Pale and golden or dark brown; slathered with lashings of butter; topped with jam, honey or marmite; cut into soldiers and dipped into eggs or heaped with mashed avocado: there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy toast.
Surely one of the most comforting foods in British culinary history, everyone has their own preference for how they like their toast.
February 23rd is National Toast Day, and we thought we’d take a look at the tradition of eating toast and some of our favourite Shetland toppings!
It seems that toast has been eaten in the UK for a very long time: the first mentions of it date from the 15 th century, when toasted bread was used as a flavouring for drinks before being thrown away; but it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to imagine that bread, warmed on a fork in front of a fire, became a popular way to use up stale loaves.
Nowadays it’s a breakfast staple – and is offered up as a comfort food at other times too (it’s often the first thing you’re offered after you’ve been ill, or have had an operation.) But how do you eat yours?
Good bread is the first place to start. Here in Shetland we have a number of local bakeries whose bread fits the bill: One of our bakery members, Sandwick Bakery produces lovely white and brown sliced loaves perfect for toasting and topping with whatever takes your fancy.
If uncut loaves are your thing, our member, Waas Bakery’s range of “real bread” loaves are delicious. Hearty loaves of fresh sourdough, or their very own “Tattie Bread” – made with Waas tatties and Shetland butter – make excellent foundations for toast.
Sliced to the thickness of your own liking and browned under a grill, toast from this bread is delicious spread with Shetland butter and makes an excellent lunch served alongside soup – how about trying our carrot and coriander recipe ?
Warm toast with jam and a hot cup of tea must be one of life’s best pleasures – we love the range of locally produced jams and preserves from Mackenzies (available in our online shop ) or for something more decadent, you could try our member, Shetland Fudge Company’s booze fuelled range of preserves.
If you’re after something altogether more substantial, you could try this recipe for smoked haddock rarebit . Sounds like a perfect light meal on a cold and chilly day!
Local bakeries that are members of Taste of Shetland:
- Skibhoul Bakery : white, brown, wholemeal and granary. Small or large, sliced or unsliced. They also bake a number of different types of buns.
- Da Voe Bakery : white, brown, wholemeal, fibregrain. They also produce a few unique loaves - Turkistan, tea and cheese & onion.
- Da Kitchen Bakery : wholemeal, malted, white and spiced fruit sweet bread, always unsliced.
- Sandwick Baking Company : white, brown, granary, wholemeal. Sliced or unsliced and 3 different thicknesses. They also offer a few different loaves - fruit, cottage and a traditional plain loaf.
- Waas Bakery : puckle, sourdough, brown, white, granary and wholemeal. Large and small, sliced or unsliced.