World beating Krazi Baker is glad to be back crafting the best potato bread

Mark Douglas, Northern Ireland’s famed Krazi Baker, was back on his stall at the outdoor market in Newtownards on Saturday after an absence of over six months due to a ruptured achilles tendon.

Boosted by a clean sweep for his artisan potato breads in the prestigious World Bread Awards in London last week, Mark, from Dromore griddle baked hundreds of potato cakes, soda and treacle farls and pancakes fresh for shoppers in the town’s busy square.

He’ll also be pitching his makeshift pagoda stall at Carrickfergus food market this Thursday and likely to welcomed warmly by shoppers and other traders there as he was in Newtownards.

“It’s really great to be back at the markets again and being able to enjoy the craic with shoppers and other traders after being side lined for so many months. I’ve made so many friends over the years at the markets,” he says.

“There were times when I really did wonder if I’d ever be able to resume the role I love at the food markets. I was housebound for many months with the tendon issue and then spent time in hospital. It was a very worrying time.”

Encouraged by wife Karen and sons Anton and Brendan, Mark kept positive.

A sole trader, the injury, inevitably, led to thoughts too about the future of his small business, a winner of UK Great Taste Awards for unique hand crafted breads.

“The injury came at the worst time possible,” he continues. “I was just beginning to get over the devastating lockdowns from the pandemic during which most markets were closed."

He was able to respond to the lockdowns by setting up a delivery service to regular customers that provided essential cash flow to keep the business going.

“The tendon injury, however, meant that I wasn’t able to stand for long periods or move around easily. The injury, such as simple thing from moving furniture, also led me to pause my bakery school which has been going well up to the pandemic,” he continues.

The resumption of the World Bread Awards after the pandemic gave Mark “something to aim at and work towards”. He was encouraged by the family and George Armstrong, a longstanding friend who worked with him at the markets over many years, to enter the global competition.

Resuming last weekend meant a return to 4.30am starts to pack the van with hotplates, gas cylinders and essential ingredients such as flour, butter and milk for the drive from his home in Dromore to the square in Newtownards. The preparations were essential to enable him to start baking for shoppers arriving usually before 8.30am.

“There was an extra spring in my step thanks to the success in the World Bread Awards,” he continues. “The awards were the confidence booster I needed."

Mark dominated the potato bread category which was held for the first time this and supported by Food NI, the food promotion body. His breads achieved 1st , 2nd and 3rd awards in the prestigious competition that’s organised by Tiptree, the leading producer of jams, with Brook Food, a manufacturer of equipment for the bakery industry worldwide.

Mark, a highly skilled baker with experience of 30 years in the industry, came first with his original potato bread, second for potato apple and third for cheese and chive potato bread. The category was named in honour of the late Charles Campion, a distinguished food writer on London’s Evening Standard and a passionate supporter of Northern Ireland food and drink.

There were other awards for local bakers too. In the Potato Bread category, there were bronze awards for Ann’s Pantry, Larne for its potato and its champ bread.

Irwin’s Bakery in Portadown also won bronze for its potato farls. The award for the best Irish wheaten loaf went to Scot McDonald of Olive Tree Bakery in Bangor. This category was sponsored by Andrews Ingredients in Lisburn.

Runner up was Cookie Jar in Newcastle for its Belfast Black wheaten loaf.

Launched in 2013, the Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food are the UK’s leading national celebration of the art of bread-baking. Open to all, professional and amateur, old and young.

Regarded as the UK’s most prestigious bread awards, they are judged by a stellar panel of judges, including Chair Stephen Hallam, Brand Ambassador for Dickinson and Morris, master baker, John Foster, of Fosters Bakery and BBC2’s Victorian Bakers, Andrew Whitley, founder, Real Bread Campaign, stars from the Great British Bake Off, buyers, influencers and more. The categories range from sourdough to savoury sweet, Irish wheaten to vegan.