As I drove up to the rather spectacular, Grade C listed farmhouse alongside the Weisdale Voe, I was rather taken aback by it’s grandeur. Sure, there’s some scaffolding around to allow for some essential maintenance, but nothing could take away from this building’s impact. Ervhouse Bed and Breakfast, owned by Gordon and Julie Mackie, is a building I have passed practically daily for many years of my life, and yet only entered for the first-time last week.
Welcomed by the couple, and presented with coffee in their beautiful, guest ready sittingroom I was immediately wondering if it would be odd to book a stay in a B & B within walking distance of your own home… Both Julie and Gordon made me feel so welcome, that it was hard to maintain a clear view of why I was there, and not just ask to move in. A tour of the rooms later, and I was wondering why I hadn’t heard of more local folk booking into this most romantic of settings for a weekend away, especially having heard about their evening meal menu.
Julie and Gordon are both incredibly passionate about local ingredients, and it was clear from our chat that they take great pride in creating excellent meals with a range of locally sourced produce.
But what I was actually there to talk about was Gordon’s latest venture, based in a tiny, immaculate, bakery at the back of their incredible home. The Doocot Bakery was built and ready, by late 2019 with a plan to begin production in 2020. But, like so many other great plans, it was halted by Covid. Despite that, and some other hurdles, Gordon is now ready to begin his baking chapter and his delicious loaves started stocking the shelves of Robinson and Morrison in Weisdale and Scoop Wholefoods in Lerwick last week.
Gordon spoke with enthusiasm and excitement about several different bakes, including his own favourite; Shokupan – an enriched, Japanese milk bread which he particularly enjoys with butter and jam. His interest and fascination with bread and baking has grown over the years, with many of his recipes and ideas being born of the couples holidays abroad.
My favourite loaf (so far!) is his Cypriot Coriander and Onion loaf, which I was lucky enough to buy while still warm from the oven in my local shop, smothered with Shetland Butter and devoured before I even sat down. This loaf is so tasty it doesn’t need any other accompaniment. But I did think it might be the perfect partner to some homemade tomato soup!
As well as our favourites, his range also includes white, wholemeal, rye and caraway seed and a variety of focaccia loaves. This week I also got my hands on a White Sourdough loaf, which is one of the best sourdoughs I have tasted, and is made using a starter which Gordon has lovingly kept alive for 5 long years! The result is a light and slightly chewy loaf which made a wonderful lunch with the addition of hummus, sauerkraut and a sprinkling of mixed seeds.
The majority of Gordon’s products are organic, and all his flour is sourced from Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire known for their regenerative organic flours, and who use only renewable energy to power their mill. Making Doocot bread a great choice for the environment, as well as flavour and locality.
Alongside bread, Doocot will hopefully be producing some other lines in the future, I got a sneak peek at some new equipment that Gordon has waiting in the wings. It will be used to bring a new product to Shetland shelves, that I think we will all be very excited about.
In the meantime, Doocot bread will be starting relatively slowly, with fresh deliveries in Robinson and Morrison and Scoop Wholefoods on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Although I have been told that there were several more bakes and deliveries than Gordon had anticipated to keep up with the demand last week. One thing is for sure though, Doocot bread is definitely worth the wait, so if you find it’s sold out in your preferred shop – pop back again soon!