International best-selling author and BBC TV presenter Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker was born and raised on the beautiful island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Inspired by family recipes, Scottish flavours and the myths & legends of the Hebrides, his four cookbooks have made him Scotland’s best-selling cookbook author.
We caught up with him to find out more about his love of food.
What’s the closest thing you have to a signature dish?
My Aunt Bellag’s Clootie Dumpling recipe – it’s the recipe that began the Hebridean Baker adventure and still my favourite.
Describe your style of cuisine in eight words?
Hearty, delicious, comfort food with a Scottish twist.
Best and/or most memorable meal you’ve ever eaten?
Made by Sebastian Jimenez at Ræst restaurant in the Faroe Islands – completely unique.
Worst or weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Definitely not the worst, but maybe some folk would find a fermented sheep’s head weird (it was delicious!)
What’s the dish that you’re most proud of having cooked?
Making mince & tatties for two of the Hobbits from Lord of the Rings, on a beach on the uninhabited island of Taransay – all on an open fire in front of tv cameras!
Favourite ingredient?
I couldn’t live without Scottish oats.
What other country’s cuisine really excites and intrigues you?
After filming an episode of Hebridean Baker, Nordic Islands on Bornholm, the Danish food scene is fascinating.
Your favourite Scottish chef?
Sue Lawrence – the original Masterchef winner, I have all her cookbooks and she is an absolute inspiration.
Favourite chef outside Scotland?
Elena Reygadas of Rosetta restaurant in Mexico City.
Who taught you to cook or ignited your passion for food as a youngster?
Growing up there were so many wonderful home bakers in my village, but my Aunt Bellag was the best.
Most important lesson a young chef can learn?
Be niche, I would much prefer you excelled at 6 dishes than muddled through 30.
Best thing about the industry?
That the same street can have a fish & chip shop, a bakery and a fine dining restaurant – there is something for everyone when it comes to eating out.
What’s the biggest sin a chef can commit?
Adding mushrooms to a dish! They are the only thing I cannot eat – they scare me!
What do you eat when you’re at home?
Soup! Scotch Broth, Cullen Skink, Cock-a-Leekie – the Scots are the best at making soup.
Celebrity guest or your perfect dinner party – who would you most like to cook for?
Óláfr Guðrøðarson, the 13th century King of the Isles.
Tell me something about you that virtually no-one knows.
I am a qualified Scottish FA football referee.
Your spirit of choice?
Gin from the Isle of Harris Distillery.
Do you play music in the kitchen and, if so, what’s your go-to track or artist?
A playlist of Eurovision Song Contest classics from the ’80s give the best rise to a cake!
Coinneach appears regularly on ITV’s This Morning and BBC’s Morning Live and his debut BBC series Hebridean Baker: Nordic Islands sees him travel across Scandinavia learning about the recipes, culture and people of these northern isles.
Coinneach will be attending this year’s Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Scottish Game Fair, which takes place from 3-5 July at Scone Palace in Perthshire.
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