Hebridean Baker - Nordic Islands

Coinneach MacLeod, best-selling cookbook author, baker and islander, takes his deep love of food, travel and island life on a journey through the culinary and cultural landscapes of the Nordic region. Sweden’s largest island of Gotland is known for its sunny climate and 13th century capital, Visby. Coinneach visits an organic farm to pick white asparagus and forages for wild garlic in the coastal woodlands. He explores the island’s past as a trading hub for the Hanseatic League, learning how imported spices and crops became woven into Gotland’s agricultural identity. Coinneach makes saffron pancake and, in a local bakery, helps bake Sweden’s famed green dome Princess Cake.

Coinneach MacLeod, best-selling cookbook author, baker and islander brings his deep love of food, travel, and island life on a journey through the culinary and cultural landscapes of the Nordic region. Situated north of the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten Islands in Norway are famed for their dramatic mountain landscapes and cod fisheries. Coinneach arrives in March during peak cod season, helping to unload the day’s catch and observing the stockfish drying process. He works with a local chef to create a fine-dining dish using the wind-dried cod, makes lefse, a traditional flatbread, and harvests seaweed. A dinner of Lofotlam – a globally protected local lamb – rounds off his visit.

Coinneach MacLeod, best-selling cookbook author, baker and islander brings his deep love of food, travel, and island life on a journey through the culinary and cultural landscapes of the Nordic region. On this sunny Baltic island of Bornholm in Denmark, Coinneach meets celebrated chef Mikkel Marschall and joins him at the food festival he founded - Sol over Gudhjem —a major culinary event attracting top chefs and showcasing local produce. Coinneach also joins baker Louise to craft a bold pastry combining strawberries, blue cheese, and sage and collects honey for the local honningsyp liqueur. He milks goats, tries goats’ cheese and helps bake rye bread in a centuries-old oven.

Coinneach MacLeod, best-selling cookbook author, baker and islander brings his deep love of food, travel, and island life on a journey through the culinary and cultural landscapes of the Nordic region. In this programme, Coinneach visits the Faroe Islands. Famed for their rugged beauty and extreme weather, the Faroes have developed a cuisine rooted in preservation. Coinneach meets sheep farmers who prepare a traditional meal of fermented sheep’s head, and visits high-end restaurant Ræst in Tórshavn, where a seafood dessert showcases the island’s daring culinary creativity. He learns how to bake drýl, a classic Faroese bread, and helps prepare fish sausage—a popular lunchtime staple.