Baking a Dundee Cake is the perfect way to celebrate the King’s Coronation this weekend.
Debbie Gallacher, who runs a zero waste store in Broughty Ferry, isn’t exactly a star baker.
But for her, having the ingredients all weighed out ahead of time has a magical effect on her skills.
She started selling these baking bags, pre-filled with all the ingredients you need, at Love Your Planet in Broughty Ferry to help other wary bakers like her make tasty treats to be proud of.
Coronation Day in Dundee paired with zero waste baking
Debbie started selling the baking bags in 2019 after an elderly customer helped her come up with the idea.
“This is a true story,” she said, “when I first opened, there was this older lady that came in with her son. She had her recipe and and I weighed out all her ingredients for her.
“After it was all laid out, she was delighted. She said ‘you’ve saved me a job, saved me a fortune and there’s no plastic’.”
The idea took off from there and Debbie hasn’t looked back since.
Baking is a popular part of Coronation Days of old in Dundee and around the UK.
Debbie explained that she got her baking skills from her mum, who wasn’t a star baker either.
“I bake like her – so not exactly good. But with the baking bags, it makes it easier.”
Baking bags fly off the Ferry shelves
The baking bags are one of the most popular products in her zero waste shop. She sells at least 30 a week.
“People prefer the baking bags because they’re convenient,” she said.
“Not a lot of people bake anymore so you don’t have things like baking powder, ground mix spice or flour lying around.
“So when you do get the notion to bake, you have to go and buy it all and it can cost quite a lot of money.”
Shopping zero waste can be cheaper too.
She said: “You’re only paying for the ingredients in it, so it cuts down on waste as well.”
Many of the recipes have been passed on from customers or Debbie’s families.
There is Kate’s mum’s date and walnut loaf and granny Stewart’s clootie dumpling.
Conversation