Flora Shedden, runner-up in the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off in 2015, has started work on a new bakery in her home town.
The 20-year-old took to social media on 1 January to confirm her plans for an artisan outlet, and also included a photograph of a building’s interior, which may be the site in question.
She said: “Happy New Year all! Thrilled to announce that, in 2017, I will be opening a wee artisan bakery! Lots to do before then though...”
Shedden has taken over an old high street newsagent’s in Dunkeld, which she hopes to have fully renovated by the spring.
Confirming her new venture on Instagram, she wrote: “Underneath our new flat is a wee, run-down shop – soon to be my very own bakery.
“Opening in spring, it sits right in the heart of Dunkeld where we will sell bread, cakes, pastries and all manner of foodie bits and pieces.”
The plan has already attracted interest from fans all over the world, with many requesting internet sales.
Shedden said underneath the image: “There’s a lot of work to be done, but if it all goes well, we could be open by Easter.”
“It’s an old newsagent’s shop and it will have to be completely gutted. It’s going to be an open-plan kitchen area, selling mostly takeaway food, but there will be some seating.”
She said: “I’d looked at other places in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but I really wanted to do something here in Dunkeld. It will hopefully be my way of giving something back to the town.”
Shedden has been talking about the bakery project for several months – she said on her social media channels in August 2016: “I’ve been a waitress, I can cook and bake, and I’ve always loved meeting people. Much of what I do now is on social media, so it would make a lovely change.”
She added: “I’ve taken time out from university and, while I know 20 is quite young to start a business, now really is the time to go for it.”
Shedden is also preparing to publish her first book, Gatherings. The highly anticipated recipe collection will hit the shops on 26 January.
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