I HAVE TRAVELLED THE WORLD - BUT I'LL ALWAYS RETURN TO THE ISLANDS

As he serves up his first TV series, Coinneach MacLeod, aka the Hebridean Baker, on the mix of food and folklore that makes his mouth water

- BY EMMANUELLA NGIMBI

Ramblers enjoy the Faroe Islands' scenery

HAVING made his name writing charming regional recipe books featuring Gaelic foods as the Hebridean Baker, Coinneach MacLeod is bringing his unique take on gastronomy to a new audience with his first TV series. The Hebridean Baker: Nordic Islands sees the 50-year-old foodie visiting kitchens across four remote islands Lofoten, the Faroe Islands, Gotland and Bornholm to learn about their food, culture and customs.

It is enchanting viewing, rich in flavour and folklore, using food as the thread that binds the islands across borders and seas.

But as Coinneach admits, filming his debut four-part series was a new challenge: “It felt like I had to pretend I knew what I was doing!”

In fact, he’s a natural, as comfortable exploring culinary customs in front of the camera as he is in his warm, laid-back and entertaining books.

The idea of exploring heritage and tradition through food began when he inherited a clootie dumpling recipe from his beloved Aunt Bellag.

After a visit to his “absolute hero” aunt on her 65th wedding anniversary, Coinneach recalls: “I remember just going home that day, thinking, I'm just one generation down and I didn't know these traditions. Are we leaving these things just to homogenise, like the rest of the world?”

It lit a fire in him, to keep those traditions alive.

“We look north for our influences, food, ingredients, culture,” explains the Isle of Lewis native.

“We are very proudly Scottish, of course, but our culture is different and our language is different.