The Ballater Baker: New team brings bakery back to village

The opportunity to keep “the home of the famous Balmoral bread” in Ballater was one Jill Mckay could not let pass her by.

The premises at 8 Golf Road in the village has been home to bakery businesses for decades – with Byron Bakery taking over from Chalmers in 2o21.

Earlier this year, the bakery closed its doors and removed its well-known monochrome sign with many locals and visitors questioning if someone new would step in.

The Ballater Baker storefront — The Ballater Baker opened on August 6. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson.

When Jill heard about the closure, she jumped at the chance to bring a bakers back to Ballater.

The Peterculter resident has teamed up with Grant Anderson, from Sheridan’s the Butcher on nearby Bridge Street, to open The Ballater Baker.

“When Byron Bakery closed we saw an opportunity we didn’t want to pass us by,” Jill said. “So we decided to give it a shot.

Selection of pies and pastries at The Ballater Baker — Grant Anderson from Sheridan’s the Butcher makes the pies sold in the bakery. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson.

“We know how busy Ballater is and how important the bakery is to the village, it is an asset and it would have been a shame to see it go completely.

“So many people use the bakers.”

Welcome to The Ballater Baker

The first step Jill and the team took for the new business was finding the perfect baker for the store.

Andy Hutcheon holding load of Balmoral bread — Andy Hutcheon holding a loaf of the famous Balmoral bread. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson.

Andy Hutcheon has worked as a baker on and off for 36 years and had the recipe for Balmoral bread handed down to him.

“We’re really lucky we’ve got Andy working with us,” Jill said. “He has been at the Bakers in Ballater since way back having worked at Chalmers and briefly at Byron.

“He knows the place and is super experienced – and knows the famous Balmoral bread recipe. It was important for us to get the right person.”

While Andy is working on the signature bread and other baked goods, Grant is also busy making the pies and pastries for the store.

“We’ve also got an apprentice baker, a young lad from Aboyne, and a lady doing other sweet treats,” Jill added.

“A couple of the girls who previously worked in the front of the shop have also come back to us, they were all happy in their jobs.”

Supplying famous bread to Royal Family

Petra Hajna and Stef Lyon behind the counter of The Ballater Baker. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson.

The Ballater-based bakery has been one of more than 800 Royal Warrant holders in the UK for several years.

The Ballater Baker has now also been granted this accolade as a mark of recognition for supplying baked goods to the Royal Family.

“We’re lucky to be doing that as well,” Jill shared. “Byron Bakery had the Royal Warrant and always supplied bread to Balmoral but we weren’t sure how it would work.

“We just opened up and waited to see what would happen but Balmoral approached us within the first week and asked us to supply them.”