Trantlemore artisan bakery gains Great Taste accolade for Mighty Morning Bun
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The operator of an artisan micro bakery based in a remote area of Sutherland has won a Great Taste award.
Susan Wallace, who runs Loaf Bread Company out of the Steading, Trantlemore, picked up a highly prized 1-star Great Taste award for her Mighty Morning Bun.
The award means Great Taste's distinctive black and gold logo can now be added to the product's labelling.
Founded in 1993, Great Taste Awards is the UK's largest accreditation scheme for speciality food and drink and is organised by the Guild of Fine Food (GFF).
The guild defines its 1-star award as given to food that is "simply delicious and delivers fantastic flavour".
Ms Wallace's accreditation came after she successfully applied to a scheme launched by Great Taste Awards to celebrate its 30th anniversary year.
The scheme was set up to enable a number of micro food and beverage producers, who might find the entry fees and process prohibitive, punt their products for free to an expert panel of judges for Great Taste 2023.
Entries to Great Taste 2023 opened on January 23 and applications to the anniversary scheme had to be submitted before February 7. The products were judged alongside the other entries in March and June.
Ms Wallace's Mighty Morning Bun is made with a blend of seven ancient and heritage grains featuring Scottish grain, Scottish organic dairy and no refined suger.
Judges described it as "utterly moreish" and said: "This is one of the best buns we've eaten for a long time. Rich, buttery, spicy and so well baked."
Ms Wallace, a former depute head teacher who moved north with her partner Luthier Michael Ritchie a few years ago, said: "I am delighted to have won a Great Taste award for my Mighty Morning Bun.
"People hunt them down in shops, at markets and shows so I thought I might be onto something! Turns out the local bun hype was warranted and I'm delighted to be adding the prestigious Great Taste badge to our much-loved bun.
"Being recognised with a Great Taste 1-star means so much to independent producers like me."
Ms Wallace said the move north had allowed her to develop her love of making sourdough bread and nourishing sweet bakes for her family.
She bought herself a semi-professional Rofco box oven so that she could batch bake and wondered if there would be any demand for bread locally.
"A curious postie's enquiry as to whether I was starting a bakery resulted in me making her a loaf a week, and that's where it all started," she said.
The Loaf Mighty Morning Bun is available from West End Store, Melvich, Our Wee Shop Westfield and Socially Growing, Thurso.
For more information about Loaf, visit: www.loafbread.co.uk
