Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Producing more than 2,400 bakes weekly is piece of cake for 21-year-old Aberdeen confectioner Amber Hurst

Amber Hurst of The Bread Guy. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson
Amber Hurst of The Bread Guy. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

It has been two years since apprentice confectioner Amber Hurst joined the team at one of the fastest-growing bakery firms in the north-east, The Bread Guy.

And with the 21-year-old on the path to qualifying this summer, she has been reflecting on her time spent in the industry – an interest she is increasingly passionate about.

“I started my first job as a shop assistant at a bakery when I was 15 so I’ve always been around the hospitality industry,” says Amber, who lives in Aberdeen.

The four Bread Guy bakeries offer a range of sweet and savoury treats. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson

“At my previous job, I was able to watch the confectioner make cakes and at times was able to help out, which inspired my interest in being a confectioner.”

And when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, the youngster decided to put the long, tedious days to good use.

Home baking turned training at The Bread Guy

From then, it was game over. The thought of being a confectioner was all that Amber aspired to be.

She said: “Once lockdown began in 2020 I found a real passion for making cakes. I would bake most days at home for family and friends.

“I would watch videos on the internet to learn new techniques on baking and decorating.”

Amber found a real passion for making cakes during lockdown. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

The Aberdeen confectioner joined the team at The Bread Guy one year later in March 2021. She is based at the Torry branch on Glenbervie Road full-time.

The Bread Guy also has two other branches in Aberdeen on Great Northern Road and Thistle Street, as well as one in Inverurie.

2,400 baked goods made weekly

Amber works alongside the head of confectionary Ali and spends roughly 40 hours a week at the bakery producing sweet treats for customers.

Around 1,800 cakes and 600 doughnuts as well as pancakes make their way out of the kitchen weekly.

A peppermint slice. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Filled cookies, tarts, and muffins are among the other delicious bakes she could be whipping up behind the scenes. And she isn’t afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to creating new flavours or products.

“I mainly get inspiration from social media and then try to take my own spin on what I find,” she says.

The Aberdeen confectioner works roughly 40 hours a week. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

“I decided to show Gary (McAllister, co-owner and head baker at The Bread Guy) a drip cake idea two months into my apprenticeship, which he liked and decided to make them available to order for the customer. They are still really popular.”

Amber is also incredibly proud of her involvement in the creation of The Bread Guy’s toffee slice, which picked up an accolade at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards in 2022.

‘Practice makes perfect’

The Aberdeen confectioner has set big goals for the future and is encouraging people with an interest in baking to look out for apprenticeship opportunities.

“Practice makes perfect,” she went on to say.

“Have patience and take time to make whatever you are creating. If you have the opportunity to get an apprenticeship in confectionery, definitely take it!

Amber hopes to be a well-known confectioner across Scotland. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

“I’m proud of how far I’ve come in nearly two years of being an apprentice at The Bread Guy. I hope to be a well-known confectioner around Scotland for my bakes one day.”

Conversation