Stirling is cold, damp and gloomy. Grey clouds cast a dim hue over the city, but I’m walking towards a beacon of light in an otherwise wintry day.
The first thing you notice is the smell. Like a mixture of all your favourite childhood scents cascading throughout the shop. The shop is crisp. Fresh bread sits ready on the side, with beautiful blue hues of spelt flour.
Texy, Vera’s owner, sits behind the desk with a flurry of notes. The bakery is not yet open, but her warmth makes it feel no less welcoming. She seems a little nervous, apprehensive, but nevertheless excited for the future of the shop.
Texy moved from Tenerife to the UK, and brought with her a love for Spanish produce and techniques. She specialises in sourdough bread, loving making dough and perfecting her craft. The bakery, which is set to produce wares in the vein of focaccia, pizza bread, bagels and a variety of sweet treats, is a monument to years of learning the craft she so dearly loves.
Vera is Texy’s surname. She notes that it wasn’t her first choice for a name, but she needed something simple to pronounce that would catch the Scottish eye and sit well in the Scottish ear. The kitchen is well visible behind the countertop, bustling with practice produce ready for the big opening on February 21.
This bread made in advance isn’t an issue of space or staff, Texy simply wants everyone to see what’s on offer for opening day. She aims for customers to see the fresh produce with all-natural ingredients, to make the bakery somewhere where customers can trust. It works well, as well as allowing people to see behind the scenes of where their local goods are to be produced.
Texy plans to expand the bakery’s horizons in the future, developing different bits and bats as the shop grows, but for now it is all food to go. And with the zero-waste movement gaining significant clout, what better way to start than with your bread wrapped in delicately designed recyclable paper packaging.
The artisan bakery will cater for vegans and carnivorous beasts alike, so there really is no excuse not to check the place out.
Featured image credit: Heather Dalgleish
20-year-old journalism student.
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