There are some similarities, and also differences, between the Isle of Skye in Scotland and Coronado, which is what I discovered when I met with Chef John Mackenzie, who grew up on the Isle and is now making an array of authentic Scottish desserts, available from his Wee Hours Scottish Bakery throughout San Diego County. Although his hometown is smaller, it is famous for its scenery and landscapes, and rates as a prime destination for walkers and climbers. Located in the Scottish Highlands, it was accessible only by boat until 1995, when a bridge was built to connect it to the mainland. Although he loves the sunny weather here, one of the things he misses most is the rain, because there are more rainy days there than sunny days throughout the year.
Mackenzie was furloughed from his hotel position when the pandemic hit, so he decided to take a chance and go back to his roots and start his own company. Launched in October 2021, Wee Hours Scottish Bakery is dedicated to creating artisan Scottish desserts. The name references the early hours when bakers practice their craft. His most popular items are his tasty scones and the wee tasting box, which includes a sampling of decadent desserts, including millionaire’s shortbread, chocolate tart, banoffee tart, cranachan, and traditional shortbread cookies. He also offers cream buns and gingerbread loaf.
I invited my Scottish friends, John and Susan, to join me to meet him and give me a genuine review of his desserts. We all especially enjoyed the lemon shortbread and quickly devoured it. They shared with family, and everyone gave the desserts rave reviews, both on tastiness and presentation, and will definitely be ordering again.
From the age of seven, Mackenzie remembers cooking and baking with his mom. The first recipe he perfected was scones, and he still likes to make them the traditional way, plain or with raisins. For extra flavor while enjoying, he slathers on jam and clotted cream. He notes that mixing in other flavors works for some bakers, but he prefers his tried and true ways.
Even before he attended culinary school, he worked as a pastry chef at a local boutique hotel. His culinary education taught him all types of cooking from savory to sweet, and his repertoire includes Scottish, French, British, and American comfort cuisines. His favorite dish to create is sticky toffee pudding, and he loves to whip up a tasty scotch beef roast with Yorkshire pudding. For American food, he says his favorite is a good crab boil, but he still yearns for comfort Scottish food like black pudding.
A traditionalist at heart, all his recipes were passed down from his grandmother. He has now refined them and considers them a closely guarded secret. His Millionaire’s Shortbread recipe, with decadent caramel and chocolate, is just one example. The future of his business includes adding more menu items and potentially looking for wholesale clients.
Mackenzie’s journey to San Diego came via his Liberian-American wife, whom he met in Scotland when she was getting her master’s degree, and they moved to the U.S. in 2011, landing in Minnesota. His first taste of Coronado was during a vacation to visit his wife’s sister, who was in the Navy, and they loved the area. His family still live in Scotland, so he visits every other year, always looking for cooking inspiration.
Some key ingredients he uses are hard for him to find here. For example, he says that butter here is just not as rich and this alters the taste in recipes. He also notes that the granularity of sugar is different. For example, various recipes call for caster sugar, which is a cross between the powdered sugar and granulated sugar. When asked if bakeries are as prevalent in Scotland as here, he said local bake shops are more plentiful on every corner there, making their own specialties of bread and pastries.
A meticulous baker, he started his business with six staple items and is gradually adding new treats. “I am proud to bring a bit of authentic Scottish food here,” he says proudly. You can find him baking up to five days a week to fill orders. He also has an etsy shop at TheWeeHoursBakery, on which he sells only items that can be shipped. Other products are hand-delivered within San Diego when ordered on his website. He offers free hand-delivery, within 15 miles of his El Cajon kitchen (including to Coronado), and delivers elsewhere in San Diego County for $15.
His Coronado connection stems from a friend who lives here and is a fan of his food. They suggested he post his dessert selections on a local Coronado Facebook group since he delivers here. That Facebook post has garnered almost 400 positive reactions and over 100 comments. He is touched by the positive response he has received to his baking. You can check out his offerings on Instagram and Facebook and on his website at theweehour.com and treat yourself to something special!
