How the Hebridean Baker ended up in the White House

For anyone that’s not seen one of Mr Macleod’s cookbooks, they’re very much a companion piece to his social media videos, which showcase traditional Scottish baking but often with a modern or unexpected twist. They also all feature a clootie dumpling recipe (or duff as it’s known in Gaelic) , which is where his love of baking started.

The Scottish Cookbook is, Mr Macleod, said, his favourite and it starts off with the basics.

He said: “Chapter one is like Scottish baking 101. If you never even get to chapter two, you can just do these 12 recipes in chapter one from the classics, you know, from shortbread to oat cakes to clootie dumpling all with a wee twist, then you'll have a very successful wee Scottish kitchen.”

He also acknowledges that some may wonder if there’s any Scottish recipes he’s not managed to feature yet, but explained that inspiration - from friends, family and research - is still flowing.

He said: “I always seem to find - be it in old cookbooks or from friends or family or in amazing places - recipes to feature in the cookbook that I haven't before. Even when I finished the book, I was like, ‘God, I still know a few more that I haven't done yet.’”

There’s a warmth in his books and videos that makes it easy to see why so many people follow Coinneach as the Hebridean Baker. The recipes are easy to follow, and beautifully shot by photographer Susie Lowe.

Mr Macleod has always stuck to his goal of making Scottish baking accessible, which he said: “at the heart this book is ceilidh culture, this concept of gathering people around to dinner and celebrating not only the food, but stories and songs, so that that really kind of shines through. But I'm never trying to make anybody into a Michelin star chef. That's not my job at all. There's other people who do that miles better than I do. But what I would love is to male people feel like they’re passionate home bakers, but with a Scottish twist. That's my absolute goal.”

As it’s his signature - and an ‘iconic Hebrides bake’ - a twist on a clootie dumpling will always feature and this book is no exception. But this time there’s a very unexpected twist that raised a few eyebrows.

Mr Macleod explained, saying: “I thought, what if I did a cross between a banana loaf and a clootie dumpling - a banana duff, or buff, as we call it. It took a little bit of science to get it right but oh, my goodness, it's unbelievable. I went and did a book festival in Stornoway, and I had a lot of older ladies quite cynical about my banana clootie dumpling, but I remember then going to the supermarket about a month later, and managed, unbelievably, see two people who had been at the book event who had made the banana clootie dumpling.

Both came up to me that day, saying: ‘I take it all back. I will never make it any other way. It is spectacular.’”

When he’s not baking Mr Macleod has been on some adventures including receiving an invite to the White House in America, which he visited in September. “Every day I get the most amazing emails and invites but this one might have been the most amazing.

The week before I left on my US tour, I got an invite from the White House to visit. I never expected, just because I made a clootie dumpling, that the President of the United States would write to me inviting me to the White House, and that happened. It was the most unbelievable experience to be invited there and to spend the day. It was really, really special. I sat there thinking, my mum and dad were brought up in a (traditional) blackhouse on Lewis (a thatched stone cottage) and I’ve gone from the blackhouse to the White House. It’s amazing to think I got there because of the culture and the food of the Hebrides.”

Mr Macleod is also gearing up for his first TV programme in which he wants to learn about how culture and food in different islands connects us. Of this he said: “It’s quite exciting to say the least as, in my family, Peter is the TV guy. He has his own show on BBC Alba and I appear in it every so often but telly was always his thing. But the moment they came to me with the idea, I was like ‘I love it’.

“It’s a food show but it’s also about islands and island culture. In each episode I start in the Hebrides, and learn about food culture here but I will also travel overseas to other islands - the first series it's Scandinavia - to learn about their food culture and go on these amazing food adventures. In one episode I am going cod fishing in one of those trawlers, in the Arctic Circle. I also learn from the people, is there something that connects the mentality and culture of islanders? That’ll be out next autumn and I think people will enjoy it.” 

Mr Macleod started out wanting to preserve traditional baking and stories from the island and has, with his warmth and charm, ended up a minor celebrity with fans from all over. Thanks to him, so many more people will be enjoying, if nothing else, a banana clootie dumpling. Maybe even the President.

The Hebridean Baker The Scottish Cookbook is out now, priced at £26. You can buy a copy from an independent bookshop here.