Glasgow bakery owners say it was 'surreal' Nicola Sturgeon called their empire biscuits the 'best'

As reported by the Glasgow Times previously, West End plant-based bake shop Plant Blonde posted a video of Nicola Sturgeon sampling their signature baked goods on their Instagram page last Saturday while wearing a Plant Blonde t-shirt.

When asked "how’s your biscuit?", the First Minister was met with cheers as she responded: "This is the best empire biscuit I’ve ever tasted."

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Now the Hyndland Street bakery’s owners, Jennifer Walls and Marc Sorbie, have said it was "surreal" to receive such high praise from Sturgeon.

Jennifer said: "When she said it, we were all like ‘yaaas’, we were celebrating.

"A lot of people tell us that, and I think it is personally, but every time somebody says it, we’re like ‘oh is it, thank you’.

"But when she said it, I was like ‘oh she actually said it’."

Marc continued: "Every time somebody says that I say, ‘well we don’t get fed up of hearing that’."

The First Minister was also joined by Susan Aitken and cllr Kenny McLean, who both came back to pick up some cakes and biscuits later that afternoon.

Since Sturgeon’s visit, Jennifer says there has been a number of new people coming to try their empire biscuits to put them to the test.

She said: "So many people are now coming that haven’t been here before and they say ‘I’m here to try the empire biscuit because Nicola Sturgeon said it was the best’ and they’re taking a box of six or 12.

"People will come in and they’ll speak about her and say, ‘we’re here because [of her]'.

"Not thousands but it definitely has had an effect and there have been people coming and taking pictures and saying, ‘is Nicola Sturgeon here?’.

"It’s quite surreal. It was pure nice, it was a good wee vibe and it gave everybody a lift and everybody’s still talking about it."

Marc Sorbie and Jennifer Walls

She added: "It was nice to meet her, she’s a really nice lady and really down to earth.

"We gave her a t-shirt and she put it on right away."

Plant Blonde, which opened last month, serve a menu full of veggie fare, artisan coffee, and, of course, their signature empire biscuits.

The bakery was co-founded by Jennifer, who swapped her teaching career to follow her passion for baking during lockdown, and her partner Marc who says he had never baked in his life. 

Plant Blonde Empire Biscuits

This week, they celebrated one month of being open and said so far it has been "amazing" and have praised the support from the local community.

Jennifer said: "It's been better than I could ever have imagined, I'm blown away. 

"I knew it would be kind of busy, every new place gets a wee bit busy but wow.

"The support has been amazing from our friends, family, the staff are outstanding."

Marc agreed: "It’s been much better than expected.

"We put together a really good team for the first time ever hiring people."

So what’s the secret to the success of their empire biscuits?

"Jenn Walls," Marc says.

"It’s all that TLC that goes into them."

Plant Blonde is located on 61-63 Hyndland Street, and you can also find their empire biscuits at a range of local cafes, including Blend and Brew cafes in Paisley and Tartan Sprinkles in Bishopbriggs.

 You can find out more HERE.