Frequently asked questions...

...things we've been asked before that you might be wondering about too...

Where is your shop?

Balgedie Bakery is a local bakery who deliver direct to your home twice a week saving you another car journey, as such we don't have an actual premises you can visit.

You can order bread online at our Shop or by 'phone at M: 07984 442 657

We bake bread and other produce from our dedicated kitchen overlooking Loch Leven in the pretty hamlet of Wester Balgedie, in Scotland.

Why do you have order cut off times?

At Balgedie Bakery we want to bake great bread, and great bread takes time, something that is not true of most supermarket bread and packaged sliced bread which use a fast, industrialized process called the Chorleywood Method (CBP). Bread produced using CBP has lots of additives, and been shown to be less digestable.

In contrast at Balgedie Bakery our loaves are hand mixed and shaped and given a long rising time, some of our sourdough loaves take 24hrs to ferment and bake. These longer production times mean the bread develops more flavour and digestability so we need to take orders as early as possible to ensure the loaves are as good as they can be.

The order process means that we only bake the loaves that customers want and we have no wasted bread to throw away.

Also, when you order bread from Balgedie Bakery, you are choosing a loaf that has quality ingredients, most of them are organic, and they contain no additives.

When and where do you deliver?

We deliver twice a week, on Monday and Friday afternoons.

We bake your order fresh in the morning and deliver to your home through the day before 1730 hrs. Sometimes your loaf will still be deliciously warm.

Order and delivery only in the Kinnesswood, Scotlandwell, Portmoak, Easter & Wester Balgedie locale at the moment.

I'd like to order bread, but I'm going to be out, how will you deliver it?

Delivery is simple even if you think you'll be out. Just add a note in the section "Bread delivery place...where?" in your online order, or instruct us where to leave your loaves when you 'phone us.

An unlocked shed, porch, or a large tupperware box (size 26x26x14 cm min.) tucked away outside somewhere is ideal. We will leave the bread in the place you indicate.

In case of rain please make sure the delivery place is dry so you loaf doesn't get soggy and ruined.

How can I pay for my bread?

You can pay for your order via credit or debit card online, the site is secure and we don't see your card details.

Alternatively, you can pay by cash on delivery, leaving payment at delivery place.

What size are the loaves?

We sell breads in sizes regular and large.

A regular loaf is a good size for 1-2 people. A large loaf would be better for 3-4 people.

We deliver twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, so you can have fresh bread all the way through the week and at weekends.

My bread looks different from the loaf in the photo.

Our breads are hand-made and shaped, and flour can and does vary between batches of grain, so there will be some variation in the loaves... that's the beauty of them.... it's real, hand-made bread.

Photos generally show large size loaves.

Are your loaves 100% organic?

We use mostly Organic flour from Shipton Mills, who are approved by the Soil Association, and from Mungoswells in East Lothian. Where possible we try to use organic ingredients. The eggs we use are always free-range and organic.

Ingredients are listed in our online Shop and will be labelled as organic if they are. Some loaves will not be 100% organic but are usually made with organic flour. Check the product listing or contact us if you have any questions.

Do you have Gluten-free products

No, we don't offer Gluten-free products.

The simple reason is that we cannot guarantee that the products are Gluten-free. We are very careful with our cleaning and baking methods but it is very difficult in a small kitchen to guarantee the complete absence of any allergens, including wheat and gluten, from any of our products.

I have food allergies, how do I know if your produce is safe?

The likely allergens for each product are listed in the product listing in our online shop.

Though we are very careful in our baking and cleaning processes, our kitchen environment does not guarantee that any product does not contain tiny traces of other allergens such as gluten, wheat, nuts and seeds, dairy and eggs, and some fruit and vegetables.

What if I am not satisfied with Balgedie Bakery?

We love baking bread and we want you to love your loaf too!

To get an idea of what you are buying there are full product descriptions and photographs available in the online Shop or if you have queries about a product then contact us via 'phone at M: 07984 442 657 or email: contact@balgediebakery.com or via the online form on our website

If you're not satisfied with the produce you have purchased then please contact us and we will bake your loaf for you again, or give you your money back.

Can you bake bread for functions or parties?

Probably we can. Please contact us to discuss, via 'phone at M: 07984 442 657 or email: contact@balgediebakery.com

Can I buy your bread at other shops?

If you live outside the immediate delivery areas we supply, then you can buy a selection of Balgedie Bakery breads from S&V Corson Fishmerchants who operate a fantastic mobile shop service selling top quality fish in the Kinross-shire areas. Please contact Steven Corson directly at M: 07500 058 371 to find out the times of his normal route stops.

Balgedie Bakery bread is not available via other shops at present.

Do you use plastic packaging?

No, we don't use plastic bags. Early on in our venture we made a positive choice to package our breads in fully compostable bags that can be put into your council collected compost bin.

The bags are made of paper from renewal resources with a film window which is fully compostable too.

The bags allow the breads to breathe too, which plastic doesn't, so there's another benefit!

Can I freeze your breads?

Yes, all our breads freeze well. We recommend that you slice any loaves before you put them in the freezer, ideally in the first few days after delivery, and put them in an airtight box to stop them drying out. Slices can then be revived by allowing them to fully defrost naturally, or by toasting. Slice Bagels and Scones before freezing. We don't recommend microwaving bread to defrost as it can become tough.