Mary’s bread proves good for awards
Luing baker Mary Braithwaite is rising to the occasion yet again.
Hot on the heels of winning silver and bronze awards for her bread at this year’s Royal Highland Show, Mary has now been nominated for the Best Scottish Artisan Food Award in the Scottish Rural Awards.
The trained archaeologist, who previously ran a Kent bakery with her husband Nigel before moving to Luing in 2015, bakes from a purpose-built bakery constructed next to their home.
Since living on the island, Mary has been developing breads that include grains that used to be grown on Luing, especially barley and oats. Her other breads include rye, spelt and an ancient form of barley called beremeal. Textured Hebridean sourdough with toasted pinhead oatmeal is proving popular at the moment with the midweek and Saturday morning butteries being a treat that is looked forward to on the island.
Mary’s bread can be found at Millstone health food shop in Oban’s High Street, at Luing Stores and she supplies the Atlantic Islands Centre.
‘We’re so small-scale that it really is a huge honour to have been nominated for this award,’ said Mary.
The Best Scottish Artisan Food Award recognises enterprise, innovation and dedication in rural Scotland’s small and medium scale food producers and retailers. Last year the accolade was scooped by Mull organic biscuit bakers, The Island Bakery.
Artisan producers must understand and respect the raw materials they work with and be mindful of the impact of their products on the environment.
The Scottish Rural Awards are the ultimate benchmark of success in Scotland’s countryside. In its sixth year, the prestigious awards are partnered by Scottish Field Magazine and the Scottish Countryside Alliance.
There are 14 awards which will be announced at the ceremony hosted by farmer comedian Jim Smith on April 2.