Shortbread has to be one of the best-known foods to come out of Scotland. It’s such a simple thing – just flour, butter, sugar – but these basic ingredients combine to produce something incredibly rich and delightful. We always knew we wanted to sell shortbread at Dalriata, but we wanted to make sure we found the right one. Something that would fit with our own ethos of putting the food first and avoiding tweeness and cliché. We found what we were looking for in Reids’ range.
Reids of Caithness is a family-run bakery based in Thurso, right up on the north coast of Scotland. This is the most northerly town in the country, just a short distance from the famous John O’Groats, the northernmost point of Great Britain. It’s pretty isolated up there, and the weather is generally awful. It’s not a lifestyle most people are cut out for. But those who do live there wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Reids are proud of their community as well as their products, and as soon as you try one of their products you can tell.
Founded in a tiny village in 1966, Reids of Caithness soon got a reputation in the area for their bread and cakes. Before long, they moved to Thurso, and have continued to grow and expand ever since. They now employ over 60 people, but their products are still handcrafted with great care. By now their products have spread far beyond Caithness, and can be found in Scotland, throughout the UK, and now right here in our Berlin store!
Why is Reids shortbread particularly good?
In a word: butter! That’s what gives shortbread that rich flavour and texture. Reids use only pure butter of the highest quality to make their shortbread. No cheaper oils, no margarine, no substitutes. Only flour and fine sugar are added – there’s no need for anything else. Well, except for the salted caramel chunks, of course! Otherwise these are made from the same delicious stuff as their All Butter variety.
