Chaz C.
Google
I had heard about ARAN bakery for a while and had been wanting to go once I heard about their sourdough and sweet delights. Unfortunately it’s not very often I am passing Dunkeld so when I was at one of the near Highland Games I took my opportunity. As expected the shop was busy but I purposely left early so I was committed and willing to wait if I had to. The shop was a little smaller than I expected and so it was quite snuggly in there with all the people. My greediness took over and I went full rogue. The anticipation probably didn’t help my gluttony. I picked up a sourdough loaf to start and I then seen the focaccia so I couldn’t resist buying that. For the sweet treats I wanted to see how their almond croissant and cardamom bun compared to what I’ve had in the past. I was then drawn to the cupcake with blackberry and frosting. Their blondie and brownie had to be tried also. Finally, I seen they were doing a kimchi cheese toastie so I naturally went for that because I clearly hadn’t ordered enough. Despite being tempted, I didn’t eat all items at once, because I didn’t want it to hinder performance at the Highland Games. But I had to eat something right away. I didn’t want to eat the toastie cold so I went for that first. It was quite nice. However I would’ve liked more cheese and less kimchi. Both were tasty but the ratio for me was off. The toasted sourdough was good but maybe a bit dry. I personally prefer a slightly messy/juicy toastie.
Next up was the almond croissant. This was delectable. Beautiful pastry with a lovely filling. Good crisp on the outer and soft centre. It wasn’t overly sweet either. I’ve had a fair few almond croissants in my days and this is definitely in my top 5, maybe 3. That was enough food pre comp. For Intra-comp fuel I decided to have the focaccia and the cardamom bun. Both were excellent but probably a bit too heavy for during a competition. The focaccia was thick and had a beautiful golden crust. The oil and herbs gave a lovely flavour. If I were being picky, there could’ve been a bit more of an open crump, making it a bit airier and less chewy. The cardamom bun was excellent. Attractive to eye with its tight consistent shaping. The texture was soft and had a nice glaze, but maybe could’ve had a bit more caramelisation. I didn’t get a strong cardamom flavour but it was very enjoyable. Later, I had the cream topped brioche which was yummy and had a rich creamy frosting and the hint of blackberry was a nice addition. Finally, my post comp snacks were the blondie and the brownie. The blondie was sweet with hints of almond throughout. The crumb was dense but moist with lots of flavour and had a slight crisp on top. Lastly, the brownie was pretty good and was loaded with different nuts and seeds. It had a nice chocolate flavour and the contrast between the textures was admired. However, I prefer brownies to be gooey and this was firmer and maybe a little dry.
Overall Aran is popular for reason. The staff were also friendly and accommodating, despite the busyness. It’s a very good bakery and definitely worth visiting if you’re passing. I certainly don’t mind paying that bit extra for extra bit of quality.
