When Megan Clyne isn’t working on the healthcare frontline as a nurse, she can be found in her happy place at home baking a mouthwatering array of cakes, cookies and other sweet treats.
Originally from Aberdeen, Megan cherishes memories of baking with her nana from a young age.
Now with her own business Megan’s Little Bakery going from strength to strength, she’s creating new memories for many happy customers using all the “wing it” skills that her nana taught her.
Megan’s two kids also ensure that no food goes to waste. But to have a little creative haven that she can call her own is something that Megan truly relishes.
We talked to her to find out more about Megan’s Little Bakery.
What are some of your first memories of baking?
Growing up in Torry, we didn’t really have much to be honest. But I did a lot of baking with my nana growing up. That was something we did together and I always enjoyed it. Sponge cakes were our thing. My nana never used scales either; everything was measured in spoons and all sorts, so sometimes the cakes would come out really fine or other times they’d be like a rock! We were totally winging it.
What inspired you to start Megan’s Little Bakery?
I’ve always baked cakes for friends and they’d say to me that I should make a business out of it. I never thought in a million years that someone would pay for one of my cakes, but when Covid happened, my husband was working offshore and I was on my own for quite a lot of time without much to do. So, I just decided to try it out and see if I’d get any interest.
I made up some treat boxes to start with and they turned out to be a big hit. It just took off through word of mouth as well as social media, which my sister Kimberley helped me out with a lot. It’s been fantastic.
Does baking offer you a source of escapism from the challenges of nursing?
I love my job, but baking is something that provides me with a bit of release. I’m able to come home and do something a bit more creative, which there isn’t really a lot of opportunity to do in nursing. I’ve got my own wee room in the house where I can take myself off and just escape for a while with my baking.
What are some of your most popular bakes?
Brownies and cupcakes are two of my most popular traybakes. Cookie cakes are also popular, especially for people who aren’t big fans of traditional sponge cakes. But people can have all sorts of things like cookie stacks and brownie cakes as well. I also like it when people ask me to create something different.
How many cakes do you bake in a typical week?
I’d say it’s between three to five big cakes for special occasions per week that I usually run through. I always say to myself I won’t take on so many bakes, but I receive a lot of last-minute orders from people who have maybe been let down elsewhere or haven’t thought about a birthday cake.
I never say no to people, but often I’m baking until stupid o’clock in the morning. The heatwave earlier this year was an absolute nightmare. I had cakes collapsing, I was decorating others in the fridge because they kept melting, it was mental!
How can people order from Megan’s Little Bakery?
People can message me on my social media pages for orders at the moment. I also deliver, which isn’t something that I’ve advertised a whole lot, but I’m keen to reach out to more people by offering deliveries around the north-east. I’m planning on doing more collaborations with local businesses in the near future as well.
Your two kids feature across your social media pages. Do they like to get in the mix with your baking?
Oh yeah! My son is almost 10 and it’s nice to have him help out every so often with things like smoothing the icing. But my daughter who’s three-years-old eats all of the leftovers! They do like to be a part of it. But the baking business is also something that I can work around the kids as well, which is ideal.
What do you enjoy most about running Megan’s Little Bakery?
I like how every cake is different. I never plan out precisely what I want a cake to look like – I just wing it like I used to do with my nana. So far, everything has come out okay! But the nicest thing for me is when someone sends you a picture of one of your cakes and mentions that they’d like something similar for their special occasion. That’s the biggest compliment for me.
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