Star Baker - Matt "Mattaroons" Othold
Star Baker - Matt Mattaroons Othold
Star Baker - Matt "Mattaroons" Othold
Today we'd like to shine the spotlight on one of our fantastic baking community contributors - Matt "Mattaroons" Othold. Matt is our Star Baker for August 2025, and has kindly taken some time to do an interview with us.
The Man Behind the Brownies & Blondies
Matt has been delighting us with his imaginative Brownie and Blondie recipes (and more) for ages, and we want to share his story with everyone who's been enjoying his bakes as much as we have! Huge thanks to Matt for all of his great bakes, and congratulations for being a Matthews Star Baker!
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how Mattaroons came to be?
A: Food has always been an important part of my life. I grew up in a pub with my family till I was 16, with my Dad being a full time chef/publican, food was always around me. But baking came more thanks to my mum, who I would often spend time with in the kitchen - as a child learning the basics.
It wasn't until I came back from Uni when I saw a recipe which, at that time, was a brand new concept in baking: the Whoopie Pie. That's when I started to fall in love with baking. For 20 years I baked on and off, trying to find new and exciting bakes to try my hand at, then 5 years ago I discovered TikTok. That's when my baking and content creation went to a whole new level!
Q: What do you love most about baking, and what inspires your creations?
A: Food is just my universal love language. Baking for friends, family and work colleagues, is my way of showing love and expressing who I am. I love that time in the kitchen. When you have this idea and concept in your head that you just hope you can bring to life. I’m definitely a baker who enjoys trying the newest ideas, trends and viral moments, rather than celebrating the classics. It’s important to learn the classics, but I believe we need to be pushing the boundaries and exploring new ideas.
Social media has helped so much with my creativity. Connecting with other bakers, I'm still genuinely amazed every time someone bakes one of my recipes and shares their experience with me.
Q: Which Cotswold Flour products do you use, and why do they work so well for you?
A: I discovered Cotswold Flour last year after being invited to their Soil, Stone & Sourdough event, where I instantly fell in love with what they stood for and what they were trying to achieve. Being educated around the farm, seeing the mills and learning about regenerative farming was an incredible experience. I just knew from then on that this was the Flour brand I wanted to use and work with in the future. The range and versatility of the flours has been fantastic to work with in my bakes and breads.
Q: What’s your signature bake, the one you’re most proud of (and is there a story behind it)?
A: I think possibly my Stollen Blondie. Being half German, it's always fun to try and bring that side of me out in my baking when possible. Stollen is such a classic German bake, it was exciting when I was challenged by Matthews to celebrate World Baking Day - what would I create?
I’ve never seen a Stollen Blondie before, but I had an idea in my head of how I would go about creating such a bake, and it worked! They have remained a favourite with my family in Germany and my work colleagues at home too!
Q: What does a typical day in your kitchen look like?
A: Having a fulltime job with the NHS means most of my baking is done in my free time at the weekends. I have a long list of ideas in my phone that I gradually work through, but it keeps getting longer! In the middle of the night I’ll have another idea for something and add it to the list. I try to create 3 different bakes on Fridays, then 3 more on Saturdays, and then spend the Sunday taking photos and putting the videos/recipes together for the week ahead. All the while knowing my work colleagues have a lucky week ahead - getting to sample all my experiments and feedback on what did or didn't work!
Q: Where can people find and enjoy your bakes (online or in person)?
A: Online here:
- https://www.tiktok.com/@mattaroons
- https://www.instagram.com/mattaroons/
- https://www.facebook.com/Mattaroons/
Q: Any advice for aspiring bakers or tips for working with Cotswold Flour at home?
A: Having fun is the most important thing. If you're not enjoying baking, it's possibly not for you. There is a world of information and recipes out there. Start where you feel comfortable, find something that excites you, don’t worry if something goes wrong. Even now I still have bakes that go wrong on occasion. Cotswold flour has such an amazing selection of flours to try at home, find the ones that work best for you and don’t be afraid to experiment!
