I am seated in Whisk’d Away owner Kathryn Lund’s impeccably organised kitchen, looking up at her sunny kitchen counter as I watch her prep a couple of toasted crumpets for us to share over a chat. It is here that Kathryn creates her crumpet and butter magic.
“My baking reminds people of what grandma used to make,” Kathryn laughs as she slathers a crumpet with cinnamon butter.
“A nostalgic, old-school style of baking – and crumpets fit perfectly into that vintage.
“Last year, I saw a gap in the market for crumpets, and spent a few months perfecting my recipe.”
Since then, Kathryn has opened up her stall at the Canberra Regional Farmers Market and built up a posse of loyal customers.
Kathryn says there was a steep learning curve – but she must be a fast learner as she has been delighting Canberrans with the nostalgic comfort dish for just over 12 months.
Kathryn’s crumpets are wide and plump, much more substantial than ones you would find at the supermarket.
Their tender, porous interior is riddled with a honeycomb of nooks and crannies for various kinds of butter to melt through and seep into. Good luck stopping at just one. Bite through the toasted crunch and into the addictive sponginess of the middle suffused with warm lemon butter.
Kathryn’s lemon butter incorporates both the lemon juice and its zest. Rich and luxurious, soft as a pillow, it brings just enough tartness to silence the critics.
I haven’t had cinnamon butter in way too long. Fluffy, aromatic, made using quality butter and with a sprinkling of salt, its fragrant homey scent fills the kitchen as it melts into the steaming crumpet.
The creation of this luscious lemon butter began after a generous neighbour’s heavily laden lemon tree dangling its yellow-orbed fruits into her yard. Kathryn hates waste, so she froze loads of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice begat lemon butter, which, it so happens, is a crumpet’s best friend.
Kathryn has steadily built up a cluster of repeat customers at her market stall.
“There are quite a few parents whose kids are addicted to my crumpets, and they come back each week to stock up for the week,” she says.
To experience scrumptious crumpets yourself, head to the Capital Region Farmers Market at Epic every Saturday morning.
Look out for the beautifully wrapped brown parcels and sunshine yellow lemon butter among the ready-made food stalls.
Visit her stall to snaffle up a warm crumpet, smothered in your choice of spreads. Or take home a pack of four, wrapped in a brown paper package with your own jar of homemade lemon butter, cinnamon butter or strawberry jam to slather over it.
Canberra Regional Farmers Market is located at Exhibition Park in Canberra on Old Well Station Road, Mitchell. Officially the hours are 7 am to 11:30 am, but the crumpets often sell out well before then and jars of cinnamon butter and lemon butter also sell out quickly.
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Original Article published by Michelle Taylor on Riotact.