South Shields man sets up YouTube channel to help people to bake on a budget

A South Shields man has launched his very own baking channel on YouTube, to help people to learn how to bake at a low cost.

62-year-old Dave Watson has baked since he was a child, after learning from his family.

He explained: “I remember as a really small child my mother, grandmother and great aunt would all get together on a Wednesday afternoon for a baking day.

“They would make everything from steak pies and sausage rolls to jam tarts. It became a family tradition and I was always amazed by it.

“Also, my father used to work in an old bakery in South Shields. When he stopped working, he continued to bake in the house. I’ve always been around it, and learned from my family.”

Dave also renovates campervans and already had a YouTube channel dedicated to that, when he decided to set up ‘Baking On A Budget’ to encourage and teach people to bake delicious food, without breaking the bank.

In his video he demonstrates how to make fruit scones costing only 14p each, deep filled apple pie at 37p per slice and many more cost-effective options for delicious baked goods.

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Dave films and edits the videos himself, using only a light and an action camera in his kitchen at home.

He was inspired to create the YouTube channel due to struggles many people face, which is the cost of living crisis and mental health.

“I’ve always baked using affordable ingredients”, Dave explained.

Dave hopes that his videos will help people who may struggle with the cost of food, to be able to bake their own food for their families without spending too much money. 

Because of this, Dave does not use any expensive baking equipment, and in each video he lists all of the ingredients and the costs.

Dave also believes that baking is a therapeutic activity that could help people with anxiety.

He said: “Baking is such a pleasurable thing to do. It’s very calm. It can also help with self-esteem to create something yourself that smells and tastes beautiful.”

Dave’s main goal for his YouTube channel is to help others.

Baking On A Budget currently has 4.6 thousand subscribers, despite only being launched last month.