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Possible meets..... Linda Hill of Murrays the Bakers
This weeks guest sets the bar very high in terms of running a local, independent, family business. Their range of sweet treats and savoury delights have been a favourite for generations of men, women and children across Perthshire. For many expats, their premises on South Street is often top of the list to visit when returning to the Fair City, well before family and loved ones get a look in. Her passion for her produce has resulted in many accolades and national awards and her business is perhaps one of the most instantly recognisable within the city. The very mention of it will trigger the taste buds. In fact, when we helped to sell a family members home for her, Gary was very close to suggesting that our selling fee could be paid in their pies – something her family business has long been famed for.
This week, Possible meets…. Linda Hill of Murrays the Bakers.
Can you tell us a bit about your business?
Murrays the Bakers is 120 years old this year and a local institution with an on-site bakery where everything is made fresh daily. I am 4th generation of the Murray family, my great grandad John Murray started the business off. I joined when I was 20 years old when my dad was looking for someone to come and help out. I said we would try it for 6 months and 32 years later I was still there!
How has the last 12 – 18 months been for you professionally and personally throughout the COVID-19 situation?
It was a tough time, the shop closed on 25th march and reopened on the 17th june. I never anticipated when I closed the doors that day it would be for as long. It was a worrying time trying to work out when to open up and what we would open up to. Fortunately we were queued down the street for 4 days, people were very glad to see us open and were allowed out by that stage too although we could only have 2 serving and 2 in the shop at a time so furlough was a godsend. Then after new year we closed for January again in the next lockdown and reopened for February. The town was quieter and it was a gradual build up this time, but we were fortunate we were eventually able to bring all the staff back in.
Tell us about the first time you ever moved out of your family home and rented/bought your first property?
I bought my first flat when I was 19 and worked in the Royal Bank at the time. It was in the High Street, a 2 bed second floor flat that had very steep steps off the High Street up to it, but the flat was lovely - high ceilings, big rooms but freezing in the winter time. Very handy though when I started working in Murrays a year later. I sold it just over 4 years later for £37k.
Which parts of Perthshire have you lived in and are there any that you liked the most?
I was brought up in Craigie and after my flat I bought a house in the street I grew up in with Steve. It needed everything done to it, but we loved it there. We moved to the Western Edge to a new build when I was expecting our son, we stayed there for 8 years there moved again in the Western Edge and stayed there for 16 years until we moved 2 years ago to Craigend. I have always loved Craigie and I feel I will end up back there at some point. Although where we are has the most stunning views and the biggest garden we have ever had.
What’s your favourite room in your home and why?
The conservatory, which we have just replaced all the glass in so we can use it all year round. It’s at the front of the house and looks out to those amazing views and over our beautiful garden which our dog loves to play in. I like to sit there with my kindle and a coffee chilling out.
In your opinion, what is it that makes a house a home?
For me, it has to be a dog. As soon as we bought our first house we got a puppy, Tara, our first German shepherd, she moved homes twice with us. Then we had 2 rescue dogs, Stella first and then Millie joined her and we had them until they were 15. We lost Millie the year before we moved here and Stella a few months after moving here. I hated the empty feeling of not having a dog here and we had the biggest garden we have ever had, so we now have Luca who was a failed police dog. We rehomed him a year ago and can’t imagine life or our home without him. No matter how broken hearted it is to lose them it’s better to have had them than not have them for sure.
Why do you think Perthshire is such a popular location for buyers from all over parts of Scotland and the UK?
The Perth area is so pretty all around, it’ convenient for access all over Scotland and it’s full of lovely independent shops and feels relatively safe and family friendly.
If you could have your dream home, anywhere in the world, where would it be and tell us a bit about what it might have in it and look like?
Perth will always be my home but I would probably buy my dream home somewhere warm with a sea view and a lovely pool for those warm sunny days to cool off in. It would have 5 bedrooms for family visiting and all en-suites, a large dressing area for all my clothes and shoes, a large family dining kitchen with seating area, 2 tv rooms so my husband can watch his sport while I watch anything else, a large private garden, lots of big windows letting the light and sun in and a nice outside seating area.
Find out more aboutMurrays the Bakers by visiting:
www.facebook.com/Murrays-Pies-351927037452
www.murraysbakers.com/
Bringing over 20 years local estate agency experience, Possible are Perthshire's only company who are solely dedicated to selling properties. We cover the entire Perthshire area and over the years have helped hundreds of clients in locations such as Perth, Scone, Bridge of Earn, Auchterarder, Crieff, Blairgowrie, Luncarty, Bankfoot, Pitlochry and everywhere else in between.
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