Baern, Bowhouse and baking worth travelling for

On one trip, the main road was closed on the way home so we were rerouted, and rerouted again, down increasingly rural and frosty pathways. The back road off the back road is not much fun in the pitch black, in December. On another, the car got stuck – completely, catastrophically stuck – in thick, sloppy, cake batter mud in the car park. It took three stout men to push it out, and it wasn’t their first of the day.

Bowhouse is a hub of excellent food and drink, and as the crow flies, the East Neuk’s about twenty miles from Edinburgh. But if the crow’s driving, it’ll take about an hour and a half, and you can basically double that if you need to catch the bus. So… why am I recommending it?

In one word: Baern. Giacomo Pesce and Hazel Powell’s bakery is genuinely brilliant. The counter at their open kitchen is filled with cakes laced with amazing ingredients from the Fife countryside, and incredibly inventive pastries (a swirly, puffy bun flecked with carrot and chilli still appears to me from time to time). The decor is equal parts rustic cottage and successful Grand Designs project. Beautiful wooden surfaces and floors, enormous windows to let the light flow through.

The Bowhouse markets are great fun, and the Futtle brewery pulls double duty as one of the most impressively varied record shops in the country, but Baern is the heart of this operation. Get out of the car, shake off the cobwebs, grab a cake and a coffee and a seat by the window. It might be a bit of a trek, but I promise you it’s worth it.

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Bowhouse, nr St Monans, Fife; Thu-Sun, 10am-4pm
bowhousefife.com/producer/baern
@baern_cafe on Instagram
Photo above by Giacamo Pesce

This article is from issue one of GNAW, our new food and drink magazine dedicated to sharing stories from across Scotland’s food scene. Pick up a free copy from venues across Scotland, and follow GNAW on Instagram @gnawmag