again left me grinning from ear to ear. Yes, Vegan Bay Baker had a bag available.
I have attempted to secure several in the past at both shops to no prevail. They sell out scarily fast.
What I got my hands on…
I didn’t catch the name of the team member that handed me not one but two bags at the Peterhead branch last Friday, January 27, but they were an absolute delight. I was informed that she had in fact separated the sweet and savoury products to avoid them contaminating one another.
It was a lovely touch that I hadn’t experienced before.
The word garlic was mentioned, which could only mean one thing – I had bagged garlic focaccia. This is one Vegan Bay Baker bake I had wanted to try for some time. The smell filled my car as I made the trip back to Turriff and I couldn’t wait to dive in.
The other savoury item was olive bread. A stellar pair.
Joined by my family in the taste test, we sliced up both breads and enjoyed them alongside our supper that evening.
The garlic focaccia had a golden brown crust that was incredibly crispy and, of course, full of garlic flavour. There was a slightly salty taste to it too but nothing overpowering.
The crust of the olive focaccia was less crunchy but equally as tasty. It had a scattering of olives through it that added tanginess.
As we cut through both of them, there were air pockets in the crumb – a fantastic sign. I would have expected nothing less from the bakery team at Vegan Bay Baker.
The focaccias were light and had a slightly chewy texture. Don’t ask me which one I preferred because I simply wouldn’t be able to choose.
After our meal, it was onto the sweet treats. There was one iced doughring and two yum yums. Again, we sliced them up.
The yum yum has been a staple Vegan Bay Baker bake since its inception, with it being one of the first products Steve perfected.
The sweet, sticky, and glossy icing was just how I remembered it. And the bake had been topped with the perfect amount.
The pink icing on the doughring tasted fairly similar, however, was slightly thicker. It also had a drizzling of what appeared to be melted (vegan) dark chocolate across the top, providing a rich element.
Like the bread, the doughs were pillowy soft in texture. No complaints from any of us.
General prices of the items:
- Garlic focaccia: £3.25
- Olive focaccia: £3.25
- Iced doughring: £2
- Yum yum (x2): £6 (£3 each)
Total cost: £14.50
Total savings: £11.50
These prices were found on a Vegan Bay Baker Instagram post that listed a number of products available at the Peterhead shop and their prices.
Was it worth it?
There was nothing not to love about my TGTG from Vegan Bay Baker in Peterhead.
Every single item was large, to say the least, and tasted fresh. The taste, texture, and appearance of everything were superb. It was fantastic value for money.
If you happen to secure a bag from one of the two branches, then you’d be silly to not feel excited.
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