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All over the United Kingdom (and further afield too) bakers spread the real bread message during the 11th Real Bread Week. It is not just about how good real bread is to eat, but how it can improve your mental health. Making bread is good for you.
My Real Bread Week 2020
In addition to running a sourdough class, I took part in two rather different activities.
John Lewis Cheltenham Discovery Room
The Discovery Room in the John Lewis store hosts many different talks activities from knitting to gardening, from coping with the menopause to crafts.
To celebrate Real Bread Week I gave two free bread demonstrations. It’s not the easiest location – no running water or oven! However, the attendees got involved and smelled and touched flour, learnt about water temperature, saw how to knead bread; touched the bread once shaped and asked plenty of questions. The two sessions were very warmly received. I also got to curate a selection of items ideal for breadmaking from the cookery shop shelves.
Gloucester College, Cheltenham
Myself, fellow Real Bread Campaign Ambassador Dilly Boase, Douglas Muir and Dr Mary Kelly headed to the hospitality department at Gloucester College in Cheltenham.
Here we taught breadmaking skills to 24 hospitality students aged 17 to 19. Despite already having done a full days training, the students really got stuck into the session as we mixed, kneaded and shaped and baked dough. We loved their energy and searching questions. We hope that there are some future bakers amongst them! Renark Cousins, their tutor commented:
The students loved the day. I must thank you very much for the efforts your team made. The students actually learned a lot from the day and have reminded me of what they had learnt.
I particularly enjoyed working as a team with Dilly, Douglas and Mary prepping beforehand. Douglas brought 10 kilos of dough and we made a similar amount in advance for the students to work with. I realised it has been quite a while since I have worked with others and how much I miss it!
How other bakers spread the word
Astwood Bank Scout in Redditch got to grips with bread
Tonight we celebrated #RealBreadWeek by making chapati, tasting different types of bread, completing a bread quiz & making a sandwich whilst wearing a blindfold. A tasty & fun evening! #SkillsForLife pic.twitter.com/YPFouPLVZy
— Astwood Bank Scout G (@1stAstwoodBank) February 26, 2020
Stoneham Bakehouse is a Community Supported Bakery based in the Poet’s Corner area in Hove.
As #RealBreadWeek finishes, we’d like to thank you all for your support for our community supported bakery. By buying our bread and places on our workshops, you help us fund our work using breadmaking to #nourishthecommunity. pic.twitter.com/6KdkOwU5BC
— Stoneham Bakehouse (@stonehambake) March 1, 2020
Forge Bakehouse in Sheffield inspired local school children.
Bread for good mental health
The Daily Telegraph featured many of the wonderful bakeries doing sterling work in tackling mental health including Michele Stratford of Planet Leicester Bakers is one of my bread heroes. She founded Planet Leicester Bakers in 2014 with the aim of “blatantly exploiting the loveliness of bread for positive social benefit and a mantra of: ‘Good Bread, Doing Good.’ Michelle estimates at least 1000 people have become involved in the business through training, community projects, public speaking events and more. Read more about Planet Leicester Bakers
Where in the World?
Real Bread Week activities took place all over the world!
Why Real Bread matters
The crust of the matter is that too much bread we buy is far from real bread which should be made from no more than 4 ingredients flour, water, salt and yeast.
It has additives galore added and these are possible what is making people blame bread on why they find bread indigestible. The image below shows the ingredients for a very well known brand loaf. Why does it need to include soya flour, emulsifiers, vegetable oils, vinegar and vitamin C? Seek out a loaf from your local artisan baker from the Real Bread Campaign map.
