Ioana works as a Team Leader in the confectionery department at McGhee’s Bakery in Glasgow. For the last five years, she’s spent her days icing empire biscuits, cakes and other classic bakes enjoyed across Scotland.

“On a busy day, we can do around 60 or 70 racks. Each rack has 18 trays and each tray can hold about 30 biscuits, depending on the size. Over five years, that becomes a huge number.

“You don’t think about it while you’re working because you’re focused on doing the job properly and keeping everything moving. But when you stop and add it up, it’s surprising how much you’ve made with your own hands.”

Ioana starts work mid-morning and spends most of her shift on the production floor, working alongside her team.

“I start at 10 o’clock and work until half past six. Most of my day is spent icing biscuits and cakes. If there are new people, I help train them, but we all work side by side.

“It’s busy all the time, which I like. I don’t enjoy boring jobs — here, the day goes very quickly.”

What looks simple from the outside is a skill that takes time to master.

“When I first started, icing looked easy, but it isn’t. Controlling the icing takes practice. At the beginning it’s hard to make everything neat and even. It took me about four months before I really felt confident doing it every day.

“Even now, I still concentrate. You’re working with your hands all day and you can see immediately if something isn’t right.”

For Ioana, the satisfaction comes at the end of the line.

“When you finish a batch and see all the biscuits lined up, it feels good. You know people across Scotland are going to buy them and take them home.

“It’s nice to make something with your hands that people enjoy. At the end of the day, you can see the result of your work.”

Before moving to Scotland, Ioana worked as a journalist in Romania — a career she describes as exciting but relentless.

“The phone was always ringing and you were always thinking about the next story. You never really switched off.

“Here, my phone stays in my locker. When I finish work, I go home and that’s it. The next day you start again. That balance changed everything for me.”

Five years on, she says working at McGhee’s helped her settle into life in Scotland.

“Moving to Scotland gave me a better life. Working at McGhee’s helped me meet people and settle in, especially when everything was new.

“I learned very quickly how friendly people in Scotland are — especially in Glasgow. People are welcoming, kind and patient, and that makes such a difference when you move to a new country.”

At a bakery preparing to enter its 90th year, long service is something Ioana notices.

“We have people here who have worked for 30 or even 40 years, and that tells you a lot about the place.

“It’s work that brings me joy, and I love that when you finish your shift, you can look back and see what you’ve made.”

After five years, she can see herself staying for the long term.

“That says everything.”

People of McGhee’s is a series celebrating the people behind Scotland’s local baker as the business enters its 90th year.