Highland bakery loved by Nigella Lawson launches new support group

“I’m not professionally trained,” she said over the phone as pots and pans clattered in the background, “and when I was finding my love for baking I was following recipes from Nigella Lawson’s books.

“She came to visit us on her way up to Skye this summer which was an incredible moment for the team.

“It makes me sound like a terrible fan girl, but I’m so incredibly grateful for all of her support and generosity.

“She’s been a real champion for us.”

Just four years after the Bad Girl Bakery was established in 2017, Iannetta published her first cookbook, which has since become a staple in many a household across the country thanks to a collection of uber-indulgent recipes, including an entire chapter dedicated to millionaire shortbread.

Nigella herself was an instant fan and said: “I love everything about this book: its warmth, its down-to-earth voice, and its heavenly recipes.”

It marked the beginning of a new era for the business, which would see them become the flagship tenant at the Victorian Market Food and Drink Hall in Inverness, introducing even more sweet-toothed snackers than ever to their brownies, muffins and cakes.

This year brought more changes yet for the team, with the closure of the original Muir of Ord Café, which Iannetta says simply “didn’t survive covid”.

“Things started to change after the book came out, and I realised that I wasn’t always best placed to be baking.

“The team got bigger which freed me up to develop the business with food writing and teaching.

“Closing the Muir of Ord café was a very difficult decision for us and has made for a huge change of pace.

 “But now we can use it as a production kitchen and bespoke space for teaching which is something I really enjoy.”

The Bad Girl Bakery brownie recipe was featured in Nigella Lawson's cookbook corner (Image: Claire Irwin)

Through the occasional bake sale and cooking classes, the Bad Girl’s presence is still very much felt in the village of Muir of Ord.

But, realising the pressures faced by similar businesses across the Highlands and Islands, its owner is now hoping to create a collaborative network that will offer both moral support and career-advancing opportunities.

“I’m very lucky to run the bakery with my husband, Douglas, and a fantastic team, but I still find it all really challenging sometimes,” she said.

“I spoke to a few friends to find out how they would feel about a Facebook forum for Highlands and Islands bakers, and it was received really well.

“Now there are around 72 of us, and we’ve started hosting a monthly coffee club at the Victorian Market.

“No matter how many people show up, we’ll sit down for a face-to-face conversation.

“It’s a great way for people to have a moan if they need it or ask for advice, but really I’d love for it to become a way of building connections between small-scale producers and the big boys.”

The Highland Cake Collab is open to businesses of any size that are based in the region and generating regular income, giving working bakers a space to “share knowledge, ask questions and inspire each other”.

Although still in its infancy, there is hope that with funding they could establish an equipment library meaning that expensive specialist kit could be shared amongst members as and when it is needed.

There’s also talk of advanced classes that would help to improve their skills, all while ensuring that each baker’s individual style is celebrated.

“Say we did a skills workshop for tempering chocolate; everyone's business would benefit from that because we’ll put what we’ve learned to use in different ways,” Iannetta explained.

“I’ve been in the position where I’ve worried about competition and thought that it would mean the end of my business, but now realise how important it is to see other places thriving as a positive thing.”

The bakery now sells tens of thousands of cake portions a week (Image: Claire Irwin)

There is, of course, a unique set of challenges faced by Highlands and Islands bakers, with the Bad Girl Bakery owner telling of how delivery costs can sometimes amount to more than that of the product purchased.

But, having herself gone from at-home baker to producing "tens of thousands of portions of cake a month", she speaks passionately about a sense of community that can only be found up north.

“Although I’m from Dundee, I believe that my business has flourished here because of all of the amazing opportunities for bakers in the Highlands, from farmers' markets to bigger events like the Black Isle show.

“Things are tough for everyone at the moment, but positivity will always go further than negativity.

“If you imagine the 72 businesses of varying sizes who have joined the Highland Cake Collab already – it's astonishing.

“There’s so much talent in the region, shouting about it can only be a good thing.”

For more information on Bad Girl Bakery click here and find the Highland Cake Collab here.